Key Takeaways

• Upgrading to ChatGPT Plus gives you access to the improved GPT-4 model, which provides more accurate responses and better natural language processing.
• The image input feature allows you to use ChatGPT to read and translate unreadable prescriptions, describe images, understand handwritten documents, and even analyze data from spreadsheets.
• With ChatGPT Plus, you have internet access within the platform, allowing you to browse the web, conduct research, summarize articles, and access up-to-date information beyond the knowledge cutoff of the free version.

Initially, ChatGPT's free version was enough for everyday users in terms of quality and ease of use. When OpenAI launched its $20/month subscription for ChatGPT Plus, it offered little more than the free version: GPT-4, priority access during downtimes, and plugins (and even those came later). When GPT-4 first launched, it was hard to justify the $20/month subscription.

However, another promise of ChatGPT Plus was priority access to new features, and OpenAI delivered on it. With the introduction of features like Advanced Data Analytics, Browse with Bing, and DALL·E 3, ChatGPT Plus is currently one of the most useful subscriptions you could get for yourself and your business, AI or not.

1. GPT-4 Access

The most obvious benefit of upgrading to the Plus version is access to GPT-4. As the successor to GPT-3.5, there are major differences between the two. GPT-4 improves natural language processing, understanding of context, and problem-solving. It is also trained on a larger data set, which means it's better at recognizing complex patterns.

In reality, the differences can be a bit subtle as they're not immediately noticeable. However, the more you use it, the sooner you realize that GPT-4 has a better chance of providing the correct response on its first attempt. It's also more accurate and doesn't fall victim to AI hallucinations as often.

2. Image Input

GPT-4 best feature is its image input options. You can throw in your doctor's unreadable prescriptions and ask ChatGPT to read and translate them. As expected, it will do it for you quite precisely. But that's not all—you can use this feature for all sorts of purposes, i.e., asking ChatGPT to describe the image.

You can also use this picture to understand handwritten documents you've scanned or have a picture of. You can even insert a picture of a spreadsheet and ask ChatGPT to make calculations based on the data it has acquired or suggest improvements to the spreadsheet's layout.

3. Internet Access

The standard, free version of ChatGPT has a knowledge cutoff from September 2021. That means it does not have access to any information on events that occurred after that date. However, you can overcome this limitation using the new Browse with Bing mode with the GPT-4 model. This means you can access the internet within ChatGPT.

Internet access lets you summarize articles, conduct up-to-date market research, and find recent news stories and papers. ChatGPT can also access a wider dataset and deliver more accurate responses. So, with the $20/month subscription, the knowledge cutoff is no longer a problem.

4. DALL·E 3 Art Creation

The deal-maker for ChatGPT Plus is DALL·E 3. While you can access it freely from Bing Chat, bringing it under ChatGPT's interface and combining it with GPT-4, which is better optimized as a chatbot than a search engine, it is a different ball game. You can chat with ChatGPT as you typically do, and where you feel the need, you can ask it to generate images for you.

I asked ChatGPT Plus to tell me the story of Little Red Riding Hood with illustrations. It divided the story into seven scenes (with one- and two-liner dialogues). And, for each scene, it wrote a prompt for DALL·E 3.

Once the story was complete, it automatically took all those DALL·E 3 prompts from above, generated images, and presented them to me.

This is how easy it has become to write a story and have beautiful illustrations! Again, if something makes the $20/month ChatGPT Plus subscription seem cheap and extremely valuable, it's definitely the combo of DALL·E 3 and GPT-4.

5. Plugin Access

Plugin access gives ChatGPT Plus a level of customization that you won't find with its competitors. These plugins serve as third-party software components that integrate with ChatGPT. While the feature is currently in beta, you can install plugins from the plugin store and pick from over 100 different options.

Each plugin serves a different purpose. For example, you can use the Kayak plugin to book a trip abroad, the Instacart plugin to plan meals and buy ingredients, or interact with apps like Google Sheets and Gmail using Zapier. Some plugins can be buggy or slow, but it'll be interesting to see how useful they are once the kinks are ironed out.

6. Advanced Data Analytics

While the feature can be used for many different functions, the Advanced Data Analytics feature in ChatGPT Plus can help you turn spreadsheets into graphs for data visualization.

To enable this feature, click the Account Settings button in the bottom-left corner of the screen. Then, go to Settings & Beta > Beta Features and toggle the Advanced data analysis option. Once the feature is toggled, you can upload the spreadsheet using the plus sign button in the left corner of the ChatGPT text field.

After it's uploaded, you can ask ChatGPT what you'd like it to do with the data, and it will oblige. I uploaded a random CSV and asked it to create visuals.

Whether you're a small business owner or just play with data in spreadsheets, this feature can help you make data-driven decisions. You can upload your account books and ask ChatGPT not only to visualize the data for you but also to give you valuable insights into what needs improvement in your business.

7. Impressive Stability

The free ChatGPT has its fair share of big problems, but downtime is by far the most important one. Although the situation is much better now than it was when it was first launched, the free version can still go down anytime. OpenAI's servers sometimes have trouble keeping up with the incredibly high demand.

Fortunately, ChatGPT Plus is available almost all the time. The service is designed to give priority access to Plus subscribers, so you can use it even during peak usage times. Paying for the service is a no-brainer if your business or workflow heavily depends on ChatGPT.

8. Seamless Interactions

ChatGPT Plus features two language models—GPT-4 and GPT-3.5.

It's worth noting that the Plus version of GPT-3.5 is faster and more responsive than the GPT-3.5 model seen in the free version. OpenAI deprecated the GPT-3.5 Legacy version on May 10, 2023, but the ChatGPT Plus GPT-3.5 version is faster than the free option.

While the quality of responses is the same, the difference is immediately noticeable. You can use this language model if you feel that GPT-4 isn't that impressive in terms of speed.

A problem with the free version is that it often stops responding, forcing you to regenerate the answers. This happens multiple times throughout a session. You won't have to worry about this with the Plus version. If you rely on ChatGPT for work, upgrading to ChatGPT Plus is a great way to save time waiting for the free version to respond.

9. Better Translation Capabilities

Since GPT-4 is trained on a larger data set, it is much better at responding to non-English prompts. It does a good job of responding almost like a person who understands linguistic patterns, nuances, and cultural context. GPT-3.5 has decent translation capabilities, but GPT-4 is better as it's more likely to generate accurate and coherent responses.

You also get access to multiple plugins that can help with your language-learning journey. The new Speak plugin is an excellent example of this. It helps you pronounce certain phrases, gives you alternate ways to express the same sentiment, and shows you examples that replicate real-life conversations in any language.

ChatGPT Plus Is Worth the Upgrade

Though the subscription initially didn't provide enough value, with the introduction of new features like Advanced Data Analytics, DALL·E 3, and image input, ChatGPT Plus is more than worth the upgrade. Whether you're self-employed, a freelancer, or a small business owner, ChatGPT Plus can help you in pretty much all aspects, from business policies to written content to design visuals to understanding data.

Then, the impressive stability, access to the internet, and plugins that further boost ChatGPT's functionality cannot be left out either. ChatGPT Plus is much more than the mere access GPT-4. It's a business assistance powerhouse that you can use to your benefit in as many ways as you can think.