ChatGPT

What is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is OpenAI’s flagship AI assistant, used by over 200 million people worldwide. Since its launch in November 2022, it has evolved from a simple text chatbot into a multimodal AI platform capable of writing, coding, image generation, video creation, deep research, and real-time web browsing.

The current generation runs on the GPT-5 model family, which delivers significantly improved reasoning, factual accuracy, and the ability to handle complex multi-step tasks. Whether you need help drafting an email, analyzing a dataset, or generating a presentation, ChatGPT can handle it.

Key Features in Detail

GPT-5 and Advanced Reasoning. The GPT-5 series brings a major leap in general intelligence. Models like GPT-5.2 Thinking and o3-pro can tackle complex math, science, and coding problems by reasoning step-by-step before responding. This makes ChatGPT not just faster, but meaningfully smarter at hard problems.

Deep Research. One of the standout additions in early 2026, Deep Research performs multi-hour web crawls across trusted sources and compiles detailed reports with citations and data visualizations. It is effectively an AI research analyst that works while you do other things.

Sora 2 Video Generation. ChatGPT Plus subscribers get access to Sora 2 for generating realistic short videos directly from text prompts. Physics simulation has improved dramatically — objects now interact naturally with gravity, light, and each other. Pro subscribers unlock 4K resolution and 25-second clips.

Native Image Generation. Built-in image creation and editing has replaced the need for separate tools in many workflows. You can generate, iterate, and refine images through conversation without leaving the chat.

Custom GPTs and the GPT Store. Build specialized AI assistants tailored to specific tasks — no coding required. The GPT Store hosts thousands of community-created GPTs covering everything from academic tutoring to recipe planning.

Code Interpreter. Upload files, run Python code, create charts, and analyze data — all within the chat. This feature turns ChatGPT into a capable data analysis tool for non-programmers.

Pricing Plans

Free — Access to GPT-4o with message limits, basic image generation, web browsing, and file uploads. A solid starting point for casual users.

Plus ($20/month) — The sweet spot for most users. Includes GPT-5 access, expanded messaging limits, Sora 2 video generation (standard quality), Deep Research, agent mode, expanded memory, and custom GPTs.

Pro ($200/month) — Designed for researchers, engineers, and power users. Unlimited access to all models including o3-pro (maximum reasoning compute), Sora 2 Pro (4K video), and priority access during peak hours.

Team ($25-30/user/month) — Everything in Plus, with a shared workspace, admin console, higher message caps, and business data excluded from training by default.

Enterprise (Custom pricing) — Full platform with SSO, SOC 2 compliance, SLA guarantees, dedicated support, and volume licensing. Typically starts around $60/user/month with annual contracts.

Who is ChatGPT Best For?

Content creators and writers will find ChatGPT invaluable for brainstorming, drafting, editing, and repurposing content across formats. The combination of text, image, and video generation in one interface is unmatched.

Developers benefit from code generation, debugging, and the code interpreter for rapid prototyping. GPT-5.3-Codex represents the most capable code-focused model in the series.

Researchers and analysts should look at the Pro tier. Deep Research alone justifies the cost if you regularly need comprehensive, cited analysis across multiple sources.

Small teams get excellent value from the Team plan, which adds collaboration features without enterprise complexity.

Casual users — the free tier is more capable than most paid AI tools were just a year ago. If you just need occasional help with writing, questions, or simple tasks, free ChatGPT is more than enough.

ChatGPT vs Alternatives

vs Claude — Claude excels at long-form writing quality and nuanced analysis. ChatGPT wins on breadth of features (video, images, plugins, code execution) and ecosystem size.

vs Gemini — Gemini has the advantage of deep Google integration (Search, Workspace, YouTube). ChatGPT offers a more polished conversational experience and a larger third-party ecosystem.

vs Perplexity — Perplexity is a better pure research and search tool with always-on citations. ChatGPT is the more versatile general-purpose assistant.

The right choice depends on your primary use case. For most people who want a single AI tool that does everything reasonably well, ChatGPT is still the default recommendation.