ChatGPT is a free chatbot you can use in your web browser right now, with optional paid upgrades

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot made by a company called OpenAI. You can use the basic version for free by going to openai.com/chatgpt in any web browser, creating an account with an email address, and typing questions or requests into the text box. It will write back to you in conversational language — answering questions, helping you draft emails, explaining concepts, writing code, or brainstorming ideas.

The free version works on phones, tablets, and computers. There is also a paid version called ChatGPT Plus that costs $20 per month and gives you faster responses and access to newer versions of the AI. For most people, the free version is enough to understand what ChatGPT does and whether it is useful for what you need.

Key Takeaways

  • You can use ChatGPT free at openai.com/chatgpt by creating an account with your email address.
  • The free version works in any web browser and does not require downloading software or installing anything on your computer.
  • ChatGPT is a tool that generates text based on patterns in training data, not a search engine and not a source of real-time information.
  • Anything you type into ChatGPT is stored by OpenAI and may be used to improve the service, so do not paste passwords, financial information, or private documents.

Step-by-step: Getting started in five minutes

Go to openai.com/chatgpt in your web browser. Click the "Sign up" button. You can create an account using your email address, or you can sign in with a Google account or Microsoft account if you have one of those. OpenAI will send you a confirmation email — click the link in that email to verify your account.

Once you are logged in, you will see a text box at the bottom of the screen that says "Message ChatGPT." Click in that box and type your question or request. Press Enter or click the send button (usually an arrow icon). ChatGPT will generate a response, which may take a few seconds. You can keep typing follow-up questions in the same conversation, and ChatGPT will remember what you said earlier in that chat.

Each conversation is saved in your account under a list on the left side of the screen. You can start a new conversation at any time by clicking "New chat." You can also delete old conversations or rename them to keep track of what you were working on.

What ChatGPT actually does and what it does not do

ChatGPT reads your question and generates a response word by word based on patterns it learned from text on the internet and in books. It is very good at sounding confident and natural, but it does not actually understand meaning the way a person does. It cannot browse the internet, so it does not know what happened after its training data ended (usually in early 2024, depending on which version you are using). It cannot do math reliably, cannot access your files or accounts, and cannot make phone calls or send emails on your behalf.

ChatGPT sometimes makes up facts or cites sources that do not exist. This is called "hallucination" in AI terminology. If you need accurate information — especially for health, legal, or financial decisions — you should verify what ChatGPT tells you by checking official sources. Do not treat ChatGPT as a replacement for a doctor, lawyer, accountant, or other professional.

ChatGPT is useful for brainstorming, drafting, explaining concepts, writing code, or working through a problem out loud. It is not useful as a source of truth about current events, medical diagnosis, or legal information.

Privacy: What happens to what you type

When you use the free version of ChatGPT, OpenAI stores your conversations. By default, your chats may be reviewed by OpenAI staff and used to improve the service. If you do not want your conversations stored this way, you can turn off chat history in your account settings, but this means you will not be able to see your old conversations either.

Do not paste passwords, credit card numbers, Social Security numbers, or other sensitive personal information into ChatGPT. Do not paste private documents, medical records, or anything you would not want OpenAI employees to see. If you need to use ChatGPT with sensitive information, use the paid ChatGPT Plus version, which has a setting to opt out of training data use — though OpenAI still stores the conversations on their servers.

OpenAI is a private company, not a government agency. Your data is subject to OpenAI's privacy policy, not HIPAA or other government privacy laws, even if you are using ChatGPT for health or legal purposes.

Free version versus ChatGPT Plus

The free version of ChatGPT uses an older model called GPT-3.5. It is slower during busy times and may be unavailable if too many people are using it at once. ChatGPT Plus costs $20 per month and gives you access to GPT-4, which is a newer and more capable model. GPT-4 is better at reasoning, writing, and handling complex instructions. It also has faster response times and priority access during peak hours.

For most people learning what ChatGPT is or using it occasionally, the free version is sufficient. You only need to pay if you use it regularly and want faster responses or access to the newest features. OpenAI sometimes offers free trials of Plus, so you can test it before committing to the monthly cost.

Common problems and how to fix them

You cannot log in or keep getting logged out: Clear your browser's cookies and cache, then try again. If you are using an older browser, try updating it or switching to Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge. If you created your account with Google or Microsoft, make sure you are signing in with the same method you used to set up the account.

ChatGPT says it is at capacity: This means too many people are using it right now. Wait a few minutes and try again. The free version has usage limits during busy times. If this happens often, ChatGPT Plus gives you priority access.

ChatGPT is giving you bad or irrelevant answers: Try rephrasing your question more specifically. Instead of "Tell me about dogs," try "Explain the difference between a golden retriever and a labrador retriever." The more detail you give, the better the response usually is. You can also ask ChatGPT to rewrite its answer in a different style or length.

You want to delete your account: Go to your account settings, scroll to the bottom, and click "Delete account." OpenAI will ask you to confirm. This will delete your account and your conversation history, though OpenAI may keep some data for legal or security reasons.

Alternatives to ChatGPT

ChatGPT is not the only AI chatbot available. Google makes Gemini (formerly Bard), which you can use free at gemini.google.com. Microsoft has Copilot, which is built into Windows and available at copilot.microsoft.com. Claude is made by a company called Anthropic and is available at claude.ai. All of these work similarly to ChatGPT — you type a question and the AI generates a response.

Each one has different strengths. Gemini can search the internet and see images. Claude is often better at writing and reasoning. Copilot is integrated with Microsoft Office and Windows. ChatGPT is the most widely used and has the most community support and tutorials online. If you are just starting out, ChatGPT is a reasonable choice, but you can try the others for free to see which one you prefer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to give ChatGPT my phone number or credit card to use the free version?

No. You only need an email address to create a free account. OpenAI may ask you to verify your phone number during sign-up to prevent abuse, but this is optional and you can skip it. You only need a credit card if you want to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus.

Can ChatGPT see my files or access my email?

No. ChatGPT cannot access anything on your computer, phone, or email account unless you manually copy and paste it into the chat. It cannot see your files, browse your folders, or log into your accounts. If you want ChatGPT to read a document, you have to copy the text and paste it into the chat yourself.

Is ChatGPT safe to use?

ChatGPT is safe to use in the sense that it will not install malware or steal your identity. However, you should not share sensitive personal information because OpenAI stores your conversations. Also, ChatGPT sometimes generates false information that sounds true, so verify important facts before acting on them.

Can I use ChatGPT on my phone?

Yes. You can use ChatGPT in any web browser on your phone by going to openai.com/chatgpt. OpenAI also makes a free mobile app for iPhone and Android that you can read from the App Store or Google Play. The app works the same way as the website.

What if I do not understand ChatGPT's answer?

Ask it to explain again in simpler language, or ask it to explain a specific part. You can also ask ChatGPT to give you an example, break the answer into steps, or rewrite it for a different audience. ChatGPT is designed to have a conversation, so follow-up questions are normal and expected.