OpenAI halves subscription usage limits amid compute crunch, and Anthropic is the beneficiary
kimmonismus · x · 2026-10-04
The author argues OpenAI is in a tough spot as compute constraints bite: new sign-ups for the $200 plan were suspended, usage allowances across all plans were effectively cut in half, and the efficient GPT 6.1 Sol was introduced as compensation. Early allowances were generous but inference was slow; now it's faster, but the reduced caps mean the author can't use GPT 6 Astra on Medium — or future Astra-tier models — as much as before. He attributes this to compute scarcity, not malice.
Meanwhile Dev Day's headline — the always-on agent — felt underwhelming to him, making it easy for Anthropic to position itself as the better alternative ahead of its IPO. He still considers Opus 5.5 stronger than GPT 6.1, and with Fable 5.5 due soon, OpenAI is under real pressure. He also criticizes OpenAI for framing the reduced weekly limits as an "efficiency improvement" rather than speaking plainly: "Quo vadis, OpenAI?"
Related event: Compute Crunch Halves OpenAI Usage Caps, Sparking User Concerns(2 posts)→
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