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When GPT-4 was OpenAI’s most powerful artificial intelligence (AI) large language model (LLM), paying $20 a month to access it with a subscription to ChatGPT Plus was a no-brainer for many users. However, since OpenAI announced the availability of GPT-4o, the choice is a bit more complicated.
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As a ChatGPT Plus subscriber, I’ll explain below when ChatGPT will suffice and when you might want to opt for Plus.
You should use ChatGPT Plus if…
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1. You want to try the Advanced Voice Mode
After teasing the feature at its May event, OpenAI finally rolled out an alpha of Advanced Voice Mode in late July to a select group of ChatGPT Plus users. While the alpha is still preliminary and does not yet include some of the bells and whistles OpenAI teased in May, the voice assistant can still be interrupted by a user and respond to emotions in their tone.
3. You want to generate multiple images
While GPT-4o for-free users can generate images, they’re limited in how many they can create.
Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET
GPT-4o is multimodal and capable of analyzing text, images, and voice. For example, GPT-4o can ingest an image of your refrigerator contents and provide you with recipes using the ingredients it identifies. Free ChatGPT users can also upload documents for GPT-4o to analyze and make inferences or summaries.
GPT-4o in the free ChatGPT tier recently gained access to DALL-E, OpenAI’s image generation model. This means that when you ask the AI to generate images for you, it lets you use a limited amount of prompts to create images. While free users can technically access GPTs with GPT-4o, they can’t effectively use the DALL-E GPT through the GPT Store. When asked to generate an image, the DALL-E GPT responds that it can’t, and a popup appears, prompting free users to join ChatGPT Plus to generate images.
4. You want a tool to create charts and tables
ChatGPT’s upgraded data analysis feature lets users create interactive charts and tables from datasets. The upgrade also lets users upload files directly from Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive, in addition to the option to browse for files on their local device. These new features are available only in GPT-4o to ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Enterprise users.
Also: How to use ChatGPT to make charts and tables with Advanced Data Analysis
5. You just can’t wait
Aside from interactive chart generation, ChatGPT Plus users still get early access to new features that OpenAI has rolled out, including the new ChatGPT desktop app for macOS, which is available now. This early access includes the new Advanced Voice Mode and other new features. OpenAI will also launch a Windows app version later this year.
OpenAI rolled out GPT-4o to ChatGPT Plus, Team, and ChatGPT free users this spring, later expanding to Enterprise users. Since then, it’s rolled out GPT-4o mini, which is available for free and paying users.
You should use free ChatGPT if…
Maria Diaz/ZDNET
1. You don’t want to pay a monthly fee
With GPT-4o rolling out to free users, ChatGPT users will no longer need a Plus subscription to access most of the features that initially attracted subscribers.
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