ChatGPT Dots require a $100-per-month Pro plan at launch

OpenAI's new always-on agents, Dots, require a Pro subscription starting at $100 per month — and at launch they're unavailable to Pro subscribers in the European Union, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and the UK. That's the hardest boundary around the product the company announced at its recent developer conference, and it frames everything else: who gets one, what it costs to run, and why OpenAI introduced a $500 monthly Pro tier the same day it unveiled the agents.

Dots are cloud-based AI agents that complete tasks even when you're away from the computer. Each Dot runs on its own cloud instance and can surf the web through a dedicated browser. Users can also grant a Dot access to their own computer and apps. Like Meta's Muse agent, OpenAI is positioning Dots as a productivity tool — one that can automate routine tasks and assist with longer projects that require weeks and sometimes months of dedicated work.

By Elena Vasquez

Who can actually get a Dot right now?

The short answer: not many people. Dots are a paid feature available only to select subscribers in some countries. Consumers need a Pro plan, which starts at $100 per month, with $200 and $500 tiers also available. Business Premium customers can use Dots in every region where OpenAI offers ChatGPT. Enterprise users, including Healthcare and Education accounts, can also start tinkering with them, provided their workspace admin has approved their use.

Free, Go and Plus accounts are out of luck. OpenAI hasn't said when — or if — it plans to bring Dots to its more affordable paid tiers.

The rollout itself is staggered. Even eligible Pro subscribers may open the app and find no option to create a Dot. "Dots are rolling out gradually. Access may take several days to reach your account," OpenAI says on its support page for Dots.

How do you set up your first Dot?

You can't do it from your phone. To create a first Dot, users must open the ChatGPT desktop app or visit the ChatGPT website through a PC browser and follow the onboarding instructions. For now, the ChatGPT mobile app and phone web browsers can't create a Dot.

Setup lets you name your Dot and give it a cutesy appearance. If you name it, you invoke it by typing @yourname-agentname, replacing agentname with its unique identifier. Otherwise, it goes by @yourname-dot.

Once the Dot exists, you can converse with it through the ChatGPT mobile app — though ChatGPT's mobile web client doesn't support the agents yet.

Dots can use more than 4,000 apps and counting, thanks to plugins already supported by ChatGPT. Connecting an app works from the Dot's profile menu:

• Click or tap Customize
• Select Plugins
• Choose a supported app and review its permissions

You can disconnect an app from the same menu.

What does a Dot cost to run?

For Pro and Business Premium subscribers, the first Dot is included with the plan. After that, the metering questions start — and most answers are still open.

OpenAI says it will allow people to pay for additional Dots in the future, and to scale each agent's output "either increasing its speed or the total amount of work it can take on per month." The company hasn't stated how pricing will work once those options become available.

The company is offering "extended limits" for Dot usage during the first month of availability. After that, usage counts against your plan allowance. OpenAI hasn't shared exact usage terms, but it has said some interactions stay free:

• Talking to your Dot through ChatGPT is free
• Texting your Dot, once that feature arrives, won't count against usage limits either
• Any work your Dot performs on your behalf counts against your monthly limit

That last bullet covers real work. Tasks completed through Codex or ChatGPT Work, as well as anything the Dot does on its own, eat into the monthly allowance.

Why the $500 tier matters

Under the hood, Dots run on GPT-6 Astra, which OpenAI describes as its most powerful and expensive model. The pricing signals are hard to miss: OpenAI launched a new $500 monthly Pro plan on the same day it announced Dots, which suggests the company expects Dots to burn through tokens.

That's the practical takeaway for anyone planning to fold a Dot into their workflow. Keep tabs on usage during the first month of extended limits, so the switch to metered billing doesn't arrive as a surprise. For everyone else, the story to watch is whether OpenAI extends Dots beyond Pro — and when European and UK subscribers finally get access at all.