MUMBAI: OpenAI has just raised the stakes in the AI coding arms race by giving power users a much bigger slice of the pie. The company has introduced a new $100-per-month ChatGPT Pro subscription tier, aimed squarely at competing with Anthropic in the fast-growing AI coding space. The new plan provides five times more Codex usage than the existing $20 Plus tier and is specifically designed for longer, high-effort coding sessions.
According to OpenAI’s announcement on X, the Pro tier will continue to include access to all existing Pro features, including its exclusive Pro model and unlimited usage of Instant and Thinking models. As part of a limited-time promotion running until 31 May, new subscribers to the $100 plan will receive up to ten times the Codex usage of ChatGPT Plus to support more ambitious development projects.
The company also noted that the current Codex promotion for Plus users will end, with usage being rebalanced to allow more frequent sessions throughout the week rather than heavy daily limits. The $20 Plus plan will remain the main offering for everyday use, while the new $100 tier targets heavier, more consistent workloads.
OpenAI’s broader subscription lineup continues to include a $200 Pro tier, an $8 Go plan, and a free tier. Earlier this week, CEO Sam Altman revealed that the Codex AI coding agent had reached three million users, with usage limits reset at every million-user milestone.
The launch closely mirrors Anthropic’s pricing structure, which includes a Max 5x tier at $100 per month and a Max 20x tier at $200 per month. The move comes amid reports that OpenAI has initiated a “code red” internal strategy to counter Anthropic’s growing dominance in AI coding tools. The company is shifting focus toward professional developer tools while reportedly scaling back or pausing other projects, including further development of its Sora video generator.
OpenAI has also confirmed plans to build a desktop “superapp” that integrates ChatGPT, Codex, and its Atlas AI browser into a single unified platform.
In the competitive world of AI coding assistants, OpenAI is clearly signalling it won’t be outspent or outbuilt. With the new $100 Pro tier, the company is giving serious developers more firepower and sending a clear message to rivals that the race is far from over.
