OpenAI had a big week when it comes to ChatGPT, unleashing multiple new models that are available to users right away. The chatbot got several new features that are scattered around the various models. OpenAI also managed to make its ChatGPT model choices more confusing than ever. I wouldn’t blame you if you can’t make heads or tails of the various models that are available in ChatGPT right now. They sound like temporary file names for draft documents on your computer that you’ll never open again.
It’s somewhat hilarious that a multi-billion-dollar company has allowed this to happen. For example, ChatGPT Plus users like me can access GPT-4o and GPT-4.5 (in preview mode) but not GPT-4.1. The latter is the last high-end model OpenAI released, but it’s only available via the API. But is it better than GPT-4.5? And why was GPT-4.1 released after GPT-4.5?
What if I want to use Deep Research? Which model do I pick? I can choose between the non-reasoning GPT-4o and GPT-4.5 or go for reasoning models like the new o3 and o4-mini.
Maybe OpenAI needs to invent an AI model whose sole job is to name new products.
Thankfully, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman confirmed a few days ago that the company will fix its naming scheme later this year. Until then, we have to live with this naming nonsense. I’ll try to make it easy for you by explaining what models are available on each ChatGPT tier, and what they can do.
ChatGPT Free
If you’re on a free account, you’ll get to chat with GPT-4o mini and enjoy a limited Advanced Voice Mode experience. GPT-4o is also available with limits for this account type. GPT-4o is currently the default ChatGPT version that most people use.
You also get support for 4o image generation, though you can only make three images each day.
Finally, you can try ChatGPT reasoning models by choosing the Think option, in which case you’ll explore the new o4-mini model.
ChatGPT Plus
Pay $20 per month, and you get a much better ChatGPT experience with far more options:
- GPT-4o – the default ChatGPT model that OpenAI continuously updates
- GPT-4o-mini – smaller than GPT-4o, this model is faster and cheaper
- o3 – the new flagship reasoning model announced Wednesday, which can handle images better than ever and use other ChatGPT tools, like reasoning, on its own. o3 also does math, coding, science, and other tasks better than the others.
- o4-mini – also a new reasoning model, not to be confused with GPT-4o-mini from above; this one is a smaller model that’s faster and cheaper than larger ones
- o4-mini-high – a reasoning model that’s good at coding and visual reasoning
- GPT-4.5 – the likely replacement for GPT-4o with limitations, as it’s in beta mode, this is supposed to be OpenAI’s most advanced AI model for chats that don’t involve reasoning
ChatGPT Plus users also get extended use of two-way Advanced Voice Mode to chat with the AI, as well as much higher image generation limits.
Then there’s GPT-4o with scheduled tasks, which is supposed to do what the name implies: Help you navigate and schedule tasks.
Finally, ChatGPT Plus users can use Deep Research, which is capped at 10 monthly reports.
ChatGPT Pro
Pay $200/month, and you get a few additional perks on top of everything available in the Pro tier. They include access to the o1 reasoning models (o1, o1-mini, o1-pro) and higher caps for GPT-4.5, Advanced Voice Mode, and Deep Research (120 reports/month).
Interestingly, ChatGPT Pro users in certain markets can also use Operator, an AI agent that can browse the web and complete some tasks on your behalf.
ChatGPT Team, Enterprise and Edu
These three tiers make ChatGPT models available to larger teams, companies, and schools.
ChatGPT Team has the same perks as ChatGPT Plus but doesn’t have access to GPT-4.5.
If you’re on the ChatGPT Enterprise tier, you have much broader access to ChatGPT models, similar to the ChatGPT Pro tier. That includes a full preview of GPT-4.5 and unlimited Advanced Voice Mode chats.
ChatGPT Edu has access to GPT-4o, GPT-4o mini, o3, o4-mini, o1, Advanced Voice Mode and Deep Research.
ChatGPT API
If you’re a developer looking to integrate ChatGPT into your apps, the ChatGPT API gives you pay-as-you-go access to all the models I mentioned above. This is where things get even better, at least for developers, as they get access to the advanced GPT-4.1 family, including GPT-4.1 mini and GPT-4.1 nano, the coding models OpenAI announced earlier this week.
This is the only way to get access to GPT-4.1 for the time being. That means regular mortals who don’t code can’t try it yet.
