GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra, and Luna are right here. See which one’s finest for you.

As of late, new variations of AI chatbots do not simply launch; they’re unshackled and launched to the general public following authorities scrutiny. OpenAI’s new GPT-5.6 fashions had been – like Anthropic’s Claude Mythos and Fable – apparently too highly effective to only launch; however now, after some tinkering, they’re obtainable to you, pricey buyer.

In follow, it merely signifies that the brand new GPT-5.6 fashions are very highly effective and smarter than earlier than. In its introductory publish, OpenAI shared a bunch of graphs displaying simply how a lot better GPT-5.6 is than the competitors, while utilizing fewer tokens and customarily costing much less.

OK, nice. However GPT-5.6 isn’t just one mannequin; it is available in three distinct flavors: Sol, Terra, and Luna. So what do totally different sorts of customers get, what ought to they pay for, and which fashions ought to they (principally) use? Let’s dive in.

Free customers get (nearly) nothing

Sorry; when you’re not a paying buyer, you may must make do with OpenAI’s earlier flagship mannequin, GPT-5.5. Any kind of entry to GPT-5.6 fashions requires a subscription of some kind. Luckily, GPT-5.5 continues to be fairly succesful at most duties, however if you’d like one of the best of one of the best, you may must cough up the dough.

There’s an exception to this: Free and Go customers can entry GPT-5.6 by ChatGPT Work. Extra on that beneath.

In the event you’re a Plus or Enterprise person, you possibly can solely get Sol (essentially the most highly effective mannequin) at medium and better effort settings. There’s one other, increased degree of efficiency referred to as Sol Professional, however that is solely obtainable for Professional and Enterprise customers.

When it comes to availability per a million tokens, the costs are: $5 enter and $30 output for Sol. $2.5 enter and $15 output for Terra, and $1 enter and $6 output for Luna.

Sol, Terra, or Luna?

Why are there three fashions within the first place? Nicely, OpenAI all the time had a multi-tier mannequin; for instance, beforehand customers had been ready to decide on a “mini” model of the principle mannequin to get outcomes finished cheaper. Now, the mannequin has been cut up into three tiers.

In the event you’re a paying buyer, you are free to make use of all three. However you understand how it’s on the planet of LLMs: In the event you decide the neatest one, your utilization limits will get hit quicker (sure, there are all the time utilization limits, even when you throw a ton of cash at OpenAI).

Within the easiest sense, GPT-5.6 Sol is the neatest mannequin, Terra is in between (with roughly GPT-5.5 degree of efficiency), and Luna is the most cost effective, quickest, but in addition least able to the bunch.

The breakdown is as follows: Terra is a “balanced” mannequin for on a regular basis work. That is the one you have to be asking most of your questions. Do not underestimate it, although, as OpenAI claims it performs higher than Anthropic’s Fable 5 in some instances.

Luna is cost-efficient, and must be used for simple, non essential on a regular basis duties; assume recipes and film suggestions. Once more, OpenAI says it outperforms Anthropic’s Opus 4.8 in some instances, so it isn’t a slouch, both.

Sol must be reserved for coding, deep analysis, planning, and cybersecurity: Probably the most demanding duties. After all it comes at a (literal) price: Whereas OpenAI claims it spends much less tokens than Anthropic’s Fable 5, Sol will nonetheless hit utilization limits so much quicker than the opposite variants.

Enjoyable truth: In the event you ask GPT-5.5 about any of this, proper now, it will offer you fully mistaken solutions. Hopefully OpenAI will repair this quickly.

Wait, what’s this ChatGPT Work factor, then?

Oh yeah, OpenAI additionally launched ChatGPT Work, which is a brand new agent in ChatGPT that may entry and take actions in your apps and recordsdata, and work within the background till a process is completed. It is powered by Codex (OpenAI’s software program engineering agent) and GPT-5.6. Give it some thought as your buddy that may undergo your emails and recordsdata, browse the net, fetch the related information, and create that presentation your boss needs earlier than the day is finished.

ChatGPT Work is rolling out to Professional, Enterprise and Edu customers first on internet and cell; this will probably be expanded to Plus and Enterprise customers “over the following few days.”

On the desktop, Work is accessible for everybody, together with Free customers.

Oh, and another factor: The truth that ChatGPT Work has a built-in browser additionally signifies that OpenAI is sunsetting its standalone internet browser, Atlas. Sorry.

How about GPT Dwell?

GPT Dwell is a brand new model of ChatGPT Voice and it’ll present up while you begin speaking to ChatGPT.

We have coated this in additional depth right here, however the backside line is that GPT Dwell can pay attention and converse on the identical time, permitting it to maintain up a extra lifelike dialog.

Wrapping all of it up

The brand new GPT-5.6 mannequin is sensible. It is available in three flavors: Luna, Terra, and Sol, with Sol being essentially the most succesful variant, Luna essentially the most inexpensive one, and Terra someplace within the center. You possibly can at present solely get them on paid tiers, except you are utilizing ChatGPT Work on desktop. And ChatGPT Voice has additionally gotten smarter with GPT-Dwell beneath, a mannequin that may pay attention and converse on the identical time.