OpenAI · 2026-09-10 · major
OpenAI pauses new ChatGPT Pro sign-ups — GPT-6 Astra demand strains capacity
OpenAI has switched off new sign-ups and upgrades to the $200-a-month ChatGPT Pro plan because demand for GPT-6 Astra is straining its systems. Existing Pro accounts keep working, and the API, Go and Plus plans are unaffected.
The $200 ChatGPT Pro tier is closed to new subscribers while OpenAI protects Astra capacity for the people already on it.
Quick facts
| What changed | New Pro sign-ups and upgrades disabled |
|---|---|
| Plan price | $200 / month |
| Existing subscribers | Unaffected, accounts keep working |
| Still open | API, Go and Plus plans |
| Reason | Demand for GPT-6 Astra |
| Astra launched | September 3, 2026 |
| Reopening date | Not announced |
What is it?
New sign-ups and upgrades to ChatGPT Pro, the $200-a-month tier, are now disabled. OpenAI product leader Thibault Sottiaux announced the pause on X, saying the company "wanted to take the smallest step that allows us to continue giving the broadest access possible." Anyone already paying for Pro keeps their account as it is.
How does it work?
Pro carries 20 times the usage allowance of the cheaper Plus plan, Fortune reports, which is why it puts the heaviest load on OpenAI's serving capacity. Fortune also points to GPT-6 Astra's computer-use feature, where the model drives a desktop the way a person would, as consuming resources faster than earlier models. Closing the top tier to new buyers caps the growth of that load without touching anyone's current plan.
Why does it matter?
If you were about to buy ChatGPT Pro for Astra access, you cannot — the API, the cheaper Go plan and Plus are still open, so those are the routes left. OpenAI has not said how long the pause will last. Sottiaux called demand for Astra "really unprecedented", adding "I've not seen anything like it until now and we went through very steep growth before."
Who is it for?
teams sizing up an Astra rollout
Frequently asked questions
- Can current ChatGPT Pro subscribers still use GPT-6 Astra?
- Yes. OpenAI's pause applies only to new sign-ups and upgrades to the $200-a-month Pro plan, and Fortune reports that existing Pro accounts remain unaffected. Protecting those users is the stated reason for the pause: OpenAI's Thibault Sottiaux framed it as keeping current users' experience and their continued access to Astra intact.
- What can I use if ChatGPT Pro sign-ups are closed?
- OpenAI says the API, the lower-cost Go plan and the Plus plan all remain available, so those routes are untouched by the pause. Only the top $200 Pro tier is closed to new buyers — the tier that, per Fortune, carries 20 times the usage allowance of Plus. OpenAI has not said how long the Pro pause will last.
- Why does GPT-6 Astra use so much capacity?
- Fortune points to Astra's computer-use feature, which lets the model interact with a desktop the way a person would; that consumes resources quickly and strains infrastructure more than previous models. The $200 Pro tier concentrates the load because it carries 20 times the usage allowance of Plus, which is why OpenAI closed the top tier rather than the cheaper ones.
- When will OpenAI reopen ChatGPT Pro sign-ups?
- OpenAI has not announced a reopening date. TechCrunch reports the company has not said how long sign-ups to the Pro tier may be disabled. Sottiaux tied the pause to serving capacity for GPT-6 Astra, which launched on September 3, 2026, and OpenAI said the API, Go and Plus plans stay open meanwhile, so the pause affects only who can newly buy the top tier.