ChatGPT is extremely helpful for remote work, making sharing information and structuring a breeze. However, it is challenging to deal with ChatGPT token limits, which prevent ChatGPT from remembering anything beyond a specific word count.
Knowing the difference between the token limits of a free ChatGPT version and a paid plan can help you work faster and more efficiently. This article will explain how ChatGPT token limits work and how you can get around them.
What is a ChatGPT Token?
A ChatGPT token is a sequence of characters, including a single word, parts of words, punctuation marks, spaces, or non-English characters. One ChatGPT token is usually equivalent to four characters of an English text or about three-fourths of a word.
You can access OpenAI’s Tokenizer to visualize how its AI language model tokenizes a text and shows its total token count.
Below is a sample text I entered on the Tokenizer:
What is the ChatGPT-3.5 Token Limit?
ChatGPT’s latest pricing plan shows that ChatGPT-3.5’s token limit for context length is up to 8,000 tokens, including tokens used for the prompt and ChatGPT’s response. You can access ChatGPT-3.5 with a free OpenAI account.
What is the ChatGPT-4 Token Limit?
ChatGPT-4 has a context window of 32,000 tokens. You can access ChatGPT-4 with a ChatGPT Plus subscription, which costs $20 per user per month. The subscription includes uninterrupted access to ChatGPT-4, real-time web search capabilities, DALL-E 3’s image generation feature, ChatGPT plugins, and a GPT builder for creating chatbots.
How do ChatGPT Token Limits Work?
A ChatGPT token limit restricts the number of tokens it can handle as part of the same prompt. Suppose you type in a prompt that contains 50 tokens and receive a response with 150 tokens. In that case, the chat will consume a total of 200 tokens.
Tokens are limited depending on the ChatGPT model you use. When you’re using ChatGPT’s web chat interface, that’s not such an issue.
However, the token limit can be pretty restrictive when integrating ChatGPT’s AI into your application with the GPT-4 and GPT-3.5 turbo models.
Although ChatGPT can retain information until it exceeds its token limit for context length, long prompts or extensive conversation history can result in missing details or shorter responses.
To illustrate, in the prompt below, I asked ChatGPT 3.5 to summarize three essays. The total token count for the prompt and essays reached 4,794, with over 3,700 words and 23,956 characters.
Below is part of the summary ChatGPT generated for me, with 819 tokens used. That’s over 590 words and 4,097 characters. The prompt and ChatGPT’s answer used 5,613 tokens, within ChatGPT-3.5’s 8,000-token limit for context length.
What are the Differences between ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4?
OpenAI uses GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 AI language models. While GPT-4 has more new features, GPT-3.5 is a helpful tool for everyday tasks. Here are some of the main differences between the two GPT models:
Context window
The number of tokens ChatGPT can ‘remember,’ known as the context window, is over 8,000 for GPT-3.5. GPT-4’s context window is even more impressive, with an average of 32,000 tokens, which allows it to understand nuances in a language such as humor and sarcasm.
Programming power
GPT-4 is better at generating code snippets and debugging existing code more effectively than GPT-3.5. That’s because it’s better informed by a more significant, more up-to-date data source and has a larger context window for processing code.
Multimodal capabilities
GPT-3.5 focuses on text, but GPT-4 goes further by handling images, voice, and programming languages. GPT-4 can also analyze photos, understand context, and offer practical suggestions. For example, it can generate recipe ideas from a picture of your fridge or code websites from a sketch.
Free vs. paid ChatGPT version
You can choose a free or paid ChatGPT version that fits your needs. The free version of ChatGPT offers unlimited messaging and access to GPT-3.5 on the web, iOS, and Android. Aside from the Plus Plan, there’s also the Team Plan, available for $30 per user monthly, which includes:
- Higher message caps on GPT-4.
- Tools such as DALL·E and Advanced Data Analysis.
- The ability to create and share GPTs within your workspace while managing team data effectively.
How to Get Around Token Limits
Now that we understand ChatGPT tokens, let’s explore how to navigate their token limits.
- Draft clear and concise prompts: Write specific prompts to maximize your ChatGPT token allowance, especially if you want a more detailed response.
- Specify a length limit to ChatGPT’s response: To efficiently use your ChatGPT tokens, set a response limit to your prompt so that ChatGPT can avoid generating excessively long responses. For example: “What are the top five famous tourist spots in Bali, Indonesia? Be concise and use bullet points.”
- Summarize complex questions: Sometimes, you may need to provide specific details or elaborate on a query, which can use up more of your tokens. For instance, if you need to summarize a long meeting transcript, consider copying only the essential parts of the discussion. You can use this prompt: “Summarize the main decisions and action items in this conversation.”
Moving Forward
While ChatGPT excels in natural language processing, its token limits can pose difficulties for budget-conscious teams. If you’re using ChatGPT paid plans for meeting summaries and notes, consider trying out Tactiq! Its AI-driven transcriptions and summaries make it the top choice for boosting meeting productivity and enhancing team efficiency.
Your questions, answered.
If you have any further questions, Get in touch with our friendly team
Does ChatGPT have a token limit?
Yes, it has token limits for context windows, depending on your plan and model. These plans cater to different user needs, whether you’re an individual just getting started or a business looking for scalable solutions.
How many tokens can ChatGPT handle?
ChatGPT can handle different numbers of tokens for context windows based on the model you use. ChatGPT-3.5 manages up to 8,000 tokens, while ChatGPT-4 within Plus and Team plans can handle up to 32,000 tokens. For ChatGPT Enterprise, it can process up to 128,000 tokens. Each model might have separate limits for input and output tokens, so it’s best to check the model’s guidelines for specific details.
What are the features included in the free version of ChatGPT?
The free version of ChatGPT includes unlimited messages, interactions, and history with access to the GPT-3.5 model.
What is the message limit of ChatGPT-4?
The message limit for ChatGPT-4 is set for ChatGPT Plus users at 40 messages every 3 hours. This limit may change based on demand and system performance. It is not possible to store unused messages for future use.
What additional features does the ChatGPT Plus plan offer?
The Plus plan offers access to GPT-4, faster response times, a larger context window, and additional tools like DALL·E and Advanced Data Analysis.
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https://tactiq.io/learn/free-vs-paid-chatgpt-token-limits-guide
Published: March 8, 2024 Updated: June 12, 2025 Author Cassandra Dizon