GPT-5 is OpenAI’s latest large-language model (LLM) released on August 7, 2025. During a press briefing, CEO Sam Altman described GPT-5 as “a significant step toward AGI” and likened the upgrade from GPT-4 to GPT-5 to the jump from early iPhone screens to high-resolution Retina displays.
Unlike traditional chatbots, GPT-5 can generate text, analyze large documents and code, and run long multi-step tasks with fewer hallucinations or incorrect facts.
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ChatGPT 5 New Features and Improvements
OpenAI claims GPT-5 is smarter, faster, and more accurate than earlier models. Key improvements include:
- Reasoning & transparency: GPT-5 shows its reasoning steps, making its answers feel more like talking to a PhD-level expert. It can create full software applications and explain the logic behind each step.
- Smaller variants: In addition to the standard model, OpenAI introduced GPT-5 mini and GPT-5 nano. Mini offers similar capability with lower resource usage, and Nano is designed for speed and lower cost.
- Longer context: GPT-5 handles up to 256k tokens (roughly 200,000 words) in a single conversation, up from 200k in the previous “o3” model. This means it remembers more of your conversation or code.
- Reduced hallucination: OpenAI’s internal testing found hallucinations occur 26% less often than GPT-4o, and a specialised “GPT-5-thinking” variant reduces hallucinations by 65% compared with o3.
Coding powerhouse: GPT-5 beats GPT-4 on coding benchmarks such as SWE-Bench and Aider Polyglot. In a live demo, it built a fully functional web app including progress tracking and quizzes in about a minute. - Personalities & customization: You can choose chat colours and select preset personalities (Cynic, Robot, Listener, or Nerd). These will later integrate with Advanced Voice Mode.
- Tool integration: Pro users can connect Gmail, Google Contacts, and Calendar directly to ChatGPT. GPT-5 automatically references these accounts when relevant.
How to Use GPT-5 (Step-by-Step)
Whether you’re a student, developer, or marketer, you can start using GPT-5 on chatgpt.com by following these steps:
- Sign in or create an OpenAI account. Free users are automatically upgraded to GPT-5 and the lightweight GPT-5-mini.
- Open ChatGPT. Your default model will be selected automatically based on your plan and the complexity of your prompt.
- Start a conversation. Type a question or task; GPT-5 will display its reasoning and deliver a detailed answer. For complex coding or research tasks, use GPT-5-mini or GPT-5-pro (Pro tier only) to access longer context windows and more advanced reasoning.
- Use personalities (optional). In the chat settings, choose a personality to influence tone.
- Integrate tools. If you have the Pro plan, link your Google Calendar, Contacts and Gmail accounts.
- Export or share results. GPT-5 outputs can be copied, exported or used within applications via the OpenAI API.
Availability in Canada
OpenAI began rolling out GPT-5 to all ChatGPT users worldwide on August 7, 2025. There are no geographic restrictions for Canada. Free and paying users in Canada automatically have access to GPT-5 via chatgpt.com.
If you’re using ChatGPT through Microsoft’s integrations or other platforms, updates may take a few days to roll out. Businesses using the OpenAI API can start testing GPT-5 models immediately after release.
GPT-5 Pricing & Plans (2025)
Prices shown here are in U.S. dollars with approximate Canadian equivalents (1 USD ≈ 1.35 CAD in August 2025).
| Plan or Service | What you get | Price (USD) | Price (CAD approx) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | GPT-5 & GPT-5-mini; limited usage | $0 | $0 | Good for basic chatting and short research tasks. |
| ChatGPT Plus | Access to GPT-5 & GPT-5-mini with higher usage limits | ≈$20 /month* | ≈$27 CAD | Expected to remain similar to GPT-4 Plus pricing. |
| ChatGPT Pro | Unlimited GPT-5 usage, GPT-5-pro & GPT-5-thinking | $200 /month | ≈$270 CAD | For power users; includes Google integrations and longer context windows. |
| API – GPT-5 | 1.25¢ per 1k input tokens; 10¢ per 1k output tokens | – | – | For developers. |
| API – GPT-5-mini | 0.25¢ per 1k input; 2¢ per 1k output | – | – | Cheaper for small apps or prototypes. |
| API – GPT-5-nano | 0.05¢ per 1k input; 0.4¢ per 1k output | – | – | Cheapest model; competitive with other providers. |
Alert: OpenAI has not officially announced the updated Plus price; $20 is the current GPT-4 Plus cost.
Choosing the right plan
- Casual users: Stick with the free tier; it already includes GPT-5 and GPT-5-mini.
- Students and creators: Plus offers more prompts and faster responses.
- Developers and businesses: Pro is expensive but provides unlimited access, advanced variants and Google integrations.
- API users: Choose Nano for cost-sensitive projects or Mini/standard for heavy workloads.
GPT-5 vs Previous Models (GPT-4)
| Feature/Metric | GPT-4 (o3) | GPT-5 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Context window | 200k tokens | 256k tokens | Handles longer conversations and documents. |
| Reasoning quality | College-level | PhD-level | Big leap in quality. |
| Hallucination rate | Baseline | 26% lower; up to 65% lower for GPT-5-thinking | Improved factual accuracy. |
| Variants | GPT-4o only | GPT-5, mini, nano, pro, thinking | Wider model choice. |
| API cost (per 1M tokens) | ~$1.50 input / $6 output | $1.25 input / $10 output | Mini & Nano are cheaper. |
| New features | Basic chat, web browsing (Plus) | Personalities, Google integration, improved coding | More personalization and productivity tools. |
Final Thoughts & Next Steps
OpenAI’s GPT-5 release has set a new bar for conversational AI. With smarter reasoning, longer memory, and new customization options, it can help Canadian businesses streamline customer support, build software prototypes, and explore complex ideas. However, the highest-powered features come with a significant cost; evaluate whether your needs justify upgrading to Plus or Pro.
Quick FAQs About GPT-5
Is GPT-5 available for free?
Yes. Free ChatGPT users automatically get GPT-5 and GPT-5-mini, but usage limits are lower than paid tiers.
What does GPT-5 cost in Canada?
As of August 2025, Plus costs about $20 USD/month (≈$27 CAD), and Pro costs $200 USD/month (≈$270 CAD). API usage is billed per million tokens.
How long can GPT-5 remember a conversation?
GPT-5’s context window is 256k tokens (about 200,000 words), meaning it can follow very long discussions or code files without losing context.
Is GPT-5 better at coding?
Yes. GPT-5 outperforms previous models on coding benchmarks and can build functional web apps in about a minute.
Does GPT-5 hallucinate?
The model still occasionally produces incorrect information, but hallucination rates are 26% lower than GPT-4o and up to 65% lower in the GPT-5-thinking variant.
Disclaimer: This blog is for general information only and should not be taken as professional legal or business advice.
