OpenAI has been riding high with ChatGPT, attracting millions of paying users across its different subscription plans. But behind the scenes, things aren’t as rosy as they might seem. Despite the billions in revenue, OpenAI has found itself in a tight spot financially, facing rising operational costs and a massive energy bill just to keep ChatGPT running.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently revealed that the company is losing money on its $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro plan, raising questions about the future of its pricing and the impact on users. A new report from BestBrokers examines how this could affect small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which rely heavily on ChatGPT for their day-to-day operations.
In a post on X on January 6, Altman explained that Pro users were using the plan more than expected, leading to unexpected losses. This has led to speculation that OpenAI might increase its subscription prices, which could affect SMEs already operating on tight budgets. Many smaller businesses use ChatGPT to save money, improve efficiency, and compete with larger companies. Any price changes could force them to rethink how they use AI tools.
What happened?
The company underestimated how much users would rely on the service, which offers features like the o1 “reasoning” AI model and removes rate limits on various tools. Although priced at $2,400 annually, the high usage of the plan has led to financial losses for OpenAI. Altman, who set the price, expected to make a profit, but the unexpected usage is turning out to be more costly than anticipated. This isn’t the first time OpenAI has set prices without thorough research. In a Bloomberg interview, Altman mentioned that when the original ChatGPT premium plan was launched, the price was simply tested between $20 and $42, with $20 being the preferred option.
Despite raising around $20 billion, OpenAI has struggled with profitability. It projected a $5 billion loss in 2024, with revenue of $3.7 billion, due to high costs like staffing and AI training. At one point, running ChatGPT cost the company $700,000 per day. In response, OpenAI is considering price hikes and exploring usage-based pricing to become profitable.
OpenAI’s popularity is growing fast. By December, the platform had 300 million weekly active users generating 1 billion daily prompts. While this highlights its success, it also shows the enormous resources needed to keep the service running. A report by BestBrokers explores how OpenAI makes money from its subscription plans and what it costs to process such a massive number of queries. The results reveal that OpenAI faces big financial and energy challenges—and SMEs may end up paying part of the price. For small businesses, these developments could create serious challenges. Many rely on ChatGPT to automate tasks like customer support, content creation, and basic operations. If prices rise, they may struggle to afford the service or need to find alternatives, which could disrupt their workflows and add new costs.
AI’s big price tag
OpenAI is considering raising its subscription prices to cover costs. If that happens, small businesses, content creators, and other users might see their monthly bills go up.
By early 2025, OpenAI had become a significant player in the AI world, with over 11 million paying subscribers. These users, across four subscription tiers, brought in a staggering $238 million every month, totaling $2.856 billion annually. The breakdown is impressive: 250,000 enterprise users paying $60/month, 800,000 team users at $25/month, 10,000 Pro users at $200/month, and the majority, 10 million Plus users, paying $20/month. Data and analysis by BestBrokers
But despite these huge numbers, OpenAI faces major challenges. The biggest issue? The cost of running ChatGPT. With 1 billion daily prompts, the system consumes a massive amount of energy—around 1,058.5 gigawatt-hours (GWh) annually. This translates to an electricity bill of nearly $140 million a year. To put this in perspective, ChatGPT’s energy usage could power over 100,000 U.S. homes for a year. It could also charge millions of electric vehicles or iPhones. As OpenAI continues to grow, these costs will only increase unless they find ways to become more energy-efficient.
This situation raises several big questions. Will OpenAI raise prices to cover these rising costs? With so much energy required to run ChatGPT, the company may have to adjust its pricing structure, especially for power users. Another important question is how energy demands will grow as more businesses and individuals adopt AI. Without improvements in efficiency, the energy costs of running these systems will only rise. And with growing concerns about the environment, there’s pressure to find ways to reduce AI’s ecological footprint, possibly through renewable energy or more efficient systems.
For SMEs, any changes in pricing or operational strategies could have a significant impact. Many SMEs already rely heavily on ChatGPT for tasks like customer service, content creation, and marketing. If OpenAI raises its prices, these businesses may face tighter budgets and could be forced to cut back on their AI usage. This could disrupt workflows and reduce productivity, especially in areas where automation has become essential. On top of that, larger companies with more resources may absorb the price increases more easily, leaving smaller businesses at a disadvantage in an AI-driven market.
As costs rise, SMEs may also start looking for more affordable alternatives. While this creates opportunities for new AI providers, businesses will need to spend time and resources switching platforms. On top of that, there’s the environmental impact to consider. Growing awareness of AI’s energy usage could push SMEs to seek out greener solutions. If customers and partners demand more eco-friendly practices, businesses may have to rethink their reliance on energy-intensive tools like ChatGPT.
However, these challenges don’t mean SMEs are out of options. There are several ways they can adapt to these changes. First, they should stay informed about OpenAI’s pricing trends and evaluate how any increases will impact their business. Researching alternative AI tools or exploring hybrid models that combine human expertise with automation can also help reduce costs. By using AI more efficiently—focusing on tasks that provide the greatest return on investment—SMEs can maximize the value they get from these tools.
SMEs should also consider advocating for fair pricing through industry groups, ensuring that smaller businesses have a voice in pricing discussions. As environmental concerns grow, focusing on sustainability will be important. Exploring AI solutions that prioritize energy efficiency or partnering with providers committed to greener technologies could help businesses reduce their ecological footprint.
As ChatGPT’s user base continues to grow, so do the power needs. With an estimated 1 billion daily prompts, the system uses more than a million gigawatt-hours of electricity annually—equivalent to running 3.3 million electric vehicles four times each. That’s a hefty price to pay. So, what does this mean for you? OpenAI is considering raising its subscription prices to cover costs. If that happens, small businesses, content creators, and other users might see their monthly bills go up. The question remains: Will OpenAI be able to balance keeping its services affordable while still handling the rising costs of AI operations? Time will tell, but if you’re using ChatGPT, it might be a good time to keep an eye on those pricing changes.
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