ChatGPT Review
OpenAI's AI assistant with 800M+ weekly users. Best for writing, analysis, coding, and everyday productivity across web, mobile, and API.
Last updated: February 19, 2026
Ratings
Pros
- 800M+ weekly active users with the broadest plugin and GPT ecosystem
- GPT-5.2 scores 93.2% on GPQA Diamond — strongest science reasoning benchmark
- Code Interpreter, Canvas, and deep research built into one interface
- Available on web, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and API
Cons
- Plus plan ($20/mo) required for GPT-5.2 Thinking and Codex access
- Context window limited to 16K tokens on Free tier (32K on Plus)
- Pro tier at $200/mo is expensive for individual users
ChatGPT is the most widely used AI assistant in 2026, with 800M+ weekly active users (per TechCrunch). It offers a Free tier, Go at $8/month, Plus at $20/month, and Pro at $200/month. Best for: everyday writing, analysis, and coding tasks where you want one tool that handles almost everything.
This analysis used to take 2 hours. Now it takes one prompt.
That shift — from manual research to a single ChatGPT conversation — explains why OpenAI’s assistant reached 800 million weekly active users by October 2025, doubling from 400 million just eight months earlier (TechCrunch).
ChatGPT isn’t a specialist. It’s the generalist that handles your first draft, your data analysis, your debugging session, and your meeting prep — all in one interface. GPT-5.2 scores 93.2% on GPQA Diamond (a graduate-level science reasoning benchmark) and achieved a perfect 100% on AIME 2025, the first AI model to exhaust that math competition benchmark (OpenAI).
What is ChatGPT?
ChatGPT is OpenAI’s AI assistant, available as a web app, mobile app, desktop app, and developer API. It processes text, images, and files to help with writing, coding, research, analysis, and creative tasks.
The current flagship model is GPT-5.2, which comes in three variants: Instant (fast responses), Thinking (extended reasoning for complex problems), and Pro (highest capability tier). ChatGPT also includes tools like Code Interpreter for running Python, Canvas for collaborative editing, and deep research for multi-step investigations.
Key Features That Matter
Code Interpreter and Data Analysis
Upload a CSV, PDF, or spreadsheet and ChatGPT will write Python code to analyze it in real-time. It generates charts, runs statistical analysis, and produces downloadable results — no coding knowledge required. This is the feature that turns ChatGPT from a chatbot into a work tool.
Canvas for Collaborative Editing
Canvas opens a side-by-side editor where you can iterate on writing or code with ChatGPT. It highlights changes, suggests improvements, and lets you accept or reject edits inline — similar to track changes in Google Docs, but AI-powered.
Deep Research
Point ChatGPT at a complex question and it will plan a research approach, browse the web, synthesize multiple sources, and deliver a structured report with citations. Available on Plus and Pro plans.
GPT Store and Custom GPTs
Build specialized assistants for your workflows — a brand voice writer, a SQL query helper, a customer support bot. The GPT Store has thousands of community-built agents covering marketing, coding, education, and productivity.
Pricing Breakdown
| Plan | Price | Key Limits | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | GPT-5.2 Instant, 16K context, limited messages | Trying ChatGPT, light daily use |
| Go | $8/mo | GPT-5.2 Instant (expanded), 32K context | Budget-conscious regular users |
| Plus | $20/mo | GPT-5.2 Thinking, Codex, deep research, 32K context | Professionals and power users |
| Pro | $200/mo | GPT-5.2 Pro (unlimited), 128K context, expanded Codex | Heavy daily users, researchers |
| Business | $25/user/mo | Team workspace, SSO, admin controls, 32K context | Teams and organizations |
| Enterprise | Custom | 128K context, fastest response, compliance API | Large organizations |
The Go tier at $8/month is a relatively new addition that slots between Free and Plus — useful if you want expanded access without the full $20 commitment.
Pricing was last verified on February 19, 2026 from OpenAI’s pricing page.
Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Use ChatGPT
ChatGPT is the right choice if you:
- Want one AI tool that handles writing, coding, analysis, and research
- Need the broadest ecosystem of plugins, GPTs, and integrations
- Work across platforms (web, mobile, desktop, API)
- Prioritize ease of use — ChatGPT has the lowest learning curve among top AI assistants
Consider alternatives if you:
- Need the strongest coding performance — Claude leads SWE-bench Verified at 80.8% vs ChatGPT’s 80.0%
- Work primarily in Google Workspace — Gemini integrates natively into Docs, Sheets, and Gmail
- Need to process very long documents — Gemini offers a 1M token context window vs ChatGPT’s 128K maximum
- Want self-hosted AI — neither ChatGPT nor Claude offer self-hosting; consider n8n for automation workflows with self-hosted AI integrations
Related Pages
- Full three-way comparison: ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini
- Head-to-head: Gemini vs ChatGPT
- Workspace angle: Notion AI vs ChatGPT vs Claude
- Role-based picks: Best AI tools for solopreneurs
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