Updated 2023-08-09: Plus subscribers now have access to many exclusive features; the information in this post is outdated.
TL;DR: Not worth subscribing to directly. If you really need it, consider sharing an account.
On February 1, 2023, OpenAI announced the launch of the ChatGPT Plus subscription service. The subscription price for ChatGPT Plus is set at $20/month (approximately 136 RMB). Subscribers enjoy: priority access during peak times, faster response times, and early access to future new features.
It is important to note that the ChatGPT Plus subscription service does not provide additional OpenAI API credits. Like free users, the free credit for Plus subscribers remains at $18.
Actual Usage Experience
Compared to the regular version, the Plus interface features a yellow Plus badge and offers two model choices: “Default (Optimized for speed)” and “Legacy (The previous Plus model).”
In actual experience, the response speed of the Plus version (Default model) is about 30% faster than the regular version. However, I feel this speed increase isn’t particularly noticeable, and for most users, it isn’t strictly necessary. (The left side below is the regular version, the right is the Plus version regular version got a head start)
Compared to text generation speed, a more significant improvement in the Plus version is the drastic reduction in errors. While using the regular version, network issues often occur, requiring a page refresh and causing the loss of entered content. The Plus version rarely encounters this situation.
Is It Worth Subscribing?
For most ordinary users, ChatGPT Plus is not recommended. If you just want to try ChatGPT, there’s no need to chase the faster generation speed of Plus. The models and content generated by the Plus and regular versions are the same, so for most users, the Plus version doesn’t offer any special advantage. Furthermore, a $20/month subscription is a significant expense.
However, ChatGPT Plus provides access even during peak times. So, if ChatGPT has become an indispensable part of your daily work/study workflow and significantly boosts your productivity, the Plus version might be a good choice. Even so, in such cases, you can also use OpenAI’s API as a backup.
At the same time, account sharing (carpooling) is also a viable option. Currently, OpenAI does not limit the number of logged-in devices on the web, nor are there IP restrictions. I am currently sharing an account with 4 people, costing about 35 RMB per month. However, if you share, note that if multiple people send messages simultaneously, it will prompt you to wait for the message to finish before you can send your own (a “collision”). But with 3-4 people sharing, collisions aren’t very common. Also, when sharing, be careful not to ask questions that involve too much private information and remember to delete your chat history promptly. Another point worth noting is that if you need to log in again during peak hours while sharing, the login link will be sent to the account owner’s email.
Summary
While ChatGPT Plus does have certain advantages over the regular version, its high subscription price deters many users. Because it requires an international credit card for payment, there is still a certain barrier for domestic users in China to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus. Moreover, the current Plus version lacks absolute advantages like internet connectivity. If OpenAI reduces the subscription price in the future or provides more exclusive features, ChatGPT Plus would become a very compelling option.
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