ChatGPT can cost anywhere from $0 per month to a custom enterprise contract, depending on how you use it. For individuals, the main paid choices are ChatGPT Plus at $20 per month and ChatGPT Pro at $200 per month.[1] For teams, the plan formerly called ChatGPT Team was priced at $25 per user per month with annual billing or $30 per user per month with monthly billing.[3] Enterprise and Edu pricing is quote-based, while OpenAI API costs are billed separately by usage rather than included in a ChatGPT subscription.[5][7] The real total depends on seats, billing cycle, tax, API usage, and whether you need business controls.
The short answer
The simple answer is that ChatGPT Free costs $0, ChatGPT Plus costs $20 per month, ChatGPT Pro costs $200 per month, Team or Business pricing depends on seats, and Enterprise or Edu requires a sales quote.[1][3][5] The OpenAI API is separate from ChatGPT subscriptions, so a Plus subscription does not include API credits.[2] If you only use ChatGPT in the web app, your total is usually just the subscription price plus any local taxes. If you build apps, automate workflows, or call OpenAI models from code, your API bill can become the larger cost.
For most individuals, the practical comparison is ChatGPT Free vs Plus. Free is enough for occasional use. Plus is the default paid plan for regular writing, research, file work, images, and voice. Pro is for users who consistently hit paid-plan limits or need the highest available access. If you are only trying to decide whether the $20 plan is worth it, start with our separate ChatGPT Plus price guide.
ChatGPT plan costs compared
The table below shows the main cost structure as of this article’s publication date. It does not include tax, currency conversion, regional app-store differences, or negotiated enterprise terms. For a broader plan-by-plan feature view, see our ChatGPT subscription plans comparison.
| Plan | Base price | Approximate yearly total before tax | Best fit | Important cost note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 per month[1] | $0[1] | Light personal use | Feature and usage limits apply. |
| Plus | $20 per month[1] | $240 per year before tax[1] | Regular individual use | API usage is billed separately.[2] |
| Pro | $200 per month[1] | $2,400 per year before tax[1] | Heavy individual use | The jump from Plus to Pro is large, so compare limits first. |
| Team / Business | $25 per user per month with annual billing, or $30 per user per month with monthly billing[3] | $300 to $360 per user per year before tax[3] | Small teams and companies | OpenAI renamed ChatGPT Team to ChatGPT Business on August 29, 2025.[4] |
| Enterprise | Custom quote[5] | Custom contract[5] | Large organizations | Pricing depends on sales terms, seats, controls, and support. |
| Edu | Custom quote[5] | Custom contract[5] | Universities and schools | OpenAI describes Edu as a variant of Enterprise for educational institutions.[5] |
| OpenAI API | Usage-based[7] | Depends on tokens, tools, and model choice[7] | Developers and apps | It is not included with ChatGPT Plus.[2] |
The headline price is not always the full price. A single Plus user has a simple $20 monthly baseline, but a small company with multiple seats should budget per person, not per workspace.[3] A developer should budget for API usage separately, even if the same person also pays for ChatGPT Plus.[2][7]
Real-world total cost examples
Here are realistic totals before tax. These are examples, not quotes.
- Occasional personal user: Free plan, $0 per month and $0 per year.[1]
- Regular individual user: Plus plan, $20 per month, or about $240 per year before tax.[1] If you want a focused breakdown, read how much ChatGPT Plus costs.
- Heavy individual user: Pro plan, $200 per month, or about $2,400 per year before tax.[1] If you are between tiers, compare ChatGPT Plus vs Pro before upgrading.
- Small team with five annual seats: Team pricing at $25 per user per month equals $125 per month for five users and $1,500 per year before tax.[3]
- Small team with five monthly seats: Team pricing at $30 per user per month equals $150 per month for five users and $1,800 per year before tax.[3]
- Enterprise or university deployment: OpenAI does not publish one standard Enterprise or Edu price. You need a sales quote.[5][6] For more detail, see our guides to ChatGPT Enterprise pricing and ChatGPT Edu pricing.
The biggest budgeting mistake is treating ChatGPT as one price. A freelancer might pay $20 per month and be done.[1] A startup might pay for multiple seats plus API usage.[3][7] A university or enterprise may need procurement, legal review, data controls, and a custom contract.[5][6]
How OpenAI API costs fit in
The OpenAI API is not the same thing as a ChatGPT subscription. ChatGPT Plus gives enhanced access to the ChatGPT web app for $20 per month, and OpenAI states that API usage is separate and billed independently.[2] The API is for developers who send requests from software, websites, internal tools, or automation systems. If that is your use case, see our full OpenAI API pricing guide.
API pricing is usually shown per 1 million tokens. On OpenAI’s API pricing page, GPT-5 is listed at $1.25 per 1 million input tokens, $0.125 per 1 million cached input tokens, and $10.00 per 1 million output tokens.[7] GPT-5 mini is listed at $0.25 per 1 million input tokens and $2.00 per 1 million output tokens, while GPT-5 nano is listed at $0.05 per 1 million input tokens and $0.40 per 1 million output tokens.[7] More expensive models, image tools, audio tools, and video tools can change the bill substantially.[7]
A simple API example: if an app used GPT-5 mini for 10 million input tokens and 2 million output tokens in a month, the token charge would be about $6.50 before any other applicable charges, based on $0.25 per 1 million input tokens and $2.00 per 1 million output tokens.[7] That is cheaper than Plus for that narrow workload, but the comparison is not direct. The API gives programmatic access. ChatGPT gives a finished user interface with chat history, tools, voice, files, and plan-specific limits.
Student discounts, free trials, and promo codes
OpenAI has run limited promotions, but you should not assume there is a permanent ChatGPT Plus discount. OpenAI’s student discount help page described a limited U.S. and Canada student offer that allowed eligible students to claim free ChatGPT Plus access from March 31, 2025 through May 31, 2025.[10] That specific window is historical, not a standing 2026 discount. For current education offers, check our ChatGPT student discount and ChatGPT Plus for students pages.
Free trials are also not guaranteed for everyone. OpenAI’s free trial invite FAQ says new users can use an invite code to activate a ChatGPT Plus free trial, but that is not the same as a public trial available to every account.[11] We track the difference in our ChatGPT free trial guide.
Be careful with third-party “lifetime,” “annual Plus discount,” or shared-account offers. OpenAI’s official pricing page lists the standard consumer prices, and the Plus help page says ChatGPT Plus is billed monthly at $20 per month.[1][2] If a deal requires sending your login to a stranger, joining an unknown workspace, or paying outside the official checkout flow, treat it as risky. For safer deal-checking, see our pages on ChatGPT promo codes and ChatGPT Plus discount codes.
Cancellation and refund costs
Cancellation affects your future total, not usually your current billing period. OpenAI’s cancellation help page says cancellation becomes effective the day after your next billing date, and you can keep using the service until then.[9] If you signed up through the web, OpenAI directs users to profile settings, Account, Manage, and Cancel Subscription.[9] If you subscribed through a mobile app store, you need to cancel through that store.[9] We also have a step-by-step guide on how to cancel a ChatGPT subscription.
Refunds depend on how you paid and why you are requesting one. OpenAI’s refund help page says web subscription refunds are requested through the Help Center chat while logged into the charged account, and eligible refunds are processed within 5 to 7 business days.[8] It also says accidental purchases are generally eligible if you contact OpenAI within 14 days of the charge.[8] Google Play refund timing is listed separately as within 10 business days if eligible.[8] For a fuller walkthrough, use our ChatGPT refund policy guide.
Which plan should you actually pay for?
Choose Free if you only ask occasional questions, brainstorm casually, or do not need higher limits. It costs $0, so the only real cost is lower access to paid features and possible limits during heavier use.[1]
Choose Plus if you use ChatGPT every week for work, study, coding help, writing, file analysis, or voice. At $20 per month, it is the normal paid individual plan and the easiest tier to justify if it saves even a small amount of time each month.[1] If you are unsure, read is ChatGPT Plus worth it before paying.
Choose Pro only if you know why Plus is not enough. The price difference is significant: $200 per month is 10 times the Plus price.[1] Pro can make sense for heavy users, but it is usually overkill for casual use.
Choose Team or Business if you need a shared workspace, admin controls, company billing, and collaboration. The plan formerly known as ChatGPT Team was priced per user, so a team budget should multiply the per-seat price by the number of users.[3][4] For a deeper business view, see our ChatGPT business pricing guide.
Choose Enterprise or Edu if your organization needs procurement, security review, data controls, support terms, or institution-wide deployment. OpenAI routes those plans through sales rather than publishing a single checkout price.[5][6]
Use the API when you need software to call OpenAI models directly. Do not buy Plus expecting it to cover API usage. OpenAI explicitly treats the ChatGPT subscription and API billing as separate.[2][7]
Frequently asked questions
How much does ChatGPT cost per month?
ChatGPT Free costs $0 per month, Plus costs $20 per month, and Pro costs $200 per month.[1] Team or Business pricing is per user, while Enterprise and Edu require a quote.[3][5] API usage is separate and depends on tokens and model choice.[7]
How much does ChatGPT cost for a full year?
Plus costs about $240 per year before tax if you keep it for 12 months.[1] Pro costs about $2,400 per year before tax for 12 months.[1] Team or Business totals depend on the number of users and whether you pay annually or monthly.[3]
Is ChatGPT Plus billed annually?
OpenAI’s Plus help page says ChatGPT Plus is billed monthly at $20 per month and states that annual billing is not supported for Plus.[2] Team or Business has had annual and monthly billing options.[3] Always verify the checkout screen before paying.
Does ChatGPT Plus include OpenAI API credits?
No. OpenAI says API usage is separate and billed independently from ChatGPT Plus.[2] If you use the API, your cost depends on token usage, model choice, and any tools or service tiers you use.[7]
Is there a ChatGPT student discount?
OpenAI has offered limited student promotions in the past. Its student discount help page described free Plus access for eligible U.S. and Canada students from March 31, 2025 through May 31, 2025.[10] That does not mean every student has an ongoing discount in 2026.
Can I get a refund if I cancel ChatGPT?
Canceling stops future renewal, but a refund is a separate request. OpenAI says eligible web subscription refunds are processed within 5 to 7 business days, and accidental purchases are generally eligible if you contact OpenAI within 14 days of the charge.[8] App-store subscriptions may follow different refund handling.[8]