If you've been using the free version of ChatGPT and assumed it wasn't worth paying attention to, this week is worth a second look. On 6 August, OpenAI made GPT-5.6 Luna the new default model for Free and Go plans1, replacing GPT-5.5 Instant. OpenAI's own internal evaluation puts Luna at 62% fewer responses containing factual errors than the model it replaces. That's a genuinely meaningful jump for something that costs nothing.
What's live now, and what's still on the way
Worth being precise about the timing, because the rollout is happening in two steps. The model swap to GPT-5.6 Luna is live now, as of 6 August. Unlimited text chats and a new Think button, which gives Luna more time to work through a harder question when you ask it to, are both arriving the following week, starting 10 August. If you check the free plan today and it still feels rate-limited, that's expected, not a bug.
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What actually changes for a free-plan business owner
- The default model is already better at facts, live from 6 August, no action needed.
- Unlimited text conversations arrive the week of 10 August, useful if you've previously hit the free plan's message limits mid-task.
- The Think button, for harder questions, arrives the same week.
- File uploads, images, and other tools stay capped exactly as they were, this change is text chats only.
Worth trying properly, not just noticing
For a small business that's been getting by on the free plan, or avoiding ChatGPT because an earlier, less capable version didn't impress, this is a reasonable moment to actually sit down and test it on something real, drafting a set of client emails, researching a supplier, working through a pricing decision out loud. The free plan was never nothing. From this week it's a noticeably better nothing, and from next week it stops rationing how much of it you can use in a day.
What is GPT-5.6 Luna?
GPT-5.6 Luna is OpenAI's fastest and most affordable model in the GPT-5.6 family. As of 6 August 2026, it replaced GPT-5.5 Instant as the default model for ChatGPT's Free and Go plans, with OpenAI reporting 62% fewer responses containing factual errors than the model it replaced.
Is ChatGPT free now unlimited?
Almost. As of 6 August 2026, the free plan runs on GPT-5.6 Luna, but unlimited text chats don't activate until the week of 10 August 2026. Limits still apply to file uploads, images, and other tools even once unlimited text chats are live.
What is the Think button in ChatGPT?
The Think button, arriving on ChatGPT's free plan the week of 10 August 2026, lets you give GPT-5.6 Luna more time to work through a specific harder question, on a per-message basis, rather than always responding at the same speed.
Do I need to do anything to get GPT-5.6 Luna?
No. If you use ChatGPT's Free or Go plan, the switch to GPT-5.6 Luna happened automatically on 6 August 2026. No settings changes or sign-ups are needed.