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OpenAI announces \$500 Pro tier and 1.2 billion weekly ChatGPT users

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Original source, captured October 2026
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OpenAI announces $500 Pro tier and 1.2 billion weekly ChatGPT users

On September 29, 2026 OpenAI announced a $500/month ChatGPT Pro tier at its DevDay event. The company also claimed 1.2 billion weekly ChatGPT users

OpenAI launched a $500/month Pro tier and claimed 1.2B weekly users

OpenAI announced a $500/month ChatGPT Pro tier at its DevDay event on September 29, 2026. The tier includes access to the Ultrafast inference mode

OpenAI also claimed 1.2 billion weekly ChatGPT users, a significant growth milestone for the platform

Who gets the $500 Pro tier

The $500/month Pro tier is available to ChatGPT users in eligible markets. The tier includes access to Ultrafast inference mode

The 1.2 billion weekly users includes both free and paid ChatGPT users across all platforms

What is actually new about the Pro tier

The $500/month price point is the highest tier OpenAI has offered. It positions ChatGPT as a premium product alongside enterprise offerings

The 1.2 billion weekly users claim, if accurate, makes ChatGPT one of the most widely used AI platforms globally

What the launch does not settle

OpenAI has not disclosed how many of the 1.2 billion weekly users are paid subscribers versus free users

No independent verification of the 1.2 billion weekly users claim has been published

What to do now

[Users conside

The pricing and features of the $500 Pro tier have not been fully detailed. OpenAI has not disclosed all the benefits and limitations of the tier. The long-term growth trajectory of ChatGPT's user base is uncertain. The 1.2 billion weekly active users milestone may not be sustained as the market matures. The competitive landscape for AI products is evolving rapidly. OpenAI's market position could be challenged by competitors releasing new products and features.ring the $500 Pro tier should evaluate whether Ultrafast inference and the Pro features justify the cost](https://decrypt.co/379584/openai-ai-agents-computers-devday-2026-everything-announced)

The 1.2 billion weekly users claim should be treated with caution until independently verified

<!-- slot:sources Developers and enterprises should evaluate the GPT-6.1 model and the new Pro tier for their AI needs. The improved capabilities and priority access could be valuable for production applications. Users who are considering the $500 Pro tier should carefully evaluate whether the benefits justify the cost. The tier is best suited for power users and enterprises with high usage needs. Industry observers should monitor OpenAI's product updates and user growth as indicators of the AI industry's direction and maturity. -->

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Canonical URL

https://www.thefrontier.dev/articles/openai-devday-pro-500-tier-1-2b-users

Attribution

The Frontier, “OpenAI announces \$500 Pro tier and 1.2 billion weekly ChatGPT users”, 9 Oct 2026

TLDR

On September 29, 2026 OpenAI announced a \$500/month ChatGPT Pro tier at its DevDay event.

Plain text

The Frontier. “OpenAI announces \$500 Pro tier and 1.2 billion weekly ChatGPT users.” The Frontier. 9 Oct 2026. https://www.thefrontier.dev/articles/openai-devday-pro-500-tier-1-2b-users

BibTeX

@misc{frontier_openai_devday_pro_500_tier_1_2b_users_2026,
  title = {OpenAI announces \\\$500 Pro tier and 1.2 billion weekly ChatGPT users},
  author = {{The Frontier}},
  howpublished = {The Frontier},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  url = {https://www.thefrontier.dev/articles/openai-devday-pro-500-tier-1-2b-users}
}

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