ChatGPT

ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, is the most widely used AI chatbot in the world. Launched in November 2022, it reached 100 million users within two months — the fastest-growing consumer application in history. Today it runs on GPT-4o, OpenAI's most capable and efficient model, with reasoning-focused o3 and o4-mini models available for complex tasks requiring extended thinking.

**What ChatGPT Does Best**

ChatGPT excels at general-purpose tasks: drafting and editing writing, explaining complex topics in plain language, writing and debugging code, analyzing uploaded documents, and generating images via DALL-E 3. It supports natural voice conversations through Advanced Voice Mode, which detects conversational tone and responds appropriately. Custom GPTs let users create specialized versions for specific workflows.

**Pricing**

The free tier includes GPT-4o with usage limits and basic image generation. ChatGPT Plus at $20/month removes most limits and adds access to o3 and o4-mini reasoning models. ChatGPT Pro at $200/month targets power users who need unlimited access to all models, including extended thinking for multi-step problems.

**Who Should Use ChatGPT?**

ChatGPT is the right starting point for anyone new to AI assistants. Its breadth means most tasks are handled well even without specialization. Developers get API access via OpenAI's platform; enterprises can deploy custom GPTs with organizational controls and data privacy guarantees.

**Limitations**

The free tier has noticeable rate limits during peak hours. For coding specifically, purpose-built tools like Cursor or GitHub Copilot often provide a better integrated experience. Knowledge has a training cutoff, though web search helps for recent events.