OpenAI’s cheaper ChatGPT Go plan goes global after India debut

OpenAI has expanded ChatGPT Go, a lower-cost subscription plan that first launched in India, and is now rolling it out to users globally—widening access to paid AI features at a price point below the company’s mainstream Plus plan.

The subscription tier—originally introduced as an India-exclusive offering—has been made available to users across 170 countries, positioning it as one of OpenAI’s fastest-growing consumer plans.

The global rollout comes as OpenAI continues to widen its paid product ladder for everyday users. In a post announcing the expansion, OpenAI said ChatGPT Go is priced at $8 per month in the US, with localized pricing in some markets, and now sits alongside ChatGPT Plus ($20/month) and ChatGPT Pro ($200/month).

The move also signals how competition in consumer AI is shifting from “best model” headlines to distribution, pricing and daily usage—especially in markets where affordability and mobile-first adoption drive scale.

While Go is priced between free and Plus, it’s designed for people who want more frequent access to advanced features without committing to premium pricing.

OpenAI describes Go as a “low-cost subscription plan” that expands access to ChatGPT’s popular tools and is now available across all supported countries.

Tech coverage has pointed to usage upgrades that include significantly higher message limits and broader feature access than the free plan. The Verge reports that Go provides “significantly more access” to OpenAI’s latest models compared to the free tier, and is targeted at everyday tasks like writing, learning and problem-solving.

India has been central to the story of the Go tier from the start. When OpenAI introduced the plan there in 2025, it was positioned as the company’s most affordable paid tier, priced locally for the market.

The rollout also arrives at a time when OpenAI is actively experimenting with new revenue streams.

In a separate development, OpenAI said it would begin testing ads in ChatGPT for some users in the US—specifically on the free and Go tiers, while keeping higher tiers ad-free.

The company told Reuters that ads would be kept separate from ChatGPT’s responses and would not influence outputs, as it looks to balance product growth with the rising costs of building and running large-scale AI systems.

That combination—a cheaper tier plus advertising—could reshape how ChatGPT competes globally, particularly in markets where users want more access but remain price-sensitive.

The bigger story may be how quickly OpenAI’s consumer product is evolving into a multi-tier ecosystem: free users at the top of the funnel, Go as a mid-tier upgrade, and Plus and Pro targeting heavy users and professionals.

For users, the Go expansion reduces the gap between experimenting with AI and relying on it daily. For OpenAI, it widens the paying user base at a lower price point—while preserving premium plans for those who need higher limits or advanced tools.

With Go now rolling out globally, OpenAI is betting that the next wave of growth won’t come from novelty—but from making AI feel like an everyday utility people can afford.