ChatGPT is an AI assistant you can talk to in natural language, powered by GPT-5.5 as its flagship model family (Instant, Thinking, and Pro tiers). You can ask it questions, have it write text, analyze documents, generate images, create videos, search the web, write and run code with Codex, and much more. It is the most popular AI tool in the world, used by hundreds of millions of people.

What are the advantages of ChatGPT?

The most versatile AI tool available: text, images, video, voice, search, code, and more in one place. Memory and custom instructions make it personalize over time. Projects and canvas make it excellent for longer, ongoing work. Available on web, macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android. Free tier is genuinely useful for casual users. Massive ecosystem of custom GPTs in the GPT Store.

What are the disadvantages of ChatGPT?

Message limits on the Plus plan can be frustrating for heavy users. Pro plans at $100 and $200 are expensive compared to competitors. Image generation quality is good but not best in class (dedicated models like Flux produce superior output). Output quality for long, nuanced writing can be less consistent than Claude. Free and Go tiers show ads, and Go lacks reasoning models. Memory can sometimes be imprecise or remember things you did not intend.

Who is ChatGPT best for?

Students and knowledge workers who need a general purpose AI assistant for daily tasks. Writers who want help drafting, editing, and brainstorming content. Professionals who need to analyze documents, data, or research topics. Developers who want quick code assistance alongside a chat interface. Anyone who wants one tool that does text, images, video, search, voice, and coding.

How much does ChatGPT cost?

Free: free. Go: $8/month. Plus: $20/month. Pro: $100/month. Business: $20 per user/month. Enterprise: custom pricing.

All Tools/

ChatGPT

chatbot

by openai

The most popular AI assistant in the world: text, images, video, voice, search, coding agents, and more in one place.

Key features

Conversations

Writing

Code

Image Generation

Video Generation

Voice Mode

Pricing

Free tier available, Plus at $20/mo

Best For

Students and knowledge workers who need a general purpose AI assistant for daily tasks

Verdict

The most versatile AI tool available: text, images, video, voice, search, code, and more in one place

What it does

Conversations

Ask questions, brainstorm ideas, get explanations on any topic.

Writing

Draft emails, essays, reports, social media posts, and creative content.

Code

Write, debug, and explain code in dozens of programming languages.

Image Generation

Create images from text descriptions using ChatGPT Images 2.0 (GPT Image 2), with Instant and Thinking modes.

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Video Generation

Create videos from text or images using Sora.

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Voice Mode

Have spoken conversations with ChatGPT using natural sounding AI voices, with real time translation.

Search

Get up to date information from the web with inline source citations.

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Deep Research

Autonomous agent that spends 5 to 30 minutes researching a topic and produces a comprehensive report.

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File Upload & Analysis

Upload PDFs, spreadsheets, images, and documents for analysis.

Data Analysis

Run Python code to analyze data, create charts, and process files.

Canvas

Side by side editor for collaborating on documents and code.

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Projects

Organize related conversations, files, and instructions into workspaces.

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Custom GPTs

Create or use specialized versions of ChatGPT for specific tasks.

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GPT Store

Browse and use thousands of custom GPTs built by the community.

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Memory

ChatGPT remembers details from past conversations to personalize future responses.

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Custom Instructions

Set permanent preferences for how ChatGPT responds to you.

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Interactive Visual Learning

Visual, interactive explanations that help you understand complex topics through diagrams, animations, and step by step walkthroughs.

Agent Mode

ChatGPT can browse the web, take actions, and complete multi step tasks autonomously.

Pricing

Free

Limited access to GPT-5.5 Instant, limited messages and uploads, limited and slower image generation, limited deep research, limited memory and context, and limited Codex access. Shows ads in the US.

Limited access to GPT-5.5 Instant
Limited messages and uploads
Limited image generation (Instant mode)
Limited deep research
Search, Canvas, Projects, GPT Store access
Limited Codex access
Shows ads (US)

Go

$8/month

More access to GPT-5.5 Instant, more messages, uploads, and image creation, longer memory, and the ability to create and share GPTs. No Sora, no reasoning models (GPT-5.5 Thinking). Shows ads in the US.

More access to GPT-5.5 Instant
More messages, uploads, and image creation
Longer memory
Create and share custom GPTs
No Sora access
No GPT-5.5 Thinking (reasoning)
Shows ads (US)

Best Value

Plus

$20/month

The best value tier. Unlocks GPT-5.5 Thinking (reasoning), generous image generation with Thinking mode, Sora video creation, expanded Deep Research and Agent Mode, and Codex. Most people will never need more than this.

GPT-5.5 Thinking (advanced reasoning)
Expanded messages and uploads
Image generation with Thinking mode
Advanced voice with video
Sora (720p, 5 sec clips)
10 full + 15 lightweight Deep Research/month
Expanded Codex usage
Projects, tasks, and custom GPTs

Pro

$100/month

From $100/month. Two sub-tiers: $100 gives 5x Plus usage with GPT-5.5 Pro access, and $200 gives 20x Plus usage with a 1M token context window. Both include all frontier models including GPT-5.5 Pro.

GPT-5.5 Pro (highest reasoning tier)
$100: 5x Plus usage limits
$200: 20x Plus usage limits, 1M token context
Unlimited GPT-5.5 Instant and file uploads
Maximum deep research and agent mode
Sora (1080p, up to 25 sec)
Maximum Codex tasks
Research preview of new features

Pros & Cons

Pros

The most versatile AI tool available: text, images, video, voice, search, code, and more in one place
Memory and custom instructions make it personalize over time
Projects and canvas make it excellent for longer, ongoing work
Available on web, macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android
Free tier is genuinely useful for casual users
Massive ecosystem of custom GPTs in the GPT Store

Cons

Message limits on the Plus plan can be frustrating for heavy users
Pro plans at $100 and $200 are expensive compared to competitors
Image generation quality is good but not best in class (dedicated models like Flux produce superior output)
Output quality for long, nuanced writing can be less consistent than Claude
Free and Go tiers show ads, and Go lacks reasoning models
Memory can sometimes be imprecise or remember things you did not intend

How to get started

Create an account

Go to chatgpt.com and create a free account with your email, Google, Apple, or Microsoft account.

chatgpt.com

Download the apps

ChatGPT is available on iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows. The desktop app lets you drag and drop files, take screenshots, and use Option+Space (Mac) for quick access.

iOS App Store Google Play Desktop Download

Send your first message

Type a question or request in the message box and press Enter. Try asking ChatGPT to explain a concept, draft an email, or help you brainstorm ideas.

Try image generation

Ask ChatGPT to create an image by describing what you want to see. For example: "Create a watercolor painting of a mountain lake at sunset." Free users get 2 to 3 images per day.

Set up Custom Instructions

Go to Settings > Personalization > Custom Instructions. Tell ChatGPT about yourself and how you want it to respond. These preferences apply to every conversation.

Explore the OpenAI Academy

Free courses and tutorials on how to get the most out of ChatGPT, including prompt writing, Deep Research, Canvas, and Sora.

OpenAI Academy

Explore key features

Try Search (click the globe icon or type "/"), Canvas (for collaborative writing and code), Projects (organize conversations by topic), and Deep Research (multi source research reports).

Search Help Canvas Help Deep Research FAQ