As the saying goes, ‘If the service is free, then you are the product’. However, this empirical law doesn’t seem to apply to ChatGPT. A revolutionary product in the AI space offered to the public for free. That too with no visible source of monetization. The price, however, was paid by OpenAI. For about a quarter of a year, OpenAI spent millions on server costs alone. And now they have rolled out ChatGPT Plus Plans and Pricing, to share the expenses with the public.
Here we have compiled all the publicly available information, on the ChatGPT Plus, we could get our hands on. And made this ChatGPT plus plan compared with its alternatives.
What Is ChatGPT Plus?
If you have used ChatGPT, you may have faced overloading server issues. And have seen the ‘Server At Capacity’ message flash on the screen. This can lead to longer responses time and re-submission of queries. Sometimes the Servers outright crash and ChatGPT goes offline for hours at a time. Of course, going through these are very frustrating. This is exactly what ChatGPT Plus wants to solve.
OpenAI launched its ChatGPT Plus plan for hardcore users and people using ChatGPT for commercial applications. It is a means to share the cost of keeping the platform free. With CHatGPT Plus, you get priority access and other features that are meant to help you have a better ChatGPT experience.
1. ChatGPT Plus Features:
The new ChatGPT Plus subscription has only so much it can offer. Yet is worth having if you are an avid user, enthusiast, or researcher. The Pro subscription entitles you to:
- Access to ChatGPT even during peak traffic hours.
- Priority return of service in case of outages.
- Faster prompts and response times.
- Preference during ChatGPT API rollout. You can bypass the waitlist by signing up for the Plus subscription.
- Plus subscribers will also have the ability to create and use Custom GPTs, which are personalized versions of ChatGPT tailored to specific tasks or domains.
ChatGPT Plus Plans And Pricing:
The ChatGPT Plus plan will cost $20 per month. Initially available only in the United States, the service started rolling out internationally on 10 February 2023. This service is still not available to the general public. When compared to other paid ChatGPT alternatives with a paid premium plan the ChatGPT Plus looks like a steal.
Here is a list of the most popular AI chatbots which have a premium plan. Keep in mind that, unlike ChatGPT, most of these services do not have indefinite free trial periods and will top providing service once it reaches the end of the trial period. Here is a list of AI chatbot APIs and builders with corresponding premium pricing:
- Tidio. Starting at $32.5 per month.
- ProProfs. Starting at $10 per month.
- Freshchat. Starting at $39 per month.
Is It ChatGPT Pro Or ChatGPT Plus?
You may have noticed that websites are citing that the premium ChatGPT plan is called ChatGPT Plus, and other websites say that it’s called ChatGPT Pro. Well, which one is it?
The service was initially coined ChatGPT Pro before its launch. It was branded and marketed as such for over a month.
However, just before its launch, the decision was made to call it ChatGPT Plus instead. It has since been branded and promoted as such.
ChatGPT Plus: Is It Worth It?
If you are a professional writer or coder, you can leverage the Plus subscription to help you in your work. ChatGPT is well-versed in many programming languages and it can be used as a ‘knowledgable (but not infallible) colleague. As a coder, you can outsource simple scripting to ChatGPT, saving you hours of scutwork. If you are a writer, you can use ChatGPT to refer to other literary works and by asking it to compress, rephrase or simply give you an opinion about whatever topic you are writing about.
How Do I Get ChatGPT Plus?
Currently, the ChatGPT Plus service isn’t available to the general public. And can only be purchased once you are invited to do so by OpenAI. As of February 2023, the premium rollout is gradually being processed by OpenAI. Small groups of people are being chosen and are invited to participate in the pilot plus subscription plan.
To participate in the initial rollout, you will have to fill out a Google form with all the important details, including the reason why you want to get ChatGPT Plus. You can then be selected to participate in the rollout program. You can fill out the form here.
FAQ:
Here are some of the questions that might come to your mind regarding ChatGPT Plus:
Yes, the free version of ChatGPT is still available for the general public to use. However, it is still plagued with response delays and server overloading issues.
There is no definite waiting period for people to get off the waiting list. They are inviting small groups of people who intend to use ChatGPT for varied purposes. Most probably focusing on groups where they can get feedback from their professional point of view. However, OpenAI has guaranteed, at least verbally, that everyone who has enrolled in the Plus rollout, will eventually get access to it.
Your conversation privacy isn’t guaranteed by OpenAI. As dictated by their policy, your conversations will be used to further develop ChatGPT. Furthermore, they may review your conversations if it is suspected that you have violated any of their terms and services.
Conclusion:
ChatGPT Plus is the natural progression for any professional using ChatGPT in any professional capacity. At a reasonable rate of $20, it is well worth the price you are paying for it. After all, you are not just paying for better server coverage. It is an almost flawless AI chatbot experience. The plus subscription just makes the experience more seamless.
