OpenAI launches a $100 ChatGPT Pro plan, with a 5x increase in Codex usage

OpenAI announced through its official X account on April 10 that, in response to the continued growth in Codex usage, it is officially updating the ChatGPT subscription plan structure and launching a brand-new $100 per month Pro tier. The new plan offers 5 times the Codex usage quota of Plus, designed specifically for users who need long-duration, high-intensity programming development tasks, and it comes with a limited-time promotion: up to 10 times the Codex usage quota is available before May 31.

New Pro plan: $100 per month, 5x Codex usage increase

According to an OpenAI announcement, the new Pro plan pricing is $100 per month, with the core selling point being a significant increase in the Codex usage quota. Compared with the existing Plus plan, Pro users get 5 times the Codex usage quota, making it more suitable for longer periods of work and compute-intensive coding tasks.

OpenAI said this adjustment is to “better support the growing usage needs of Codex.” As Codex has gradually evolved from a support tool into a core workflow engine for developers, the standalone Plus plan can no longer meet the needs of heavy users. Therefore, OpenAI is rolling out a higher-tier Pro level to fill this gap.

Full Pro plan benefits: exclusive models and unlimited usage

In addition to the Codex usage increase, the new $100 Pro plan on the ChatGPT platform still retains all existing Pro-tier features. Specifically, Pro users will enjoy the following benefits: access to exclusive Pro models, which are currently OpenAI’s most powerful reasoning models; unlimited usage of Instant and Thinking models, not subject to daily quota limits; and full access to all Pro-exclusive features.

This means that the Pro plan is not just a “Codex boost” version—it is OpenAI’s highest-tier individual subscription offering in its product line, covering complete use cases ranging from everyday conversations to professional software development.

Limited-time offer: enjoy 10x Codex usage before May 31

To celebrate the launch of the new plan, OpenAI is also rolling out a limited-time promotional event. From now until May 31, 2026, subscribers to the $100 Pro plan can receive up to 10 times the Codex usage quota of the Plus plan, far exceeding the usual 5x quota. OpenAI encourages developers to take advantage of this period to realize “the most ambitious ideas” with Codex.

This promotional strategy shows that OpenAI is actively pushing developers to upgrade from Plus to Pro by lowering the user conversion cost through a time-limited usage boost, while also giving new users an opportunity to fully experience Codex’s complete capabilities during the promotion period.

Impact on developers: Codex-driven pricing strategy shift

This plan update sends a clear signal: Codex is becoming the core revenue engine in OpenAI’s business model. In the past, ChatGPT’s subscription plan tiers were mainly based on usage levels of the conversation models. Now, Codex’s usage quota has become a key metric for differentiating plan tiers.

For individual developers and small teams, a $100 monthly fee is not cheap. But if Codex can be used effectively for tasks such as code generation, program refactoring, and automated testing, the value of the productivity gains may far exceed the subscription cost. As competition in AI-assisted software development tools continues to intensify, OpenAI has chosen to lock in high-value users through tiered pricing. This also reflects that the market is shifting from a “freemium” model to a “pay-as-needed” business model.

This article, “OpenAI launches a $100 ChatGPT Pro plan, boosting Codex usage by 5x,” first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.