GPT-5: How to Access and Use It

After months of speculation, false starts, and “it’s coming soon” rumors, OpenAI has officially announced GPT-5, its most advanced, capable, and ambitious model to date.

Unlike the half-steps and in-between releases we’ve seen recently (looking at you, GPT-4.5), GPT-5 is a big leap.

This isn’t about shaving off latency or adding a few more tokens to the context window. GPT-5 introduces a new architecture in a lot of areas, a stronger reasoning core, and broader memory capabilities. It’s smarter, more efficient, and more aligned with how humans actually think and communicate.

So, what’s different? What can GPT-5 do that GPT-4 series couldn’t? And how do you get access?

Let’s break it down.

What Is GPT-5?

GPT-5 is the first full-generation leap in OpenAI’s model line since GPT-4 dropped in early 2023.

This isn’t a “Turbo,” “Mini,” or “.5” version. GPT-5 introduces a completely new approach that blends language understanding, reasoning, long-term memory, and multimodal capabilities into one unified system.

At its core, GPT-5 is OpenAI’s most capable general-purpose AI yet. It is better at following complex instructions, solving multi-step problems, and maintaining context across much longer conversations.

It also introduces a new long-term memory system. This allows the model to remember key information about past interactions, user preferences, and prior context without re-uploading data every time.

Here’s everything you need to know about GPT-5:

• GPT-5’s voice mode is better. It can be faster, smoother, or more natural depending on how you want it to be, just give the instructions. It finally makes voice interaction feel less like dictation and more like an actual dialogue.
• GPT-5 excels at coding across multiple languages, frameworks, and complex project structures. It can generate full applications from vague prompts, it’s pretty better with front end (unlike before, and it loves a lot of purple, by the way) debug with minimal input, and act like a competent dev partner. As of now, it’s arguably the most capable AI coding model available!
• GPT-5 supports a massive 400,000-token context window, doubling the context window of the previous models. And it’s not just about jacking up the context window, but GPT-5 manages context so much better.
• GPT-5 comes with a much better long term memory which makes it feel more personalized and persistent than previous versions. It remembers what matters to you—your preferences, patterns, and past inputs. This makes conversations feel more tailored, consistent, and less repetitive over time.
• GPT-5 combines text, image, and audio inputs with interactive outputs. In the launch demo, it created a real-time animated explanation that looked and felt like a functional web app. This marks a shift toward more dynamic and engaging AI experiences.
• GPT-5 now has better safety achictecture. Rather than outrigtly refusing to answer dual-purpose questions that could be either helpful or harmful, the model can now answer the question, but in a way that makes it helpful, eliminating the possible harmful use of its replies.

How to Access GPT-5

So, GPT-5 is here. But where can you actually use it?

Here’s how access works right now:

1. ChatGPT and ChatGPT Pro (Still $20/month)

If you're subscribed to ChatGPT Plus, you're in luck—GPT-5 is rolling out to Pro users today. No separate upgrade, no new pricing. Just head to ChatGPT and make sure you're using the GPT-5 model.

However, during the announcement event, OpenAI said GPT-5 will also roll out to free tier users as it is planning to deprecate all it’s previous models gradually!

2. ChatGPT Enterprise and EDU

Organizations using ChatGPT Enterprise or ChatGPT EDU will also get access to GPT-5, with rollout beginning today. These tiers will benefit most from GPT-5’s longer context window, improved memory, and reasoning capabilities across departments.

3. OpenAI API

GPT-5 is currently available via the OpenAI API. Developers can start building with GPT-5 right away.

4. Chatbase: Use GPT-5 With Your Own Data

If you want to build with GPT-5 right now—and fine-tune it with your own data—Chatbase has already made it available.

You can:

• Upload files or documents
• Train GPT-5 instantly with your business knowledge
• Deploy it via API or embed it in your website or product

→ Try GPT-5 on Chatbase right now

No infrastructure. No complicated setup. Just drop in your data and start using GPT-5 in minutes.

GPT Timeline: From GPT-3.5 to GPT-5

Here a brief of how we got from GPT-3.5 to today’s iteration of the GPT model. GPT-5:

November 2022 – GPT-3.5GPT-3.5 launched alongside ChatGPT, marking the first time the general public interacted with advanced AI in a conversational format.It wasn’t perfect, but it was fast, useful, and wildly accessible.This was the spark that kicked off the AI boom.

March 2023 – GPT-4GPT-4 introduced multimodality and major reasoning improvements, especially in complex tasks and creativity.It handled longer prompts, nuanced instructions, and even accepted image inputs.This was the first model that felt like it could really understand you.

November 2023 – GPT-4 TurboOpenAI released GPT-4 Turbo, optimized for higher speed, and a longer 128K token context window.It became the default model in ChatGPT Plus and Enterprise.This marked a shift toward scaling AI for real-world, daily use.

February 2025 – GPT-4.5GPT-4.5 was a bridge between GPT-4 and GPT-5—bigger, faster, and more compute-intensive.It wasn't a full architectural shift, but it improved instruction following, contextual nuance, and reliability.It also hinted that OpenAI’s next move would be something bigger.

August 2025 – GPT-5 LaunchesGPT-5 finally arrives, with a complete architectural overhaul, improved reasoning, and 400K context window.It’s more dynamic, personal, and capable across text, code, voice, images, and interactivity.GPT-5 represents the biggest leap since ChatGPT launched and pushes the boundary of what general-purpose AI can do.

Ready to Get Started with GPT-5?

Harness the full power of GPT-5 to build a chatbot that works seamlessly on your website—smart, responsive, and tailored to your audience. Whether you’re looking to answer FAQs, triage support tickets, or build an intelligent assistant, Chatbase makes it easy to train and deploy GPT-5 with your own data, no complex setup required.

Don’t wait to future-proof your customer experience.

→ Sign up for Chatbase today and start building magical customer experience today with GPT-5!