OpenAI pauses $200 Pro subscriptions, calls it the ‘smallest step’ to manage Astra demand
OpenAI product leader Thibault (Tibo) Sottiaux shared an X post revealing that Astra demand is putting heavy pressure on OpenAI’s computing infrastructure.
- Sep 11, 2026,
- Updated Sep 11, 2026 1:06 PM IST
OpenAI is temporarily stopping new subscriptions for its $200-per-month Pro plan as its most powerful model, Astra, is seeing very high demand. OpenAI product leader Thibault (Tibo) Sottiaux shared an X post revealing that Astra demand is putting heavy pressure on OpenAI’s computing infrastructure. However, existing Pro users will not be impacted.
“These put the most strain on our systems, and we wanted to take the smallest step that allows us to continue giving the broadest access possible. All other plans and the api remain available,” Sottiaux said.
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While the Pro plan remains unavailable, subscribers can go for cheaper plans across the API, Go, and Plus plans. On September 9, the company shared that it is facing “unprecedented” demand. “We’re pulling all the levers possible to sustain the demand, but I’ve not seen anything like it until now, and we went through very steep growth before,” Sottiaux wrote.
“Priority will always be to keep excellent service for existing users, but we might have to pause new Pro subscriptions for a bit if this continues,” he added.
OpenAI launched Astra on September 3, and it's available to users across plans, including Pro, Plus, Enterprise, and Business accounts. The AI model is positioned to offer advanced capabilities across areas such as reasoning, coding, and computer-use capabilities. OpenAI also promoted Astra as the start of the “AGI era” and described it as a generational leap in AI capability. Due to the hype, Astra increased user interest and demand, contributing to the pressure on OpenAI’s infrastructure.
Existing Pro subscribers remain unaffected, which means users will continue to have full access without any performance challenges. Meanwhile, other users can still explore Astra through alternative channels, including Plus subscriptions, Enterprise accounts, and API access. For now, the move allows OpenAI to protect system performance for existing users while building out the computing foundation necessary to sustain long-term growth.
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OpenAI is temporarily stopping new subscriptions for its $200-per-month Pro plan as its most powerful model, Astra, is seeing very high demand. OpenAI product leader Thibault (Tibo) Sottiaux shared an X post revealing that Astra demand is putting heavy pressure on OpenAI’s computing infrastructure. However, existing Pro users will not be impacted.
“These put the most strain on our systems, and we wanted to take the smallest step that allows us to continue giving the broadest access possible. All other plans and the api remain available,” Sottiaux said.
Must read: OpenAI says ChatGPT can now mimic your writing style from emails and messages; Here’s how
While the Pro plan remains unavailable, subscribers can go for cheaper plans across the API, Go, and Plus plans. On September 9, the company shared that it is facing “unprecedented” demand. “We’re pulling all the levers possible to sustain the demand, but I’ve not seen anything like it until now, and we went through very steep growth before,” Sottiaux wrote.
“Priority will always be to keep excellent service for existing users, but we might have to pause new Pro subscriptions for a bit if this continues,” he added.
OpenAI launched Astra on September 3, and it's available to users across plans, including Pro, Plus, Enterprise, and Business accounts. The AI model is positioned to offer advanced capabilities across areas such as reasoning, coding, and computer-use capabilities. OpenAI also promoted Astra as the start of the “AGI era” and described it as a generational leap in AI capability. Due to the hype, Astra increased user interest and demand, contributing to the pressure on OpenAI’s infrastructure.
Existing Pro subscribers remain unaffected, which means users will continue to have full access without any performance challenges. Meanwhile, other users can still explore Astra through alternative channels, including Plus subscriptions, Enterprise accounts, and API access. For now, the move allows OpenAI to protect system performance for existing users while building out the computing foundation necessary to sustain long-term growth.
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