ChatGPT
by OpenAI
OpenAI's AI assistant: chat, voice, image, search, deep research, and agent mode
Last reviewed 2026-06-20
ChatGPT is OpenAI's conversational AI assistant, launched November 30, 2022, and the most widely used consumer AI product. At its core it is a chat interface over OpenAI's GPT model family that answers questions, writes and edits text and code, generates and edits images, talks back in voice, searches the live web, and works with uploaded files. On top of the base assistant OpenAI has layered more capable surfaces: Canvas (a side-by-side editor for writing and coding), custom GPTs (saved, shareable assistants), memory across chats, deep research (multi-step web research into a cited report), and agent mode (the agentic surface that browses and acts on its own virtual computer, documented separately as ChatGPT Agent). It serves a very broad audience: consumers on the free tier, individuals and power users on paid plans (Go, Plus, Pro), and teams and organizations on Business and Enterprise. Most of the experience is assistant-grade (it responds when asked) with a copilot-grade Canvas and a genuinely agentic slice (deep research and agent mode) gated to paid tiers. Treat ChatGPT itself as an assistant, not an autonomous agent: it produces output on request, and only the deep-research and agent-mode features carry out multi-step work under the user's oversight.
What it can do
Conversational chat and writing
AssistantAnswers questions, brainstorms, and drafts or rewrites text and code on request across the GPT model family; the representative experience responds when asked rather than acting on its own.
sourceCanvas editor for writing and coding
CopilotA side-by-side interface for projects that need editing and revision, where ChatGPT suggests inline edits and the user accepts and refines them.
sourceAdvanced voice and image generation
AssistantHolds spoken back-and-forth conversations via advanced voice mode and generates and edits images from text prompts inside chat.
sourceWeb search and connectors
AssistantSearches the live web for current information and connects to apps and data sources, including MCP servers in developer mode, to ground answers in the user's own tools.
sourceDeep research
SupervisedPlans, runs multi-step web searches, can work with uploaded files and specific sites, and synthesizes a long documented report, completing the research task under the user's oversight.
sourceCustom GPTs and memory
AssistantLets users build saved, shareable custom assistants with their own instructions and knowledge, and carries memory across chats so context persists.
source
Strengths
- +Broadest, most capable consumer AI assistant: chat, voice, image, search, files, and code in one place
- +Generous free tier plus a clear ladder of paid plans (Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise)
- +Agentic surfaces (deep research, agent mode) layered on top for users who need multi-step work
Limitations
- −Mostly an assistant: the base product responds when asked rather than acting autonomously
- −Best agentic and reasoning features are gated to higher-priced paid tiers
- −Fast-changing model and feature lineup makes capability boundaries hard to track
Overview
ChatGPT is OpenAI's conversational AI assistant, launched November 30, 2022, and the most widely used consumer AI product. It is a chat interface over OpenAI's GPT model family with voice, image, search, file, and code capabilities, plus a set of more capable surfaces (Canvas, custom GPTs, memory, deep research, agent mode) layered on top.
What it does
The base assistant answers questions and drafts or edits text and code on request. Advanced voice mode holds spoken conversations, and image generation creates and edits images in chat. Web search grounds answers in current information, and connectors (including MCP servers in developer mode) let it work with the user's own apps and data. Canvas is a side-by-side editor for writing and coding where ChatGPT suggests edits the user accepts (a copilot surface). Deep research plans and runs multi-step web searches into a long cited report (a supervised agent), and agent mode browses and acts on its own virtual computer (documented separately as ChatGPT Agent). Custom GPTs and cross-chat memory let users save context and build shareable assistants.
Autonomy note
Treat ChatGPT itself as an assistant: it produces output when asked rather than acting on its own. Only the deep-research and agent-mode features carry out multi-step work, and they do so under the user's oversight, which makes them supervised rather than fully autonomous.
Integrations & setup
Available on the web at chatgpt.com and via iOS, Android, and desktop apps. Connects to apps and data sources through connectors, and supports MCP servers in developer mode plus function calling for tool use. Runs on OpenAI's proprietary GPT models.
Pricing
Freemium. A free tier exists, with paid plans reported as Go, Plus (around $20/month), and Pro, plus Business and Enterprise plans for teams. Higher tiers unlock higher usage limits and the more capable models and features. Exact prices and limits change frequently; check the official pricing page (third-party figures are not official).
Best for / not for
Best for anyone who wants a single, capable assistant for writing, coding, research, voice, and image work, and for teams that want managed plans with admin controls. Less suited to buyers who need a hands-off autonomous worker out of the box; the autonomous slice is gated to deep research and agent mode under user oversight.
Traction
ChatGPT reached one million users in five days and 100 million monthly users by early 2023, the fastest a consumer app had hit that milestone at the time. OpenAI and Sam Altman reported it had surpassed 800 million weekly active users (figures are vendor-reported).
Alternatives
Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot are the direct general-assistant rivals; Perplexity competes on cited web research; Claude is the other leading frontier assistant. For ChatGPT's agentic mode specifically, see the ChatGPT Agent entry.
What people are saying
We aggregate real LinkedIn discussion into sentiment for the agents people search most. ChatGPT isn't tracked yet, want it added? Request tracking.
FAQ
Is ChatGPT an AI agent?+
Mostly no. ChatGPT itself is an assistant that responds when asked. It has agentic features layered on top, such as deep research (a supervised agent that runs multi-step web research into a cited report) and agent mode, which browses and acts on its own virtual computer under the user's oversight (documented separately as ChatGPT Agent). The representative experience is an assistant.
Is ChatGPT free?+
Yes, ChatGPT has a free tier. OpenAI also offers paid plans (reported as Go, Plus around $20/month, and Pro) plus Business and Enterprise plans that unlock higher usage limits and the more capable models and features. Exact prices and limits change frequently, so check the official pricing page.
What models does ChatGPT use?+
ChatGPT runs on OpenAI's proprietary GPT model family, with the flagship and reasoning models gated by plan. The available models and their limits change frequently.
Sources
- ChatGPT Capabilities Overview (OpenAI Help Center) · accessed 2026-06-20
- What is the canvas feature in ChatGPT (OpenAI Help Center) · accessed 2026-06-20
- Deep research in ChatGPT (OpenAI Help Center) · accessed 2026-06-20
- Voice Mode FAQ (OpenAI Help Center) · accessed 2026-06-20
- MCP and Connectors (OpenAI API docs) · accessed 2026-06-20
- OpenAI's ChatGPT now has 100 million weekly active users (TechCrunch) · accessed 2026-06-20
Last reviewed 2026-06-20