ChatGPT Work, skills and plugins: what the agent does and what each plan costs
ChatGPT now runs in three modes: Chat for conversation, Work for delegated tasks, and Codex for coding. Work arrived in the week of 6 July 2026 with the GPT-5.6 models. It gathers context from your files, plugins and approved tools, runs multi-step workflows, and returns finished documents, slides, spreadsheets and Sites. In the desktop app it works locally against your files and apps, or in the cloud so a task keeps going after you close it.
#What can ChatGPT Work do?
Computer use lets ChatGPT see and operate the graphical apps on your Mac or Windows PC from the desktop app, in ChatGPT Work and in Codex. OpenAI offers it in supported regions it does not list. A browser extension carries that control into Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi. Scheduled tasks repeat work on a clock, or start when a supported event lands in Gmail, Slack or GitHub. Sites lets ChatGPT create and deploy websites, dashboards, internal tools, web apps and games that OpenAI hosts.
#What does ChatGPT cost?
Go is $8 a month, Plus is $20, and Pro starts at $100 with higher rate limits. Business is $20 per user a month billed annually for two users or more, or $25 billed monthly. Edu and Enterprise are priced through sales. Plus and Pro users can buy extra credits, as can workspaces on flexible pricing. One deadline: GPT-5.5 retires on 14 October 2026, so move to GPT-5.6 Sol before then. For demanding work OpenAI now points at GPT-6 Astra, with Sol, Terra or Luna for simpler tasks.
#How do you extend ChatGPT?
A skill is a folder holding a SKILL.md file that names and describes one workflow. You invoke it with @, or the model matches your task to the description. The initial skills list is capped at 2% of the model's context window, or 8,000 characters when that window is unknown, so descriptions stay tight. Plugins bundle skills, MCP servers, browser extensions and hooks behind a plugin.json at the plugin root, where $schema declares the Agent Plugins version and OpenAI-specific settings sit under extensions.com.openai. Custom MCP servers connect ChatGPT to external systems and act on them. See agent skills and MCP.
#Can you bring a Claude Code setup into ChatGPT?
Yes. Settings then Import pulls across AGENTS.md and config.toml, skills, plugins, MCP server configuration, hooks, slash commands, subagents, project folders and chats from the last 30 days. The desktop app imports from Claude Code, Claude Cowork or Cursor, while Codex CLI imports from Claude Code or Cursor. Fortune reported on 16 September 2026 that Anthropic is folding Cowork into Claude. The docs do not mention CLAUDE.md.
Key facts
| Maker | OpenAI |
|---|---|
| Type | Personal agents |
| Status | Generally available |
| Price | Free; Go $8, Plus $20 and Pro from $100 a month; Business $20 per user a month billed annually |
| Availability | Web, iOS and Android apps, and desktop apps for macOS, Windows and Linux (preview); computer use on macOS and Windows only |
| Your own skills | Yes. SKILL.md folders, plugin.json plugins (Agent Plugins schema) and custom MCP servers (skills docs) |
| Website | chatgpt.com |
| Docs | ChatGPT docs |
| Last verified |
Latest news
- GPT-5.5 retires on October 14, 2026: what ChatGPT and Codex users should switch to
OpenAI retires GPT-5.5 from ChatGPT, ChatGPT Work and Codex on October 14, 2026. What to switch to, and the saved settings to change before the date.
Comparisons
- Personal AI agents compared (2026): Muse, ChatGPT, Gemini Spark, Grok Bot, Instinct and OpenClaw
Six personal AI agents compared on price, where each one runs, who is allowed to sign up, and whether you can write your own skills. Every fact is cited.
Frequently asked questions
- Is ChatGPT Work included on the Free plan?
- OpenAI's pricing page says ChatGPT Work and Codex are included in the Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Edu and Enterprise plans. It does not spell out what Free and Go users get on web and mobile, and usage limits differ by plan.
- How do you add a skill to ChatGPT?
- A skill is a folder with a SKILL.md file. You can write one by hand, ask @skill-creator in Work to draft it, or demonstrate a workflow with Record & Replay. Standalone skills run in the desktop app, Codex CLI and IDE extension; skills inside plugins also work on web and mobile.
- What is the difference between a ChatGPT skill and a plugin?
- A skill is one reusable workflow. A plugin is an installable package with a plugin.json manifest that can bundle skills, MCP servers and hooks, and it is listed in the plugin directory that ChatGPT shares with Codex.