OpenAI Projects ChatGPT Plus subscriptions to drop by 80% from 44 Million in 2025 to 9 Million In 2026, Made Up Using Cheaper Subscriptions (Somehow)
OpenAI dumps 35M ChatGPT Plus subs, replacing them with cheap ad-supported tiers
OpenAI has quietly forecasted a dramatic shift in its ChatGPT subscriber base, according to a report by *The Information*. The company expects its flagship $20/month ChatGPT Plus tier to plummet from 44 million subscribers in 2025 to just 9 million in 2026—a staggering 80% reduction. This pivot is part of a broader strategy to aggressively expand its lower-cost, ad-supported tiers (ChatGPT Go), which are priced between $5–$8 per month depending on the region.
The numbers tell a striking story: OpenAI plans to grow its ad-supported user base from 3 million in 2025 to a projected 112 million in 2026. This would make the cheaper tier the dominant force in OpenAI’s revenue model, leveraging high-volume, low-margin subscriptions to offset the loss of premium users. Analysts speculate this move is a response to market saturation in the paid tier and a push to capture a larger, more diverse user base—even if it means diluting the perceived value of ChatGPT Plus.
- ChatGPT Plus subscribers expected to drop from 44M (2025) to 9M (2026), an 80% decline
- Ad-supported ChatGPT Go tiers ($5–$8/mo) to surge from 3M to 112M users in the same period
- OpenAI’s strategy shifts from premium subscriptions to high-volume, ad-driven monetization
Why It Matters
Signals a fundamental pivot in AI monetization, prioritizing scale and ads over premium subscriptions.