OpenAI Projects 122M ChatGPT Subscribers in 2025, Buoyed by $8 Tier

SAN FRANCISCO — OpenAI expects its ChatGPT consumer subscriber base to reach 122 million this year, driven by a new $8-per-month pricing tier, according to a report from The Information.

The projection, which reflects internal company forecasts, would represent an expansion of OpenAI’s paying user base and reflects the company’s effort to monetize its flagship consumer product. ChatGPT currently offers a free tier alongside its $20-per-month Plus subscription and a $200-per-month Pro plan.

The $8 price point — roughly 60 percent cheaper than the existing Plus tier — signals a bet that a lower barrier to entry can convert a larger share of ChatGPT’s hundreds of millions of monthly active users into paying customers. OpenAI has not publicly confirmed the subscriber target or the specifics of the lower-cost plan.

The forecast comes as OpenAI transitions from a nonprofit research lab to a for-profit entity. The company recently completed a funding round and has been working to close a corporate restructuring, moves that have drawn scrutiny from regulators and former backer Elon Musk.

A 122-million subscriber figure would place ChatGPT among the largest subscription services in the technology sector. For context, Spotify reported approximately 260 million premium subscribers globally as of late 2024, while Netflix had roughly 300 million paid memberships worldwide.

The pricing strategy also reflects competition in the consumer AI space. Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, and open-source alternatives have put pressure on OpenAI to retain users who might otherwise adopt competing services. A lower price point could help broaden the company’s subscriber base.

For the broader U.S. AI industry, the subscriber projection suggests that consumer adoption of paid AI tools is expanding. If OpenAI converts a portion of its free users into subscribers at scale, it would validate the subscription model that much of the industry has been relying on to offset the costs of training and running large language models.

The Information first reported the figures. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment.