OpenAI adds new $100 Pro plan as it updates ChatGPT Codex usage

OpenAI said on April 9, 2026, that it is introducing a new $100 monthly Pro plan for ChatGPT and changing how Codex usage is allocated across its paid tiers, a move that puts fresh emphasis on the company’s coding tools and subscription strategy.

The update, posted in OpenAI’s ChatGPT release notes, comes as the company continues to refine its model lineup and paid offerings. OpenAI said the new plan is aimed at longer, high-intensity Codex sessions, while Plus subscribers will see their usage rebalanced to support more sessions across the week rather than extended use on a single day.

New pricing tier for heavier Codex use

According to OpenAI, the new Pro plan costs $100 a month and includes unlimited access to GPT-5.4, access to GPT-5.4 Pro and, for a limited time, up to 10 times more Codex usage than Plus. OpenAI said the higher-usage Pro option that costs $200 a month will remain available and continue its current Codex promotion through May 31.

The company said the changes are intended to better separate steady everyday use from more intensive developer workflows. Codex is OpenAI’s coding-focused product integrated with ChatGPT and related tools.

ChatGPT’s paid plans keep shifting

The pricing update adds another layer to a subscription structure that has changed repeatedly in recent months. OpenAI has been adjusting model access, fallback behavior and plan-specific limits across ChatGPT as it retires older models and introduces newer ones.

In the same April 9 release notes, OpenAI also said it was releasing GPT-5.3 Instant Mini in ChatGPT as a fallback model for users who hit their GPT-5.3 Instant rate limits. The company said the smaller model is designed to feel more natural in conversation and to improve writing and contextual awareness.

Codex remains a strategic focus

The new plan arrives as OpenAI has been expanding Codex availability and related tooling inside ChatGPT. In recent weeks, the company has added Codex for students in the United States and Canada, launched a Codex app on Windows and introduced plugins for Codex workflows.

OpenAI has also been broadening how ChatGPT connects to workplace software, including updates to apps and connectors for services such as Outlook, Box, Notion, Linear and Dropbox. The pattern suggests the company is trying to position ChatGPT not only as a general-purpose chatbot, but also as a work platform tied to coding, files and business applications.

What to Watch

The key question is whether the new $100 Pro tier draws enough demand from power users to justify the narrower Codex allowances on Plus. OpenAI has not said how many subscribers it expects to move between tiers, but the next round of release notes will show whether the company continues to push ChatGPT toward more specialized paid plans or settles on the new structure.