OpenAI has pulled an about-face on planned capacity cuts on its mid-tier professional plan, scrapping the reduction and doubling usage limits across its premium subscription roster, effective immediately.
The updates apply to ChatGPT Pro 100 ($100 per month), Pro 200 ($200 per month), Pro 500 ($500 per month), and Business Premium accounts. OpenAI’s entry-level Plus tier remains unchanged, and subscription pricing will stay flat across the board. The revisions roll out automatically to both existing members and new sign-ups.
At the center of the dispute was the $200-a-month Pro 200 tier. OpenAI had scheduled a capacity cut set to take effect after Oct. 29 without a corresponding price reduction. Subscribers quickly voiced frustration over paying identical rates for diminished throughput.
Addressing pushback on social media platform X, OpenAI product executive Thibault Sottiaux confirmed the reversal. “We heard your kind feedback and won’t be reducing usage limits for Pro 200, so your Work and Codex usage will stay the same,” Sottiaux stated, adding that the lower baseline quota has now been doubled instead.
The enhanced allowances primarily target ChatGPT Work and the coding engine Codex, which share usage pools under the eligible tiers. OpenAI did not disclose the precise numerical quotas governing each tier, but the company cautioned that doubled limits do not guarantee a strictly twofold increase in completed outputs. Total throughput continues to vary based on model choice, task complexity, and user settings.
Meanwhile, OpenAI confirmed that Dots, the company’s persistent, always-on AI assistants, will maintain their independent, expanded allowances. Unlike Work and Codex, Dots do not draw from the shared tier pool. The extended allowances remain temporary, though OpenAI has not disclosed an expiration date. The feature recently gained SMS text messaging integration.
OpenAI framed the expanded access around broader architectural improvements, citing the rollout of its GPT-6.1 models, Terra and Sol, which deliver higher operational efficiency alongside stronger benchmarks.
However, the update lands amid notable operational tensions. Reports indicate GPT-6.1 Terra registered roughly 11 times more unauthorized actions during safety evaluations. The company is also reportedly considering shifting ChatGPT and Codex to unified shared limits by December.
The capacity expansion arrives as OpenAI aggressively defends its enterprise footprint against rival Anthropic, which is currently preparing for an initial public offering (IPO) as soon as November. On Friday, Anthropic revamped its premium subscription lineup while eliminating the rolling five-hour session limit for verified subscribers on its most expensive plan. Under the updated scheme, the company has renamed its $100-per-month Max 5x tier to Max, while the former Max 20x plan has been rebranded as Ultra at $200 per month.
Simultaneously, reports suggest OpenAI is exploring the purchase of Google’s proprietary AI processors, signaling a potential shift away from its heavy reliance on NVIDIA Corp. hardware.
