OpenAI Halts New ChatGPT Pro Sign-Ups Over Astra

OpenAI has temporarily stopped accepting new subscribers for its $200-a-month ChatGPT Pro plan as demand for its latest flagship model, Astra, puts growing pressure on the company’s infrastructure. The Pro tier currently places the heaviest load on OpenAI’s systems, prompting the company to restrict new registrations while it works to maintain service quality.

Thibault (Tibo) Sottiaux, OpenAI’s product leader overseeing products such as Codex and ChatGPT, confirmed the move. He described the suspension as a limited measure intended to preserve access for as many users as possible. Other offerings, including the API, Go, and Plus plans, remain available.

OpenAI had already warned that it could temporarily halt new Pro subscriptions if Astra’s popularity continued to overwhelm its infrastructure. The company has not disclosed how long the restriction will last or how many new users have been attempting to join the Pro tier. 

Astra is now available to users on Pro, Plus, Enterprise, and Business plans. OpenAI highlights its advances in AI reasoning, coding, and computer use. The company has described the model as a generational step toward its vision of the AGI era, helping fuel unusually strong demand and intensifying pressure on the infrastructure behind its services.