OpenAI unveiled its latest language model, GPT-5, promising significant improvements across key areas like reasoning, accuracy, and writing. Breaking with its past strategy of offering new models to paid subscribers first, the company made GPT-5 available to all users, including those on the free tier, right from the start.
However, this simultaneous launch came with a catch. Free users found themselves without access to the older models they had been using, including the popular GPT-4o. While ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Enterprise subscribers can still access GPT-4o through a legacy settings option, free users no longer have that choice.
With the new model now live, many users are discovering that even with a paid subscription, access to GPT-5 comes with certain limitations. If you’ve already started using the new model, you might have hit your usage cap and been downgraded. To help you navigate these changes, let’s explore the specific message limits for both free and paid users of OpenAI‘s new flagship model.
For free users:
Standard GPT-5 model: Free users can send up to 10 messages per hour. After this limit is reached, they are automatically switched to a more compact “mini” version of the model.
GPT-5 Thinking model: Access to the most powerful “Thinking” model is limited for free users, who can only send one message per day. Once this message is sent, they will also be switched to the mini version of the model.
For ChatGPT Plus users:
Cost: The Plus subscription is priced at Rs 1,670 per month (approximately $20).
Standard GPT-5 model: These users have a higher limit, allowing them to send up to 160 messages every three hours before being switched to the mini version.
GPT-5 Thinking model: Plus subscribers can use the “Thinking” model up to 200 times per week. Once this limit is reached, the option to select this model from the chat interface disappears.
For Pro and Team users:
Cost: The Pro plan costs Rs 16,700 per month (approximately $200), while the Team plan is priced at Rs 2,087 per user per month (approximately $25).
Unlimited access: Pro and Team users are given unlimited access to all GPT-5 models, including the Standard, Thinking, and the top-tier GPT-5 Pro. This unlimited usage is subject only to abuse guardrails to prevent misuse of the service.
The tiered system ensures that different user needs are met, from casual use to professional and enterprise-level demands, with the paid plans offering a significant advantage in both message volume and model power.
