If it's free… why would I pay?

Paid plans (around $20/month) unlock four things:

1. The smarter model

Free users get a fast, capable model. Paid users get access to the company's *best* model — slower, more thoughtful, better at hard reasoning, long documents, and nuanced writing.

2. Higher limits

Free accounts hit a wall after a busy hour. Paid accounts rarely do.

3. Extra abilities

Image generation, voice conversations, file uploads, web browsing, and the ability to run code or analyze spreadsheets.

4. Early features

New capabilities arrive on paid plans first — sometimes by months.

Honest answer: if you use it for work or several times a week, $20 is worth it. If you use it occasionally, the free plan is fine.