ChatGPT has a new $100 per month Pro subscription

2026-04-09 · Source: The Verge · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Software Development & Engineering · Depth: Fundamental Awareness, quick

Summary

OpenAI has introduced a new ChatGPT Pro subscription tier priced at $100 per month, designed for users requiring "5x more" usage of its Codex coding tool compared to the existing $20 per month Plus subscription. This new offering targets "longer, high-effort Codex sessions" and directly competes with Anthropic's Claude "Max" tier, which also costs $100 monthly. OpenAI now offers multiple tiers: a free option, an $8 per month Go tier, the $20 per month Plus tier for "steady, day-to-day usage," and two Pro tiers at $100 and $200 per month, with the more expensive Pro tier offering even higher usage limits.

Key takeaway

For AI Engineers or developers heavily reliant on coding assistants, your decision on a premium subscription now includes a new $100/month ChatGPT Pro option. Evaluate your team's specific Codex usage patterns and session lengths to determine if this new tier offers a better cost-performance ratio than the $20 Plus plan or Anthropic's Claude Max, ensuring you optimize for high-effort coding tasks.

Key insights

OpenAI launched a new $100/month ChatGPT Pro tier to compete with Anthropic's Claude for heavy Codex users.

Principles

• Tiered pricing addresses diverse user needs.
• Direct competition drives feature and pricing parity.

In practice

• Evaluate Codex usage for optimal tier selection.
• Compare OpenAI's Pro tiers against Anthropic's Claude Max.

Topics

• ChatGPT Pro
• OpenAI
• Anthropic
• Codex Tool
• Subscription Tiers

Best for: CTO, VP of Engineering/Data, AI Engineer, Tech Journalist, AI Product Manager, Director of AI/ML

Related on AIssential

• OpenAI introduces ChatGPT Pro $100 tier with 5X usage limits for Codex compared to Plus — OpenAI's new $100 ChatGPT Pro tier targets developers with increased Codex usage amid intense competition.
• ChatGPT finally offers $100/month Pro plan — OpenAI's new $100/month Pro plan enhances Codex access, directly challenging Anthropic's Claude.
• OpenAI Projects ChatGPT Plus subscriptions to drop by 80% from 44 Million in 2025 to 9 Million In 2026, Made Up Using Cheaper Subscriptions (Somehow) — OpenAI anticipates a major shift from premium to ad-supported subscriptions, reflecting market competition and user preferences.
• Anthropic Is Getting More Expensive — Anthropic's new credit-based subscription model, effective June 15th, significantly raises costs for heavy users, despite recent business adoption growth.
• How to use top AI models on a budget — Accessing premium AI models via pay-per-token API keys and third-party interfaces offers significant cost savings over subscriptions.
• OpenAI Projects ChatGPT Plus subscriptions to drop by 80% from 44 Million in 2025 to 9 Million In 2026, Made Up Using Cheaper Subscriptions (Somehow) — OpenAI's strategy to offset a major decline in premium subscriptions with an unprecedented surge in cheaper, ad-supported plans faces significant financial and logistical challenges.

Open in AIssential →

Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by The Verge.