OpenAI drops text chat limits for ChatGPT free users, swaps in GPT-5.6 Luna as the new default model

OpenAI is scrapping the rate limits on text-based conversations for ChatGPT users on its Free and Go tiers. Starting next week, anyone using those tiers can message the chatbot as much as they want without hitting a ceiling. The change comes just after ChatGPT crossed 1 billion weekly users, a milestone OpenAI highlighted in a separate announcement.

The company detailed the shift in a blog post on August 6, framing it as part of a broader push to expand access. Jay Peters at The Verge confirmed the timing, noting that the unlimited chats begin rolling out next week. Until now, free-tier users would run into restrictions after a certain number of text interactions, pushing heavy users toward paid plans.

Alongside the unlimited chats, OpenAI is replacing GPT-5.5 with GPT-5.6 Luna as the default model for Free and Go users. The model is designed to be more accurate and consistent than its predecessor, according to OpenAI's blog post. TechCrunch AI reports that Luna will power the free experience going forward, while higher-tier subscribers get access to more capable variants in the GPT-5.6 family.

The GPT-5.6 lineup includes Luna, Terra, and Sol, each targeting different performance levels. Free and Go users get Luna as the everyday driver. Paying users unlock Terra and Sol, which offer stronger reasoning and deeper analytical capabilities. This tiered approach gives OpenAI a clear upgrade path while making the free tier genuinely useful for daily tasks.

Free and Go users are also getting a Think button that lets them request higher reasoning power for complex queries. TechCrunch AI describes it as a toggle that users can activate when they need the model to work harder on a problem, essentially borrowing a feature previously reserved for paid plans.

The button gives free users a taste of more advanced reasoning without requiring a subscription. It is not unlimited, OpenAI has not disclosed how many Think activations free users will get per day, but the feature signals a shift toward letting non-paying users sample premium capabilities. This mirrors strategies from other AI companies that use limited access to advanced features as a conversion funnel.

OpenAI is not giving away everything. The unlimited text chats apply to text only. File uploads, image generation, voice mode, and other advanced modalities remain gated behind Plus, Pro, or Enterprise subscriptions. The Verge notes that free users will still encounter limits on those features, and the Think button likely has a daily cap.

Paid tiers also retain access to the stronger GPT-5.6 Terra and Sol models, which OpenAI markets as frontier intelligence for professional and enterprise workloads. The free tier upgrade is a text-only affair, designed to keep casual users engaged without cannibalizing the subscription business. The company's blog post frames the move as expanding access while maintaining clear differentiation for paying customers.

This shift lands in a market where free-tier AI access is becoming table stakes. Google's Gemini offers free access with fewer restrictions than early ChatGPT, and Anthropic's Claude has a free tier with generous usage limits. OpenAI's move to unlimited text chats closes a gap that competitors had been exploiting.

Crossing 1 billion weekly users gives OpenAI the scale to justify more generous free access. The marginal cost of serving text queries to free users is low enough that the goodwill and habit formation outweigh the compute expense. The move also pressures smaller AI startups that rely on paid subscriptions to survive, since matching unlimited free text chats is harder without OpenAI's infrastructure budget.

Removing text limits on the free tier raises an obvious question: why pay for Plus or Pro? OpenAI's answer is the model quality gap and advanced features. Paying users get GPT-5.6 Sol and Terra, which are materially better at reasoning, coding, and analysis. They also get file uploads, image generation, voice mode, and priority access during peak times.

Northflank's usage limits explainer suggests that free users were already getting generous text allowances before this change, so the removal of limits is more of a psychological shift than a practical one for most users. The real power users who hit the old limits daily will see the biggest benefit, and they're also the ones most likely to upgrade for the advanced features anyway.

The unlimited text chats and GPT-5.6 Luna default model begin rolling out next week, according to The Verge and OpenAI's announcement. The Think button arrives simultaneously. OpenAI has not specified whether the rollout is global or phased by region, but the company's recent launches have been worldwide within days.

For existing free users, the switch will be automatic. The model updates to GPT-5.6 Luna without any action required, and the rate limit disappears. The change applies to both the web interface and mobile apps. Go users, who are on a lightweight tier launched in early 2026, get the same treatment. The next few weeks will show whether the infrastructure holds up under unlimited demand from a user base that now exceeds 1 billion weekly active users.