8 Reasons You Should Upgrade to ChatGPT Plus – MUO – MakeUseOf
Don’t wait any longer.
ChatGPT Plus is the premium paid version of OpenAI's highly successful chatbot. At $20/month, the service gives you access to GPT-4, incredible stability, and faster responses. However, many are skeptical of upgrading despite those benefits, especially since the free version of ChatGPT works so well.
While it's easy to write off ChatGPT Plus as unnecessary, there are several reasons why upgrading to ChatGPT Plus is worthwhile. Apart from access to GPT-4, there are several subtle benefits, such as better translation capabilities and more detailed responses.
ChatGPT has its fair share of big problems, but the most annoying is when the service is down. OpenAI's servers sometimes have trouble keeping up with the incredibly high demand. Although the situation is much better now than the initial launch, the free version still goes down frequently.
Fortunately, ChatGPT Plus is available almost all of the time. The service is designed to give priority access to Plus subscribers, so you can use it even during peak usage times. Paying up for the service is a no-brainer if your business or workflow heavily depends on ChatGPT.
ChatGPT Plus features two language models—GPT-4 and GPT-3.5.
It's worth noting that the Plus version of GPT-3.5 is faster and more responsive than the GPT-3.5 model seen in the free version. OpenAI deprecated the GPT-3.5 Legacy version on May 10, 2023, but the ChatGPT Plus GPT-3.5 version is still faster than the free option. While the quality of responses is the same, the difference is immediately noticeable. You can use this language model if you feel that GPT-4 isn't that impressive in terms of speed.
A problem with the free version is that it often stops responding, forcing you to regenerate the answers. This happens multiple times throughout a session. You won't have to worry about this with the Plus version. If you rely on ChatGPT for work, upgrading to ChatGPT Plus is a great way to save time waiting on the free version to respond.
The most obvious benefit of upgrading to the Plus version is access to GPT-4. As the successor to GPT-3.5, there are major differences between the two. GPT-4 improves natural language processing, understanding of context, and problem-solving. It is also trained on a larger data set which means it's better at recognizing complex patterns.
In reality, the differences can be a bit subtle as they're not immediately noticeable. However, the more you use it, the sooner you realize that GPT-4 has a better chance of providing the correct response on its first attempt. It's also more accurate and doesn't fall victim to AI hallucination as often.
The standard version of ChatGPT has a knowledge cutoff from September 2021. That means it does not have access to any information on events that occurred after that date. However, you can overcome this limitation by using the new Browsing mode with the GPT-4 model. This means you can access the internet within ChatGPT.
Internet access lets you summarize articles, conduct up-to-date market research, and find recent news stories and papers. ChatGPT can also access a wider dataset and deliver more accurate responses. Google Bard and Microsoft's Bing Chat have had this feature for a while, and ChatGPT can finally compete.
Plugin access gives ChatGPT Plus a level of customization that you won't find with its competitors. These plugins serve as third-party software components that integrate with ChatGPT. While the feature is currently in beta, you can install plugins from the plugin store and pick from over 100 different options.
Each plugin serves a different purpose. For example, you can use the Kayak plugin to book a trip abroad, plan meals or buy ingredients with the help of the Instacart plugin, or interact with apps like Google Sheets and Gmail by using Zapier. Some of the plugins can be a bit buggy or slow, but it'll be interesting to see how useful they are once the kinks are ironed out.
Since GPT-4 is trained on a larger data set, it is much better at responding to non-English prompts. It does a good job of responding almost like a person that understands linguistic patterns, nuances, and cultural context. GPT-3.5 has decent translation capabilities, but GPT-4 is better as it's more likely to generate accurate and coherent responses.
You also get access to multiple plugins that can help with your language-learning journey. The new Speak plugin is an excellent example of this. It helps you pronounce certain phrases, gives you alternate ways to express the same sentiment, and shows you examples that replicate real-life conversations in any language.
Considering all of the benefits above, $20/month does not sound like a bad deal at all. However, while self-proclaimed experts falsely boast about ChatGPT side gigs, there are legitimate ways you can use the chatbot to optimize your workflow. For example, writers and creators can use it for brainstorming and content planning.
ChatGPT Plus is a professional tool for all intents and purposes. If you use the chatbot daily for work and it makes you more efficient, $20 is not a big ask. At the very least, business owners and freelancers should try it out for a month to see if it's useful for them.
ChatGPT has been highly successful since day one, and other companies were quick to jump on the hype train. Alternatives such as ChatSonic, Perplexity AI, and Google Bard quickly popped up. However, even though all of those tools are great for different use cases, none can beat the versatility of ChatGPT.
The Plus version makes it even harder for them to compete. GPT -4's conversational skills are already great, but access to the internet and different plugins make it even better. These features have transformed ChatGPT from a simple chatbot into a versatile and tightly integrated AI platform.
While not everyone will feel as though it's necessary, ChatGPT Plus is worth the upgrade. It might not be as groundbreaking as people make it out to be, but it's worth the investment as a professional tool for freelancers and small businesses. The impressive stability, access to the internet and plugins, and quicker interactions are strong persuasion points on their own.
Hashir is an established tech journalist who covers Mac and iOS at MakeUseOf. He started his writing journey in 2020, and has since then been contributing to top-tier technology publications like MakeTechEasier, PCGuide101, and MacBook Journal. In his free time, Hashir polishes his jabs at the local boxing club, preparing for the robot apocalypse.
