ChatGPT: what OpenAI's assistant offers in 2026
ChatGPT is OpenAI's conversational assistant, launched in November 2022 and still the first AI tool many people ever try. It handles almost any everyday task, as long as you understand what each plan changes and how to set your privacy controls.
Data as of October 22, 2026
Key figures
| Developer | OpenAI |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Launched | November 2022 |
| Free version | Yes, limited |
| Plans | from $8 per month |
| Official website | chatgpt.com |
Features
| Features | |
|---|---|
| Web search | Yes |
| Agent mode | Yes |
| File upload | Yes |
| Image generation | Yes |
| Voice mode | Yes |
| Memory | Yes |
| Code execution | Not disclosed |
| Autonomous browsing | Not disclosed |
Where to use it
| Where to use it | |
|---|---|
| Web | Yes |
| iPhone | Yes |
| Android | Yes |
| Windows | Yes |
| macOS | Yes |
| Browser extension | Not disclosed |
| French interface | Yes |
| Spanish interface | Yes |
Privacy
| Privacy | |
|---|---|
| Opt out of training on your chats | Yes |
| Temporary chat | Yes |
| EU data residency | Yes |
One assistant, several plans
ChatGPT runs on large language models built by OpenAI. As of October 22, 2026, the official pricing pages highlight the GPT-6 family: a lightweight model for Free and Go users, and more capable models reserved for Plus and Pro subscribers. In practice, the assistant drafts and rewrites text, translates, summarizes documents, answers questions using AI-powered web search, creates images, holds voice conversations and can carry out multi-step tasks in agent mode.
Here are the individual plans listed on OpenAI’s official pages:
- Free: $0, with caps on messages with tools, uploads, images, voice and deep research;
- Go: $8 a month in the US, with more messages, more images and longer memory;
- Plus: $20 a month, with flagship models, projects, custom GPTs and Codex;
- Pro: from $100 a month, with $200 and $500 tiers for intensive use.
For teams, ChatGPT Business costs $25 per user per month ($20 billed annually), and business data is not used for training by default.
What the free plan actually covers
The Free plan is genuinely useful for getting started: asking questions, drafting an email, making sense of a confusing letter. You will feel the limits as soon as you upload many files, generate several images or run deep research. The fact table above sums up the capabilities; to decide whether paying makes sense, compare your real usage with the trade-offs explained in free vs paid AI. Keep in mind that any model can make things up, so double-check figures and sources.
Privacy: the settings that matter
By default, your conversations may be used to improve OpenAI’s models. The “Improve the model for everyone” toggle under Data controls lets you opt out. Temporary Chats don’t appear in your history, don’t create memories and aren’t used for training; OpenAI says it may keep them for up to 30 days for safety reasons. Data residency in Europe is offered on Enterprise and Edu plans, not on consumer plans.
Where to go next
If you are weighing several assistants, the AI assistants comparison puts ChatGPT side by side with Claude, Gemini and Le Chat on the same criteria. If long-form writing and document analysis matter most to you, the Claude profile explains Anthropic’s approach. The official plan details are on ChatGPT’s pricing page.
Models used
Strengths
writing · searching with sources · teamwork
Comparisons
AI assistants
- Alexa+ · Amazon
- Apple Intelligence et Siri AI · Apple
- Brave Leo · Brave Software
- Character.AI · Character Technologies, Inc.
- Claude · Anthropic
- Comet · Perplexity
Frequently asked questions
Is ChatGPT really free?
Yes, the Free plan costs nothing, but it comes with caps on messages with tools, file uploads, images, deep research and memory. When you hit a limit, ChatGPT switches to a lighter model or asks you to wait.
What is the difference between ChatGPT Go and ChatGPT Plus?
Go is the entry plan ($8 a month in the US as of October 22, 2026) and raises the free limits. Plus ($20 a month) unlocks the flagship models, projects, custom GPTs and more deep research. OpenAI has said it is testing ads on Free and Go, not on Plus.
How do I stop ChatGPT from training on my conversations?
Go to Settings, then Data controls, and turn off “Improve the model for everyone”. New chats stay in your history but are no longer used to train models. For a one-off conversation, use a Temporary Chat.
Which ChatGPT plan is best for coding?
Plus already includes Codex, OpenAI's coding agent. Pro, starting at $100 a month, is designed for longer coding sessions with much higher limits. Start with Plus and upgrade only if you keep hitting the caps.
Data sources
Data as of October 22, 2026
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