News · OpenAI · September 10, 2026
ChatGPT Pro $200 is paused for new sign-ups: what it means for you
Since September 10, 2026, OpenAI isn't taking new subscribers on its $200 ChatGPT Pro tier. Who it affects, who can come back and what's still open, each point from OpenAI's help center, then what GPT-6 Astra, the model behind GPT-6 Pro, costs you in llmwise.
Published .
Facts checked against OpenAI Help Center: About ChatGPT Pro tiers, OpenAI Help Center: GPT-6 Pro in ChatGPT. Updated .
Short answer
As of September 10, 2026, OpenAI is temporarily pausing new sign-ups and upgrades to ChatGPT Pro $200 (Pro 20x), its top tier; existing subscriptions renew, and Pro $100 stays open. GPT-6 Astra has been in llmwise since September 23, 2026: up to 31 GPT-6 Astra messages a month on Pro ($20), about $0.65 a message if all of Pro's month goes to it, and it isn't in the free trial.
What OpenAI announced
Each point is from OpenAI's own announcement unless its source says otherwise; the numbers link to the sources below.
The pause covers sign-ups and upgrades to Pro $200 from Free, Go, Plus and Pro $100.[1]
Existing Pro $200 subscriptions keep renewing as usual, and new or existing Pro $100 subscriptions aren't affected.[1]
Anyone who had Pro $200 on September 10, 2026, or whose access ended in the 30 days before, can return to it once during the pause, within 30 days of their Pro $200 access ending.[1]
Anyone else can't buy Pro $200 until the pause is lifted, and OpenAI's help article gives no date for that.[1]
New Pro $200 promotion redemptions are paused too; a promotion already redeemed on an active subscription is unaffected.[1]
OpenAI says both Pro tiers have the same core capabilities, and the difference is usage: Pro $100 has 5x Plus's, Pro $200 20x.[1]
GPT-6 Pro, which OpenAI says is powered by GPT-6 Astra, comes with both tiers: 50 messages a week in Chat on Pro $100, and 200 a week on Pro $200.[2]
What it means for you in llmwise
What GPT-6 Astra costs you in llmwise, from the plans themselves.
GPT-6 Astra
GPT-6 Astra has been in llmwise since September 23, 2026. llmwise's catalog prices it at $10.00 per million tokens in and $50.00 out (OpenAI's list price), but a GPT-6 Astra message isn't billed by the token: the table below has its count on every plan.
| Plan | GPT-6 Astra |
|---|---|
| Free ($0) | Not in the trial |
| Pro ($20) | Up to 31 a month, about $0.65 each |
| Max ($50) | Up to 100 a month, about $0.50 each |
| Ultra ($100) | Up to 225 a month, about $0.44 each |
| Studio ($200) | Up to 500 a month, about $0.40 each |
A paid plan's month is one allowance the models share, so each monthly count is the most you get if the month goes to that model, and “each” is the plan's price divided by it. Every message's price is shown before you send it. Every plan.
Every limit is published. Paid plans also have a monthly fair-use limit on AI cost: Pro $7.50, Max $20, Ultra $42, Studio $85. Using every message on your plan at typical sizes stays under it; very large messages and heavy research use it faster. Every limit, explained.
Sources
- [1] OpenAI Help Center: About ChatGPT Pro tiers, checked .
- [2] OpenAI Help Center: GPT-6 Pro in ChatGPT, checked .
Questions
Can I use GPT-6 Astra in llmwise?
Yes, since September 23, 2026. GPT-6 Astra's messages a month: up to 31 on Pro ($20), 100 on Max ($50), 225 on Ultra ($100), 500 on Studio ($200). It isn't in the free trial.
Can I still subscribe to ChatGPT Pro?
Yes, Pro $100: OpenAI kept it open to new subscribers and upgrades, with the same core capabilities as Pro $200 and 5x Plus's usage. Only Pro $200 is paused, apart from the one-time return for recent Pro $200 subscribers.
When will ChatGPT Pro $200 sign-ups reopen?
OpenAI hasn't said. Its help article calls the pause temporary and gives no end date; this page was last checked against it on the date shown at the top.
Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Grok, Kimi, and GLM, in one chat.
See what a message costs before you send it. Free is 5 messages to try; sign in with an email link, no password or card.