• OpenAI is launching a subscription service for users that want priority and premium features out of ChatGPT.
• It is currently only available in the US on a waitlist basis, but will soon roll out to other countries, OpenAI says.
• Subscribers of ChatGPT Plus will gain access to faster response times, first crack at new features and will even be able to use the service during peak hours.

To begin capitalising on its enormous popularity, OpenAI has launched a subscription service for its ChatGPT platform.

Called ChatGPT Plus, the plan starts at $20 a month and is so far only available in the United States with plans to expand access to more countries and regions soon. The company adds that it will continue to support ChatGPT’s free version.

“We love our free users and will continue to offer free access to ChatGPT. By offering this subscription pricing, we will be able to help support free access availability to as many people as possible,” reads an official blogpost from OpenAI about the subscription service’s launch.

ChatGPT Plus is highlighted to offer three benefits above the free version, namely:

• “General access to ChatGPT, even during peak times,
• Faster response times,
• Priority access to new features and improvements.”

On these benefits, the first stands out as something that is sorely needed. Many times when we have ventured to ask ChatGPT something the service will be down due to its enormous server load. Having access whenever you see fit may be worth the $20 price tag for consistent users.

In January alone, ChatGPT reached 100 million active users, just two months after launch. According to Reuters citing a UBS study, this is a record for the fastest-growing consumer application in history.

The study indicates that every day during the month, 13 million unique visitors used ChatGPT per day. With these numbers there is no wonder OpenAI is looking into a subscription service. Many analysts have asked when the company would begin taking advantage of the popularity of its AI-chatting platform, among the world’s most powerful and accessible large language model chatbots.

Recently, the company signed a multi-billion dollar deal with Microsoft to bring the ChatGPT platform to the tech giant’s Azure service.

In the meanwhile, OpenAI says it has plans to expand its recently announced subscription offerings in the future.

“We plan to refine and expand this offering based on your feedback and needs. We’ll also soon be launching the ChatGPT API waitlist, and we are actively exploring options for lower-cost plans, business plans, and data packs for more availability,” OpenAI says.

While faster response times will also be welcome, especially after particularly wordy prompts, priority access to new features from the company could be the winner to sway users into subscribing.

OpenAI promises that new features and updates are on the way, but there is little concrete information on what is coming apart from the launch of the API waitlist so developers can get their hands on the platform.

ChatGPT Plus is set to launch soon, but for now, users in the States can sign up on a waitlist.

[Image – Milad Fakurian on Unsplash]