OpenAI recently unveiled its newest AI model, GPT-5, during a live event, showcasing significant upgrades in reasoning, accuracy, writing, coding, health-related responses, and multi-modal capabilities. In a surprising move, OpenAI made GPT-5 available to free-tier users right away, breaking from its usual practice of reserving new models for paying customers.
However, free users no longer have access to older models like GPT-4o, while Plus, Pro, Team, and Enterprise subscribers can still use GPT-4o by enabling legacy settings in ChatGPT.
If you’ve already tried GPT-5, you might have hit its usage limits and been switched to a less advanced model. Here’s a breakdown of how many messages you can send with GPT-5 based on your subscription tier:
1. Free Users
- Standard Model: Limited to 10 messages per hour.
- GPT-5 Thinking Model: Only 1 message per day.
- Once limits are reached, free users are downgraded to a mini version of the models.
2. ChatGPT Plus ($20/month)
- Standard Model: Initially 80 messages per 3 hours, now temporarily doubled to 160 messages per 3 hours.
- Thinking Model: 200 messages per week.
- After hitting the limit, Plus users also revert to the mini model.
- Additional perks: 32,000-token context window (vs. 8,000 for free users) and direct access to the Thinking model.
3. ChatGPT Pro & Team (Unlimited Access)
- Pro ($200/month) & Team ($25/user/month): Unlimited access to GPT-5 Standard, Thinking, and Pro models (subject to anti-abuse measures).
GPT-5’s Unified Model System
Unlike previous versions, GPT-5 features an automatic router that switches between the Thinking and Standard models based on:
- Query complexity
- Conversation type
- Required tools
- User intent
You can manually trigger the Thinking model by using phrases like “think hard about this” in your prompts.
Final Thoughts
OpenAI’s decision to offer GPT-5 to free users is a major shift, but with strict limits. Paying subscribers enjoy far greater flexibility, with Pro and Team users getting unrestricted access. Whether you’re a casual user or a power user, understanding these limits helps you make the most of GPT-5’s capabilities.
Would you upgrade for unlimited access, or does the free tier work for you?
