OpenAI released GPT-5 last week, but many users have complained about its brief, emotionally distant responses. This has led to discontent among users that the update was a cost-saving measure, and sparked frustration across the user community.
Previously, Plus subscribers could send 100 messages per week on GPT-3, 700 messages per week on GPT-4-mini high, 2,100 messages per week on GPT-4-mini, and 80 messages every 3 hours on GPT-4o, providing users with significant usage flexibility.
When OpenAI launched GPT-5, it also removed access to older models like GPT-4o and GPT-3 variants for Free and Plus users. This limited users' options and caused frustration, as many relied on those models for flexibility.
Only ChatGPT Pro and Team subscribers retained access to older models through legacy settings. This change upset Plus users who lost the flexibility of switching between models.
Many Plus subscribers experienced a major downgrade with fewer allowed messages under GPT-5. Their context window stayed at 32,000 tokens (roughly 24,000 words), compared to 128,000 tokens (about 96,000 words) available to users on higher subscription tiers, reported Mint.
Many users have criticised GPT-5’s reduced limits and style, threatening to cancel their Plus subscriptions. The wave of feedback has forced OpenAI to reconsider its rollout strategy.
To start addressing concerns, OpenAI has increased the GPT-5 message limit for Plus subscribers to 160 messages every 3 hours and restored GPT-4o access through legacy settings, similar to those available for Pro users.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has pledged to raise the GPT-5 Thinking model’s weekly message cap to 3,000, showing the company’s commitment to improving user experience and addressing concerns.
