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ChatGPT Pro Max: From $500 Rumor to Backlash

Rumors of a $500/month ChatGPT Pro Max tier emerged on Sept 25 and were soon confirmed by an App Store listing. Users then reported halved quotas on the $200 Pro plan, fueling accusations of a disguised price hike.

2026-09-25 ~ 2026-09-29 · 3 episodes · 34 posts

Episode 1 · OpenAI rumored to prep $500/month ChatGPT Pro Max tier (2026-09-25, 21 posts)

Around September 25, multiple leakers reported that OpenAI is preparing a "Pro Max" subscription above the current ChatGPT Pro ($200/month), with pricing rumored at $500/month (shown as $600 with VAT per @gaganghotra). @ChrisGPT claimed it may be announced at DevDay, and Kalshi opened a prediction market. None of this is officially confirmed; OpenAI has not responded.

Confirmed

  • No official confirmation exists; OpenAI has not responded to the rumors.
  • The current ChatGPT Pro plan at $200/month serves as the baseline referenced by leakers.
  • @testingcatalog reported finding a "Pro Max" string in an unpublished ChatGPT subscription reference, the direct source of the price; @johnseach noted frontend code leaked on September 24, with the description adding only one new line versus the existing Max tier: "Fastest Work and Codex."
  • Kalshi opened a market on "OpenAI launches $500 Pro Max," reflecting interest but not constituting confirmation.

Unconfirmed

  • Per @ryanmerket citing Runtime Wire, Pro Max's core change would be separately priced long-running tasks with price caps; @btibor91 relayed a higher tier is in the works with no details public.
  • @ChrisGPT said the plan will be announced at DevDay and would only buy it if it supports 24/7 conversations.
  • Price accounts differ: @1411337 cited a Reddit leak suggesting $500–1000, while @testingcatalog gave a specific $500/month.
  • Reddit users relayed by @khanp4397 complained even the $600/month top tier gets rate-limited; @comverael relayed complaints that new models (GPT-6 Sol/Luna) bypass regular Chat, squeezing Plus users.
  • @testingcatalog and @tengyanAI argued heavy users who max out the $200 Pro would quickly buy a faster, higher-limit $500 tier; @CtrlAltDwayne speculated the selling point could be persistent cloud agents; developer junsong accused OpenAI of quietly reducing usage to push upgrades; @testingcatalog also mentioned possible Cerebras acceleration. All unverified.

Why it matters

  • If launched, Pro Max could shift heavy users from flat monthly quotas toward per-task pricing for long agent workloads.
  • The rumored pricing would push AI subscriptions to a new ceiling, reflecting real compute costs of long-running agents; if the DevDay claim holds, answers may come soon.
  • Claims of stealth usage reductions and model gating, if true, could spark a trust controversy over shrinking subscription value.

1 more related posts →

Episode 2 · OpenAI's $500 ChatGPT Pro Max Tier Surfaces in Testing (2026-09-27, 4 posts)

A $500-per-month ChatGPT Pro Max tier has appeared in Nauru's App Store, confirming OpenAI is testing an ultra-premium subscription. OpenAI also quietly renamed its existing Pro plans, and analysts expect rival labs to follow if the tier sells.

Episode 3 · ChatGPT Pro $200 Tier Reportedly Halved in Quota; New $500 Plan Seen as Disguised Price Hike (2026-09-29, 9 posts)

Starting September 29, multiple Reddit users and bloggers reported that OpenAI's $200/month ChatGPT Pro subscription appears to have had its quota cut by roughly half, with the company framing it as "models are cheaper and more efficient long-term," sparking strong backlash from paying customers.

Confirmed

  • Reddit user @ResultBackground2450 posted with screenshots, saying the $200 Pro subscription quota is being cut by about 50%.
  • Reddit user @femtocell found that Pro-tier subscriptions reopened, but with a note reading "half the dollar in API spend," meaning the equivalent API spend allowance is halved; the poster admitted they weren't sure what the phrase exactly means.
  • Twitter user @socialwithaayan initially misread and then confirmed the $200/month plan's quota appears to be halved, questioning whether the "more efficient" framing is masking a tightening of actual usage limits.
  • Bloggers @kimmonismus and @andrewaltair both pointed out that OpenAI is packaging the quota reduction as "cheaper, more efficient models"; @andrewaltair criticized it as a blunder of giving heavy users fewer tokens at the same price.

Not Yet Confirmed

  • Whether the change is a global quota reduction or an adjustment targeting specific usage patterns remains unclear — everything so far comes from user screenshots and community discussions, with no official statement from OpenAI.
  • The exact meaning of "half the dollar in API spend" remains ambiguous.

Why It Matters

  • The $200 tier is a premium subscription aimed at heavy users, and halving the quota directly hits OpenAI's most loyal paying customers.
  • Several commentators (such as @kimmonismus and @andrewaltair) noted that OpenAI and Anthropic seem to have swapped places: Anthropic, once criticized for shrinking subscriptions, now looks generous with Opus/Sonnet efficiency and Max user quotas, while OpenAI finds itself on the back foot in the premium-tier competition.