You can’t set up a new subscription to ChatGPT Pro right now, even if you’re willing to spend $200 a month to access it. OpenAI has temporarily paused subscriptions to its top personal plan, citing system strain related to the launch of its new GPT-6 Astra model.
Thibault Sottiaux, head of core product and platform at OpenAI, took to X to announce the pause. “To make sure our current users have an incredible experience and continued access to Astra, we are going to pause subscriptions to our $200 Pro plan,” he writes. “These put the most strain on our systems and we wanted to take the smallest step that allows us to continue giving the broadest access possible.”
ChatGPT’s other monthly plans, including the more limited Plus and the lower-cost Go, will continue to accept new subscriptions. If you’re desperate to try Astra, you can use it through a Plus subscription, but it won’t allow for as much usage as a Pro sub.
This came a day after Sottiaux warned that demand for Astra may require it to change its systems to handle what he called “unprecedented” demand. “We’re pulling all the levers possible to sustain the demand, but I’ve not seen anything like it until now and we went through very steep growth before,” he said. “Priority will always be to keep excellent service for existing users.”
If you have an existing Pro subscription, your service will continue as per normal. OpenAI says it’s also working to add more capacity. It’s unclear how long it will take for availability on the Pro tier to return. OpenAI hasn’t shared a timeline or any further details.
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GPT-6 Astra launched on Sept. 3, with access to the model on Business, Enterprise, Plus, and Pro versions of the AI chatbot. OpenAI called it the “world’s most intelligent and aligned model,” citing its strength in browsing, computing, cybersecurity, software engineering, and more.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, PCMag’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April 2025, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
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