ChatGPT will soon start showing ads – Cult of Mac

By Rajesh Pandey • 9:05 pm, January 16, 2026
OpenAI is rolling out its more affordable ChatGPT Go plan to nearly every region where ChatGPT operates. In the US, the new tier starts at just $8 per month — a full $12 cheaper than ChatGPT Plus.
Additionally, OpenAI confirmed that it will start testing ads in ChatGPT’s free and Go tiers in the US soon. 

ChatGPT launched a cheaper Go tier in India in August 2025. Following its massive success, it expanded the plan to more price-sensitive markets, except the US. That’s changing now, with OpenAI offering ChatGPT Go in one of its key markets for $8 per month. 
Compared to the free tier, OpenAI says ChatGPT Go offers the following benefits:
With the launch of the Go tier, OpenAI now offers three monthly ChatGPT subscription options worldwide. ChatGPT Go sits at the entry level, followed by the Plus plan at $20 per month. At the top is the Pro tier, priced at a steep $200 per month and designed for power users who require the highest limits and features.
Alongside the expansion of the Go tier to the US, OpenAI also announced its intention to introduce ads to ChatGPT. It will start testing ads for ChatGPT free and Go users in the US in the coming weeks. 
These ads will appear at the bottom of responses, clearly labeled as sponsored and visually separated from organic answers.
OpenAI promises not to display ads near sensitive or regulated topics like health and politics. It will also not show ads in accounts where it believes the users are under 18.
For the initial few months, OpenAI will test ad formats in ChatGPT and take user feedback.
Rajesh has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade, with a strong focus on iPhones, Macs and Apple’s ecosystem. He enjoys digging into Apple software updates, hardware changes, and discovering new Mac apps that make work faster and more enjoyable.
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