GPT-6 Astra is on ChatGPT Plus, but only in Work and Codex

OpenAI introduced GPT-6 Astra on Sept. 3 and said the model would become available to all ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business and Enterprise users "over the coming days." A day later Thibault Sottiaux, who leads Codex at OpenAI, wrote that the rollout had reached Plus as well. Subscribers who open their usual chat window still do not see it.

OpenAI's help pages explain why, and the answer has nothing to do with any individual account. ChatGPT now spans several surfaces. Chat handles conversation, Work is an agent for longer jobs, and Codex covers software development. "Plus plans include GPT-6 Astra in ChatGPT Work and Codex as it rolls out," the documentation says. In Chat the model is called GPT-6 Pro, and OpenAI lists it for Pro $100, Pro $200, Business and Enterprise plans only.

Where to find it

Open the desktop app, select ChatGPT from the menu at the top left, then use the toggle at the top to switch from Chat to Work. Codex is a separate entry in the same menu. On mobile, Work appears in the dropdown at the top of the screen. OpenAI asks users to install the latest desktop app, and the Codex command-line tool needs version 0.153.0 or newer.

Work serves more than developers. OpenAI describes it for research, analysis and finished documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Using Astra for writing takes no coding skill, only the right surface.

What the Chat route costs

The line between the plans has moved since GPT-5.6. Plus covers a limited amount of Astra usage inside its Work and Codex allowance, and subscribers can buy credits for more. Pro starts at $100 a month and adds Astra to the ordinary chat window. A ceiling applies there too, at 50 messages a week on the $100 tier and 200 a week on the $200 tier.

Paying more does not shorten the wait. "Buying credits does not provide early access during rollout," OpenAI writes. The company also says the rollout is gradual and availability can differ between Chat, Work and Codex.

A banked reset for every day of waiting

The rough start drew a public apology. Sam Altman called the rollout "messy" on Sept. 4, after paying customers went without a model their plan was said to include. Sottiaux had announced compensation the evening before. Paid ChatGPT users receive one banked usage reset for each day they go without Astra, counting from Sept. 3.

OpenAI staged access for a reason. Astra is the first OpenAI model to reach the Critical threshold for cybersecurity under the company's own preparedness framework. Notebookcheck covered how the extra safety check can stop a task while it runs and what the Critical rating means. A spokesperson also pointed to compute capacity, describing Astra as a very large model.

Plus subscribers are left in between. GPT-5.6 Sol remains the top option in Chat, under the five-hour limits OpenAI tightened again in late August. OpenAI has not said whether Astra will follow into Chat. The question has gone unanswered in the company's own developer forum since Sept. 5.