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A

ChatGPT

A Tier · 8.8/10

The chatbot that started the AI revolution. GPT-5.5 'Spud' launched 2026-04-23 -- SOTA agentic coding (Terminal-Bench 2.0 82.7%), 84.9% GDPval, 1M context. ChatGPT Images 2.0 / gpt-image-2 (2026-04-21) brings native-reasoning image gen + 8-image continuity

Last updated: 2026-05-07Free tier available

Score Breakdown

10.0
Ease of Use
8.0
Output Quality
8.0
Value
9.0
Features

Benchmark Scores

Benchmarks for GPT-5.5 (launched 2026-04-23; scores below are the GPT-5.4 baseline -- GPT-5.5 launch benchmarks per OpenAI are logged in Known Issues, pending third-party verification)

Chatbot Arena ELOHuman preference rating1480
BenchmarkScore
MMLU91%
GPQA Diamond92.8%
AIME 202483.3%
HumanEval95%
SWE-bench72%
ARC-AGI73.3%

Last updated: 2026-04-23

Visit ChatGPT

Personality & Tone

The eager generalist

Tone: Friendly, upbeat, and helpful. ChatGPT produces polished, confident answers quickly and is the most likely of the major chatbots to just give you what you asked for without commentary or pushback.

Quirks: Leans formulaic -- lots of bulleted lists, headings, and 'certainly!' openers unless you explicitly ask for a different style. Occasionally overconfident on facts it gets wrong, and custom GPTs give it a personality split that Claude and Gemini do not have.

The Good and the Bad

What we like

  • +The most polished AI chat experience available -- it just works
  • +All-in-one: text, image gen, code execution, file analysis, web browsing in one app
  • +Custom GPTs let you build mini AI apps without coding
  • +Mobile app is excellent -- voice mode is genuinely useful
  • +GPT-5.5 'Spud' (2026-04-23) delivers SOTA agentic coding (Terminal-Bench 2.0 82.7% beats Claude Opus 4.7's 69.4% and Gemini 3.1 Pro's 68.5%) and 74% on MRCR 512K-1M long-context (vs GPT-5.4's 36.6%) while matching GPT-5.4 per-token latency
  • +GPT-5.5 Pro's 39.6% on FrontierMath Tier 4 + 52.2% on Humanity's Last Exam (with tools) are SOTA for published frontier-reasoning scores

What could be better

  • −Free tier has gotten more restrictive over time -- GPT-5.5 not included for Free or Go users at launch
  • −GPT-5.5 API not available on launch day 2026-04-23 (ChatGPT + Codex only); OpenAI cites cybersecurity guardrails work and says API is 'coming very soon'
  • −GPT-5.5 API pricing is 2x GPT-5.4 ($5/$30 vs $2.50/$15 per 1M tokens); GPT-5.5 Pro is $30/$180 per 1M -- the highest per-token price on any frontier LLM
  • −GPT-5.5 Pro at $200/mo via ChatGPT Pro Ultra still hard to justify unless you live in the chat or drive agentic workflows
  • −OpenAI has tightened cybersecurity classifiers for GPT-5.5 and explicitly acknowledges some users 'may find them annoying initially' (over-refusal)
  • −Privacy concerns -- conversations used for training by default
  • −Multi-step agent workflows still occasionally hallucinate or get stuck

Pricing

Free

$0
  • ✓Limited GPT-5.2 (GPT-5.5 NOT granted at launch)
  • ✓Web browsing
  • ✓Basic image gen
  • ✓Default model after GPT-4o retirement (2026-02-13)

Go

$8/month
  • ✓GPT-5.2 Instant (no GPT-5.5 chat access)
  • ✓Codex with GPT-5.5 at 400K context
  • ✓Image generation
  • ✓File uploads

Plus

$20/month
  • ✓GPT-5.5 Thinking (new 2026-04-23)
  • ✓GPT-5.4 remains available
  • ✓Custom GPTs
  • ✓1M token context
  • ✓Image gen via gpt-image-2 (Images 2.0, 2026-04-21) with native reasoning + 8-image continuity

Pro ($100, new 2026-04-09)

$100/month
  • ✓5x Plus usage (10x Codex during launch promo through 2026-05-31)
  • ✓GPT-5.5 Thinking + GPT-5.5 Pro (Pro/Business/Enterprise only)
  • ✓Targets Claude Max price point
  • ✓Best for longer high-effort Codex sessions

Pro (Ultra $200)

$200/month
  • ✓GPT-5.5 Pro (launched 2026-04-23)
  • ✓Unlimited usage
  • ✓Priority access
  • ✓Power users and agent workloads

Business

$20/seat/month (annual, price CUT from $25 on 2026-04-02)
  • ✓GPT-5.5 Thinking + GPT-5.5 Pro
  • ✓Admin controls
  • ✓Data privacy
  • ✓Custom GPTs

API -- gpt-5.5

$5/$30/per 1M tokens input/output (2x GPT-5.4 rates)
  • ✓LIVE as of 2026-04-24 (shipped ~24h after consumer launch)
  • ✓Cached input $0.50/M (90% discount)
  • ✓Batch + Flex = 50% of standard
  • ✓Priority = 2.5x standard
  • ✓1M context window

API -- gpt-5.5-pro

$30/$180/per 1M tokens input/output
  • ✓LIVE as of 2026-04-24
  • ✓1M context window
  • ✓Most expensive frontier LLM API on the market today

Known Issues

  • GPT-5.5 'Spud' launched 2026-04-23 in ChatGPT (Plus/Pro/Business/Enterprise) + Codex (Plus/Pro/Business/Enterprise/Edu/Go). Model IDs gpt-5.5 and gpt-5.5-pro. ChatGPT Free tier NOT included. OpenAI-published launch benchmarks: Terminal-Bench 2.0 82.7% (SOTA, +7.6 over GPT-5.4), SWE-Bench Pro 58.6%, GDPval 84.9% (SOTA), OSWorld-Verified 78.7%, ARC-AGI-2 85.0% (+11.7 over GPT-5.4's 73.3 on ARC-AGI-1), FrontierMath Tier 4 35.4% base / 39.6% Pro, Humanity's Last Exam 52.2% (with tools), MRCR 512K-1M 74.0% (+37.4 over GPT-5.4's 36.6 -- the biggest material delta). Cyber capability classified 'High' under OpenAI's Preparedness Framework (below Critical). No GPT-5.4 deprecation announced -- GPT-5.4 remains live. Third-party verification of launch benchmarks pendingSource: OpenAI Introducing GPT-5.5 (primary), Axios · 2026-04-23
  • GPT-5.5 API SHIPPED 2026-04-24 (~24 hours after ChatGPT consumer launch). Both gpt-5.5 ($5/$30 per 1M tokens) and gpt-5.5-pro ($30/$180 per 1M) are now live via OpenAI API. Cached-input pricing revealed: $0.50/M cached input (90% discount vs standard input), Batch + Flex tiers at 50% of standard, Priority at 2.5x. Faster API rollout than expected -- yesterday's launch post said 'coming very soon' and it shipped in under 36 hoursSource: OpenAI API docs, apidog, the-decoder (verified 2026-04-24) · 2026-04-24
  • GPT-5.5 pricing jumped 2x vs GPT-5.4 on the API: $5/$30 per 1M tokens input/output (vs $2.50/$15 for GPT-5.4). GPT-5.5 Pro is $30/$180 per 1M -- the most expensive frontier LLM API on the market today. Batch + Flex = 50% of standard rate; Priority processing = 2.5x standard. For budget-sensitive workloads, GPT-5.4 at half the token cost remains a defensible choice where GPT-5.5's agentic/coding gains don't applySource: OpenAI Introducing GPT-5.5 pricing section · 2026-04-23
  • DEFAULT MODEL CHANGE (2026-05-05): OpenAI made GPT-5.5 Instant the new ChatGPT default model, replacing GPT-5.3 Instant for all users. Per OpenAI release notes: factual reliability up, tighter answers, fewer follow-ups, reduced overformatting/emoji clutter, better use of past-chats / files / Gmail context. Paid users keep GPT-5.3 Instant access via model picker for ~3 months (~Aug 2026 retirement). GPT-5.3 Instant Mini became the new fallback for free-tier rate-limited users, replacing GPT-5 Instant Mini. GPT-5.5 Instant is distinct from GPT-5.5 Thinking (already in Plus / Pro / Business / Enterprise since 2026-04-23) -- Instant is the lighter-latency default; Thinking is the higher-effort variantSource: OpenAI ChatGPT release notes (help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes) · 2026-05-05
  • REALTIME API REPLACEMENT SHIPPED (2026-05-07, TODAY): The Realtime API Beta header (`OpenAI-Beta: realtime=v1`) and all gpt-4o-realtime/audio-preview snapshots retired today as scheduled. **Actual replacements differ from prediction**: OpenAI shipped THREE new GA models (not the gpt-realtime-1.5 / mini / audio-1.5 / mini naming initially in the deprecation page). Real names: **GPT Realtime 2** (first voice model with GPT-5-class reasoning, $32/M audio input + $64/M audio output -- same as prior gpt-realtime), **GPT Realtime Translate** (70+ input languages -> 13 output, billed by minute at $0.034/min), **GPT Realtime Whisper** (live streaming STT, $0.017/min). Vendor primary: openai.com/index/advancing-voice-intelligence-with-new-models-in-the-api/Source: OpenAI: Advancing voice intelligence (openai.com/index/advancing-voice-intelligence-with-new-models-in-the-api/), TechCrunch 2026-05-07 · 2026-05-07
  • FINE-TUNING PLATFORM STAGED SUNSET (2026-05-07 effective TODAY -- multi-stage): The OpenAI Fine-Tuning Platform begins a phased shutdown announced on the deprecation page. **Stage 1 (TODAY 2026-05-07)**: fine-tuning job creation closed for NEW organizations -- if you haven't already created an FT job by today, you can no longer start. **Stage 2 (2026-07-02)**: existing FT jobs blocked if no inference activity in past 60 days. **Stage 3 (2027-01-06)**: no new FT jobs even for existing customers. This is a platform-level wind-down, not just a model deprecation -- distinct from the 4/22 ft-gpt-3.5-turbo + ft-gpt-4 snapshot retirement (10/23)Source: OpenAI deprecation page (developers.openai.com/api/docs/deprecations) · 2026-05-07
  • CHATGPT ADS SELF-SERVE BETA (2026-05-05 - 2026-05-07 rollout): OpenAI launched a self-serve advertiser platform at ads.openai.com targeting ChatGPT Free and Go users (logged-in adult US users only). Cost-per-click bidding ($3-5/click recommended starting bid), Conversions API + pixel-based measurement, US advertisers only at beta launch. Ad-free remains on Plus / Pro / Business / Enterprise tiers per the 2026-02-04 commitment. Material because it confirms OpenAI's monetization-of-Free strategy is going end-to-end self-serve (was previously Sales-mediated) -- expect inventory + targeting expansion in coming monthsSource: OpenAI: Testing ads in ChatGPT (openai.com/index/testing-ads-in-chatgpt/), Axios 2026-05-05 · 2026-05-05
  • API DEPRECATION (2026-04-22): OpenAI added a 'Legacy GPT model snapshots' batch to the deprecation page. Headline retirements: gpt-5-chat-latest and gpt-5.1-codex shut down 2026-07-23. o1-2024-12-17 and ft-gpt-3.5-turbo (and ft-gpt-4) shut down 2026-10-23. Replacements per OpenAI: gpt-5-chat-latest -> gpt-5.3-chat-latest; gpt-5.1-codex -> gpt-5; o1-2024-12-17 -> o3; ft-gpt-3.5-turbo -> gpt-4.1-mini. The o1 retirement closes out the original reasoning-model family. If your code or fine-tunes target any of these snapshots, migration work needs to land before the respective shutdown date or the API call will start failingSource: OpenAI deprecations page (developers.openai.com/api/docs/deprecations -- 2026-04-22 entry) · 2026-04-22
  • ChatGPT Images 2.0 / gpt-image-2 launched 2026-04-21 -- OpenAI's first image model with native reasoning ('thinks before it draws'), 3:1 to 1:3 aspect ratios, generates up to 8 related images with character/object continuity across the set, materially better multilingual text rendering. Free tier gets standard outputs; advanced thinking-mode gen is gated to Plus / Pro / Business / Enterprise. Reportedly took #1 on Image Arena leaderboard within 12 hours by ~242 Elo points (largest first-day jump on record). API model id: gpt-image-2. Bundled deprecation: DALL-E 2 + 3 retire 2026-05-12 -- code calling legacy endpoints will failSource: OpenAI Introducing ChatGPT Images 2.0, Tom's Guide, The New Stack · 2026-04
  • GPT-4o, GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1-mini, and o4-mini were retired on 2026-02-13 (ChatGPT) / 2026-02-16 (API). Business/Enterprise/Edu Custom GPTs had grace period through 2026-04-03. If you have older prompts or agents hardcoded to 'gpt-4o', they are broken -- migrate to GPT-5.2 or GPT-5.4Source: OpenAI deprecations, TechCrunch backlash coverage · 2026-02
  • New $100/mo Pro tier launched 2026-04-09 (between Plus $20 and Pro Ultra $200). OpenAI positioned it explicitly as a response to Claude Max pricing. Existing $200 Pro is retained for unlimited usage; the $100 tier offers 5x Plus quotas and 10x Codex during the launch promo through 2026-05-31Source: OpenAI community post, TechCrunch, The Next Web · 2026-04
  • Legacy Deep Research mode was removed from ChatGPT on 2026-03-26 -- replaced by the newer agentic Deep Research. Users who preferred the old behavior (more predictable, less agentic) have no direct replacementSource: OpenAI help changelog · 2026-03
  • ChatGPT Business annual was cut from $25 to $20 per seat on 2026-04-02 -- a rare downward pricing move. Existing customers on the $25 tier should check whether their renewal reflects the new rateSource: OpenAI pricing page · 2026-04
  • Memory feature sometimes surfaces irrelevant stored memories or forgets things it should rememberSource: Reddit r/ChatGPT · 2026-03
  • Custom GPTs occasionally break when OpenAI updates modelsSource: OpenAI Community Forum · 2026-02
  • GPT-5.4 Thinking mode latency can be 30+ seconds for complex queries -- frustrating for back-and-forth useSource: Reddit r/ChatGPT · 2026-04

Best for

Everyone. Seriously -- if you're new to AI or want the most complete all-in-one package, ChatGPT is the default recommendation.

Not for

Power users who need the absolute best writing quality (Claude) or total privacy (local Llama). Also not for anyone opposed to OpenAI's data practices.

Our Verdict

ChatGPT is the Toyota Camry of AI chatbots. It's not the flashiest or the absolute best at any one thing, but it does everything well, it's reliable, and the ecosystem around it is massive. With GPT-5.5 'Spud' now live (2026-04-23), ChatGPT pulls ahead on agentic coding (Terminal-Bench 82.7%) and long-context (MRCR 74% at 512K-1M, +37pt jump) -- upgrade if you do either. Hold on Free tier (GPT-5.5 excluded) or if you're API-dependent (API 'coming soon', not live at launch). For most people, this is still the only AI chatbot they need.

Sources

  • OpenAI ChatGPT release notes (GPT-5.5 Instant default 2026-05-05) (accessed 2026-05-06)
  • OpenAI API deprecations page (Realtime API Beta + 4o realtime/audio preview retire 2026-05-07) (accessed 2026-05-06)
  • OpenAI API deprecations page (2026-04-22 batch) (accessed 2026-05-03)
  • OpenAI: Introducing GPT-5.5 (2026-04-23) (accessed 2026-04-23)
  • Axios: OpenAI releases 'Spud' GPT-5.5 model (accessed 2026-04-23)
  • OpenAI: Introducing ChatGPT Images 2.0 (2026-04-21) (accessed 2026-04-22)
  • Tom's Guide: ChatGPT Images 2.0 launch (accessed 2026-04-22)
  • OpenAI: Introducing new $100/month Pro tier (2026-04-09) (accessed 2026-04-18)
  • OpenAI: Retiring GPT-4o and older models (accessed 2026-04-18)
  • Reddit r/ChatGPT (accessed 2026-04-18)

Explore more ChatGPT rankings

Deeper leaderboards, benchmarks, task-specific tier lists, and status/pricing pages for ChatGPT.

Full AI Chatbots & Assistants tier list
Where ChatGPT ranks vs every competitor in its category
MMLU leaderboard
The 57-subject knowledge test that became the default LLM benchmark.
GPQA Diamond leaderboard
Graduate-level physics, biology, and chemistry written to defeat Google-search.
AIME leaderboard
The American Invitational Math Exam, used as a rolling frontier-math benchmark.
HumanEval leaderboard
164 Python programming problems: does the generated code pass unit tests?
Best AI tools to research a topic
Research assistants that gather, cite, and synthesize sources across the web into a structured answer.
Is ChatGPT down?
Outage check plus rolling log of known issues
ChatGPT pricing
Every tier and what's included
ChatGPT alternatives
Comparable tools at every tier

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