The same model family can behave differently across products. Before comparing answers, check which release your account is using.
What the October release changes
OpenAI’s October 7 system card announces GPT-6 for free and paid ChatGPT plans worldwide. It replaces GPT-5.6 Sol and Luna in ChatGPT. The document separates the October ChatGPT release from September versions that remain in Codex and ChatGPT Work.
That distinction affects a comparison. An answer from ChatGPT and a result from a coding workspace are not automatically tests of the same release. Record the product surface alongside the model name.
Free access does not establish unlimited usage.
A rollout across free plans tells you who the announcement includes. It does not establish an unlimited message allowance or identical features for every account. Check the controls and limits shown in your own account before choosing a paid plan.
This guide does not quote a message cap because the system card is not a plan-limit document. It also does not establish API availability or API prices. Those decisions need the relevant API documentation.
Use a repeatable comparison.
For a writing task, save one brief and a short acceptance checklist. Run the brief in each product without changing the requested output. Review factual errors and missed constraints separately. Record any files, tools, or saved context the product used.
- Record the date, product surface, and model label.
- Keep the brief and supplied documents unchanged.
- Check factual answers against the original evidence.
- Count corrections needed before the result is usable.
- Repeat the task before drawing a broad conclusion.
This is a suggested evaluation method, not a MustHave.ai benchmark. A product with access to your files may complete a task differently from a chat without them.
Read safety results within their test condition.s
OpenAI reports stronger results on several safety evaluations and regressions on others. Its difficult evaluation prompts don’t measure error frequency in everyday use. Avoid turning one benchmark score into a claim that every response is reliable.
Choose the product for the task.
For API budgeting, use our GPT-6.1 Sol pricing guide. For longer-running delegated work, read the Dots permissions guide. These are separate decisions from ChatGPT plan access.
Which task would you repeat across the two products before changing your workflow?
