ChatGPT-5: Is It Free, New Features, and How to Get It – All You Need to Know
Share this article:
OpenAI has officially begun rolling out GPT-5, its most advanced language model yet, bringing faster performance, smarter responses, and exciting new features to millions of ChatGPT users worldwide. Whether you’re on the free plan or paying for premium access, there’s something fresh to explore - here’s everything you need to know.
A Gradual Rollout for All Users
GPT-5 is being released in stages, so not everyone will see it immediately. Once available for your account, you’ll be greeted with a welcome screen. Free users can access GPT-5 and its lighter version, GPT-5-mini, while paid tiers unlock additional capabilities. Logging out and back in might get you in sooner.
A Step Forward in AI Performance
While GPT-5 doesn’t meet OpenAI’s definition of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), it’s being described internally as “generally intelligent” - delivering sharper, more accurate results with fewer errors. CEO Sam Altman compares the upgrade to the leap from early iPhone displays to Retina screens.
New Model Variants
The interface now automatically selects the best model for your query, based on complexity and your subscription tier.
Pro Perks and Integrations
Pro subscribers (including those on the $200/month plan) enjoy unlimited GPT-5 access, advanced model options, and the ability to use older GPT versions. From next week, they’ll also be able to link Gmail, Google Calendar, and Contacts - with ChatGPT pulling in relevant info automatically.
Customisation and Personalities
Users can now tailor their chat experience with:
Bigger Context, Smarter Responses
With a 256,000-token context window (up from 200,000), GPT-5 can handle longer conversations, larger documents, and extended coding sessions without losing track. Benchmarks show improved coding performance and better execution of complex, multi-step tasks - including building full applications in minutes.
Developer-Friendly Pricing
Better in Health and Safety
GPT-5-thinking has been fine-tuned for health-related queries, with expert reviews from physicians and the ability to decline unsafe or unsolvable requests. Hallucination rates are significantly lower - 26% less than GPT-4o and 65% less than the o3 model - thanks to over 5,000 hours of rigorous testing.
A Growing Global User Base
OpenAI reports an impressive 700 million weekly ChatGPT users, alongside 5 million paying business users and 4 million API developers. With GPT-5 now joining the lineup, that number could soon be even higher.
A Gradual Rollout for All Users
GPT-5 is being released in stages, so not everyone will see it immediately. Once available for your account, you’ll be greeted with a welcome screen. Free users can access GPT-5 and its lighter version, GPT-5-mini, while paid tiers unlock additional capabilities. Logging out and back in might get you in sooner. A Step Forward in AI Performance
While GPT-5 doesn’t meet OpenAI’s definition of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), it’s being described internally as “generally intelligent” - delivering sharper, more accurate results with fewer errors. CEO Sam Altman compares the upgrade to the leap from early iPhone displays to Retina screens. New Model Variants
- GPT-5-mini - Lightweight and efficient for everyday tasks.
- GPT-5-nano - API-only, ultra-fast, and cost-effective.
- GPT-5-pro & GPT-5-thinking - Exclusive to Pro subscribers, designed for complex reasoning and high-demand usage.
The interface now automatically selects the best model for your query, based on complexity and your subscription tier.
Pro Perks and Integrations
Pro subscribers (including those on the $200/month plan) enjoy unlimited GPT-5 access, advanced model options, and the ability to use older GPT versions. From next week, they’ll also be able to link Gmail, Google Calendar, and Contacts - with ChatGPT pulling in relevant info automatically. Customisation and Personalities
Users can now tailor their chat experience with: - Four preset personalities: Cynic, Robot, Listener, and Nerd
- Chat colour themes
Bigger Context, Smarter Responses
With a 256,000-token context window (up from 200,000), GPT-5 can handle longer conversations, larger documents, and extended coding sessions without losing track. Benchmarks show improved coding performance and better execution of complex, multi-step tasks - including building full applications in minutes. Developer-Friendly Pricing
- GPT-5 - $1.25 per million input tokens / $10 per million output tokens
- GPT-5-mini - $0.25 input / $2 output
- GPT-5-nano - $0.05 input / $0.40 output (cheaper than Google’s Gemini 2.5 Flash)
Better in Health and Safety
GPT-5-thinking has been fine-tuned for health-related queries, with expert reviews from physicians and the ability to decline unsafe or unsolvable requests. Hallucination rates are significantly lower - 26% less than GPT-4o and 65% less than the o3 model - thanks to over 5,000 hours of rigorous testing. A Growing Global User Base
OpenAI reports an impressive 700 million weekly ChatGPT users, alongside 5 million paying business users and 4 million API developers. With GPT-5 now joining the lineup, that number could soon be even higher. Next Story