GPT-6 Is Rolling Out to Free Users. How Close Is It to the Paid One?

If you use ChatGPT for free, GPT-6 is finally coming to your everyday chats. OpenAI launched the model family last month, but you won't get the same version paying subscribers have.

From Thursday, October 8, the free and Go plans are getting GPT-6 Luna, a smaller and faster version. It's rolling out gradually, so it may take a few days to reach everyone. Paid subscribers started getting the bigger GPT-6 Sol on Wednesday.

OpenAI also launched Intelligent UI, a new feature that lets ChatGPT answer with charts, calculators, and games.

So how good is the free one? OpenAI's own tests put it about two points behind the paid version. Independent testing puts the gap at 10.

OpenAI Dots, GPT-6.1 Sol: DevDay 2026 Biggest AnnouncementsOpenAI’s Meta Muse rival costs at least $100 a month, and $200 Pro users are about to lose half their usage.

GPT-6 Luna vs Sol: how close the free version is

Luna is OpenAI's lighter, cheaper model. On OpenAI's own tests, it's barely behind Sol. It scored 53.8% on a hard web search test against Sol's 56.2%, and beat GPT-5.6, the previous paid model, which scored 43.1%.

But independent testing shows a bigger gap. Artificial Analysis gives GPT-6 Sol 48 points on its Intelligence Index and Luna 38, just one point ahead of the previous free model. It tests the versions developers use, though, and OpenAI says ChatGPT's versions are tuned for everyday chat.

Where Luna clearly wins is speed. Artificial Analysis clocked it at 127 tokens per second, against 85 for GPT-6 Sol. OpenAI says GPT-6 also starts replying 44% sooner than GPT-5.6 when it has to search the web.

GPT-6 Intelligent UI: what it does and can you turn it off?

Intelligent UI is the other big change. Instead of replying only in text, ChatGPT can now build charts, forms, calculators, and simple games right inside the chat.

Say you're planning a road trip. Instead of a long list of stops, ChatGPT can show them on a map. Ask how your savings could grow, and it can build a calculator you can use right in the chat. It works on the web and in updated mobile apps, but not in the older ChatGPT desktop apps for Mac and Windows.