Direct answer
There is no separate “ChatGPT 5” subscription. OpenAI says the original GPT-5 Instant and Thinking models were retired from ChatGPT on February 13, 2026. GPT-5.6 is a later model version, not the original GPT-5. (OpenAI model-retirement notice)
OpenAI’s pricing page lists ChatGPT Plus at $20 per month. The page excerpt reviewed here does not specify the currency or establish that $20 is the final US checkout price; check the price and currency shown at checkout. That is the Plus subscription price, not a separate GPT-5 fee. OpenAI says GPT-5.6 Sol is rolling out to eligible paid plans, but the information reviewed here does not establish that Plus specifically qualifies. (ChatGPT plans and pricing; GPT-5.6 model release notes)
| ChatGPT option | Listed price | What the reviewed information establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | The Free Tier FAQ says Free users have access to GPT-5.6 Luna. Limits apply; check ChatGPT for the available usage and reset details for your account. (OpenAI Free Tier FAQ) |
| Plus | $20/month | OpenAI lists this Plus price, but the reviewed pricing information does not establish the US checkout currency or confirm that Plus qualifies for GPT-5.6 Sol. Usage limits apply. Check checkout and the model picker for your account. (ChatGPT plans and pricing; What is ChatGPT Plus?; GPT-5.6 model release notes) |
ChatGPT subscription versus production API cost
A ChatGPT subscription and API usage are separate billing paths. The supplied GPT-5.6 Sol API pricing information lists $4 per million input tokens, $0.40 per million cached input tokens, and $20 per million output tokens, with promotional pricing through November 30, 2026. Check the current rate before budgeting beyond that date. (GPT-5.6 Sol API model page)
Example, excluding cached input: at 10 million input tokens and 2 million output tokens in a month, the estimate is (10 × $4) + (2 × $20) = $80. This is a token-cost estimate, not a full production quote; actual spend depends on usage and billable features.
Which route fits?
- For personal, interactive use: Free access to GPT-5.6 Luna is documented. Plus is listed at $20 per month, but the reviewed information does not establish the US checkout currency or confirm Plus eligibility for GPT-5.6 Sol. Check your checkout price and model picker.
- For an application: Budget API calls separately using the exact model’s current rates and your expected input, cached-input, and output tokens. A ChatGPT Plus subscription does not include API usage. (What is ChatGPT Plus?)
Bottom line: Original GPT-5 no longer has a ChatGPT subscription price because it was retired from ChatGPT. Free access to GPT-5.6 Luna is documented. Plus is listed at $20 per month, but the reviewed information does not establish the US checkout currency or confirm Plus eligibility for GPT-5.6 Sol. Production API usage has separate token-based charges.