ChatGPT is OpenAI's AI chatbot and assistant, available as a website, desktop app, and mobile app. It answers questions, drafts and edits writing, analyzes files and data, generates images, and can write and debug code. It suits students, professionals, and business teams who want a single tool for everyday research, writing, and technical work.
What does ChatGPT do?
At its core, ChatGPT is a conversational AI you can ask almost anything, from explaining a concept to drafting an email to reviewing a spreadsheet. It can search the web for current information, read uploaded documents and images, and hold a running conversation that keeps context from earlier in the chat.
Beyond simple chat, ChatGPT includes tools for image generation, data analysis, and a coding agent called Codex that can write, test, and ship code. Paid plans add project organization, scheduled tasks, and the ability to build and share custom GPTs tuned for specific jobs.
Core features
- Natural language chat that answers questions, explains topics, and helps with brainstorming and decision making.
- Web search built into the chat so answers can include current information instead of only training data.
- File and image uploads, letting you ask questions about PDFs, spreadsheets, photos, or screenshots.
- Built-in image generation for illustrations, marketing graphics, and quick visual concepts.
- Data analysis tools that can read a spreadsheet or CSV and produce charts, summaries, or calculations.
- Codex, an integrated coding agent that can write, debug, and refactor code across a project.
- Custom GPTs that let you save a tailored version of ChatGPT with specific instructions and knowledge for a repeated task.
- Voice mode for hands free conversations on mobile and desktop.
Use cases
Individuals use ChatGPT for everyday writing help, studying, meal planning, budgeting questions, and general research, since the free plan already covers most casual needs.
Businesses lean on ChatGPT for tasks that touch multiple departments:
- Drafting sales emails, marketing copy, and internal documentation
- Summarizing meeting notes and long reports
- Building lightweight internal tools with custom GPTs
- Speeding up engineering work with Codex for code review and bug fixes
Pricing
ChatGPT offers a free plan with limited daily usage, plus paid tiers, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise, that raise the usage limits, unlock the most capable models, and add features like scheduled tasks and custom GPT sharing. Plus has historically been priced around $20 a month for individuals, while Pro, aimed at heavy users, and the Business and Enterprise plans are priced for teams and generally require checking OpenAI's current pricing page or contacting sales for exact rates.
How to use ChatGPT
- Go to chatgpt.com and sign up with an email address or a Google or Microsoft account.
- Start a new chat and type a question or task in plain language.
- Attach a file, image, or screenshot if you want ChatGPT to reference it in the answer.
- Turn on web search when you need current information instead of a general answer.
- Save a conversation as a project or build a custom GPT if you plan to repeat the same type of task.
- Upgrade to a paid plan if you hit the free usage limit or need Codex, higher message caps, or team features.
Frequently asked questions
Is ChatGPT free to use?
Yes. Anyone can sign up for the free plan, which includes limited daily access to ChatGPT's models, image generation, and web search. Paid plans remove most of those limits and unlock more advanced models.
What is the difference between ChatGPT and Codex?
Codex is OpenAI's coding agent, built into ChatGPT on paid plans. Regular chat handles general questions and writing, while Codex focuses on reading, writing, testing, and shipping code across a project.
Can ChatGPT access the internet?
Yes. ChatGPT can search the web during a conversation to pull in current information, such as recent news or product details, rather than relying only on what it learned during training.
Does ChatGPT work on mobile?
Yes. ChatGPT has apps for iOS and Android in addition to the web version, and conversations sync across devices when you're signed into the same account.
For pricing details and to try it, visit ChatGPT.