- ChatGPT’s hidden backup model has become smarter and is a stealthy update that happens in the background.
- OpenAI also announced a new $100 Pro plan, changing who has access to its best tools.
- The changes show that OpenAI is making ChatGPT more layered and more complex behind the scenes.
OpenAI just made two big changes to ChatGPT, but only one of them is obvious. The big news is that there’s now a new $100 Pro plan that’s cheaper than their $200 Pro option, but gives you more access to Codex, OpenAI’s programming tool, than a Plus user would get.
The second change is the introduction of a new alternative ChatGPT model, for when you have reached your speed limits in ChatGPT-5.3 Instant. The new model is called ChatGPT-5.3 Instant Mini and you can’t select it in the model selector as that’s what it defaults to when you hit your speed limits.
Taken together, the new changes show that OpenAI is reshaping both the free-flow experience of using ChatGPT and the way it packages high-level access.
Article continues below.
The hidden update that you won’t notice
GPT-5 Instant Mini replaces ChatGPT-5.3 Instant as an alternative model that you get after you reach your GPT-5.3 Instant limits, which will depend on the plan you are on. Before the new release, I used ChatGPT-5 mini by default. OpenAI claims that ChatGPT-5.3 Instant Mini outperforms GPT-5 Instant Mini in a variety of different use cases.
“Compared to GPT-5 Instant Mini, GPT-5.3 Instant Mini feels more natural in conversation, with stronger typing and contextual awareness throughout the chat,” OpenAI said in the ChatGPT-5.3 Instant Mini release notes.
The change is happening behind the scenes, but even if this only affects the “overflow” experience, it shows that this is where many regular users end up. It is Pro users who will be least likely to be affected, as they have much higher usage rates.
The new $100 Pro level
At the same time, OpenAI is introducing a new $100/month Pro tier (£89 in the UK, AU pricing TBD) aimed at longer, high-intensity Codex sessions. Includes unlimited access to GPT-5.4, access to GPT-5.4 Pro and temporary use of the Codex in mode up to 10 times greater than the Plus level.
What’s confusing is that the $200/month Pro plan still exists, so there are now two plans for ChatGPT called “Pro”. It’s easiest to think of the $100/month plan as a mid-tier between Plus and the more expensive Pro option.
OpenAI describes the $100/month Pro plan as having 5x more usage than the Plus tier, while the $200/month plan has 20x more usage. Other than that, everything between the two plans seems the same.
What changes for Plus users
There is also a small change for Plus users of $20 per month. The temporary Codex promotion on Plus is ending, so OpenAI is rebalancing the use of Plus to support more sessions throughout the week, rather than longer, high-intensity sessions on a single day.
This is effectively OpenAI redefining what Plus is for: lighter, more stable daily use rather than bursts of heavy use. At the same time, it is introducing a new medium tier in the hopes that those people who use ChatGPT Plus for coding will upgrade.
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