OpenAI has temporarily suspended new subscriptions for its Pro plan, which costs $200 per month. The company cited significant infrastructure strain caused by the high demand for its latest model, Astra, as the primary reason for this decision.
Thibault Sottiaux, the product leader for core offerings like Codex and ChatGPT, announced the pause on X. He noted that the Pro tier places the heaviest load on the company's systems. Other service levels, including the API, Go, and Plus plans, remain unaffected and continue to be available to users.
The model Astra, which launched on September 3, is currently being integrated into Pro, Plus, Enterprise, and Business accounts. OpenAI has not provided a specific timeline for when Pro subscriptions will resume or disclosed the exact number of daily sign-ups driving this surge in traffic.
OpenAI previously increased usage limits for Codex users in August. Despite the current restrictions on the Pro tier, the company maintains that its priority is to ensure stable service for existing customers while managing the unprecedented interest in its new AI capabilities.
