The substantial tech story last week was GPT-4o, OpenAI’s newest model. However, GPT-4o is more than just a elementary ChatGPT update. The most essential feature is the recent version of voice mode powered by GPT-4o, which essentially turns ChatGPT into Samantha, the astute assistant from 2013 Her (even if “she” doesn’t sound like ScarJo anymore). While voice mode demos understandably gained huge popularity, one piece of GPT-4o news was at least as significant: the latest model, featuring a futuristic and dystopian voice mode, will be offered to all users for free.
This is recent in OpenAI. While you’ve always had access to some ChatGPT services for free, paying for ChatGPT Plus has greatly improved your experience. In the past, a subscription provided access to the latest and greatest models that free users did not have access to, as well as other benefits such as ChatGPT plug-ins and its successor, GPT.
Now, however, OpenAI appears to be leveling the playing field for everyone by offering many features that were previously exclusive to Plus to free users. It seems like there has to be a catch – and in some sense there is – but even free users never did. I already had access to so much ChatGPT that it’s probably not worth paying $20 for ChatGPT Plus anymore.
What does a free ChatGPT account give you?
Whether you sign up for a free ChatGPT account or log in with the same account you have since 2022, you now have (or will soon have) access to the GPT-4o model. It may be enabled by default or you may need to manually switch it on. (On mobile or desktop, select your model name at the top of the screen (e.g. ChatGPT 3.5) and make sure GPT-4o is selected.)
Once selected, you have access to same GPT-4o model as paid users. OpenAI claims to understand transmitted images better than previous models, which in turn provides better responses and insights. Additionally, while you should see the same performance over previous models for English text using GPT-4o, OpenAI claims to be much better at processing non-English texts. (Check out some anecdotal evidence to see how much faster GPT-4o can be compared to GPT-4.)
More features and greater performance
This is a substantial deal because the previous models, GPT-4 and GPT-4 Turbo, were not available in the free tier. (That said, it was previously possible to access GPT-4 Turbo using Copilot.) But this will be an even bigger deal in the future when OpenAI does introduce recent GPT-4o voice mode – Plus users will get it first, but free users will also get it in the near future.
But even before voice mode arrives, free users will have plenty of recent features to try out. With the recent model, you now have access to data analysis, file transfer, vision and web browsing, all functions associated with GPT-4o. GPT-3.5 cannot read uploaded files, view photos and videos, or search the Internet, so for the first time these options are available to users who do not pay for OpenAI services.
Additionally, the free plan now gives you access to GPT and the GPT Store. GPTs are custom versions of ChatGPT that specialize in a specific skill or service. This feature was previously exclusive to Plus, but now free users can browse the GPT store for bots that specialize in everything from translation to food preparation. Additionally, they can create their own GPT if they don’t find what they’re looking for. Memory is another paid add-on that went free – now ChatGPT will remember previous conversations for free users too, so your recent chat will no longer be a completely blank slate like it used to be.
Why pay for ChatGPT at all?
If you’re really solemn about GPT-4o, the answer is elementary: message limits. OpenAI says paid users will have five times the message limits for GPT-4o than free users, but doesn’t specifically state what the message limits actually are If for any plan. If Reddit is to be believedhowever, free users can have 10 to 16 messages every three hours using GPT-4o. This isn’t much, especially if you often talk to the OpenAI chatbot. Once you reach this limit, you’ll have to revert to the GPT-3.5 model, which isn’t bad, but will likely feel much more confined compared to the latest model.
But during these periods of downtime, you’re missing out on more than just improved performance: GPT-4o gives free users access to data analysis, file transfers, vision, and web browsing. When you run out of messages in GPT-4o, your ability to exploit these features will run out until the message limit resets in three hours.
This does not mean that paid users have unlimited access to these features: As of May 13 this year,Plus can send 80 messages every three hours on GPT-4o and,40 messages every three hours on GPT-4. (Why this discrepancy? GPT-4o is actually 50% cheaper than GPT-4.) While it’s not the case that paying $20 a month will give you uninterrupted access to GPT-4o and GPT-4, you will certainly have more time with these models and their features than free users.
This will likely also apply to the recent voice mode when it becomes available. When chatting with a model on the free tier, you may quickly run out of messages, while paid users can extend their conversations by up to 800%.
Most users will be ecstatic with the free tier
In a sense, this recent open AI approach adds a sort of “ChatGPT Plus demo” to the free tier: you can switch to the best of OpenAI at any time and see what life is like on the other side. If you only exploit ChatGPT in miniature bursts, this may work. You can ask a question that requires an internet search, upload a photo and ask ChatGPT something about it, then have the model analyze the dataset for you, and then close the app without paying a penny. However, if you need to do these activities often enough to exceed your message limit, you may be tempted to reach for your credit card.
However, in my opinion, most of us will be able to get by without having to pay for ChatGPT: for most elementary tasks, GPT-3.5 is still useful enough, while GPT-4o can support with more intricate or multi-modal requests. Plus, if you really need a faster GPT model, there’s always Copilot.
