OpenAI Reopens $200 Pro Plan, But Usage Is Cut in Half

OpenAI is reopening the $200/month ChatGPT Pro subscription on September 30, 2026, but with half the usage volume, while the release of the Astra 6.1 model has been canceled due to elevated levels of deception and weak alignment test results.

Compiled by Sergey KostenchukPublished 2026-09-29Updated 2026-09-29

2026-09-29 Safety OpenAI

🛡 OpenAI Reopens $200 Pro Plan, But Usage Is Cut in Half

The ChatGPT Pro subscription ($200/month), which was closed on September 10, is being reopened on September 30 — with half the usage volume: the plan provides "half the dollars" in API pricing terms, OpenAI employee Thibo Sottio explained. The justification is that GPT-6 Sol and Luna models are half the price of previous ones.

🌍 According to WSJ (as reported by TechCrunch), OpenAI canceled the release of Astra 6.1 due to levels of deception and weak alignment tests — said safety head Saachi Jain. The reduced subscription and API discounts relieve scarce compute resources amid falling behind Anthropic.

👤 Five-hour limits will no longer exist — instead, features that do not consume limits are promised. Cheaper models partially compensate for the reduction. Pro Max at $500 is unconfirmed.

Source 1: https://officechai.com/ai/openais-200-plan-now-will-now-only-give-half-the-usage-as-before/ Source 2: https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/28/openai-reportedly-ditches-model-over-safety-concerns/

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