Not long after Google expanded its cheaper AI Plus plan to Kenya and other African countries, OpenAI has quietly launched a new low-cost subscription tier called ChatGPT Go, effectively making access to ChatGPT Plus-like features more affordable in Kenya and several other developing markets. Priced at $5 per month, ChatGPT Go is a stripped-down version of ChatGPT Plus offering extended access to GPT-5 and other premium tools, but without some of the advanced extras.
For context, ChatGPT Plus costs $20 per month (about KES 2,500), while the ChatGPT Pro plan goes for $200 per month (about KES 26,000). With the tough economic climate and the dollar exchange rate biting hard, many Kenyans found the $20 tier steep, even if it unlocked OpenAI’s most capable GPT-5 model and advanced tools.
Now, OpenAI appears to be addressing that gap with ChatGPT Go, a plan that gives users expanded access to ChatGPT’s most popular features at an affordable price. The new plan is available in Kenya and the rest of Africa as well as several other countries across Asia and Latin America, with rollout happening gradually.
What you get with ChatGPT Go
ChatGPT Go includes everything available in the free version of ChatGPT plus a good chunk of what’s offered in the $20 ChatGPT Plus plan. Users get extended access to GPT-5, meaning longer conversations and more messages per day. It also includes expanded image generation, file uploads, advanced data analysis (Python), and longer memory for more personalized interactions.
You also get access to projects, tasks, and custom GPTs, allowing you to organize your work, build custom AI tools, and track progress all inside ChatGPT.
In short, ChatGPT Go provides nearly everything that casual and semi-pro users loved about ChatGPT Plus, minus the most advanced features reserved for power users and developers.
What you don’t get
Unlike ChatGPT Plus, the new Go plan does not include access to Sora video generation, deep research mode, agent mode, or legacy models like GPT-4o. It also skips features like connectors (integration with third-party apps) and Codex agent for complex coding assistance.
Still, for $5 per month — about KES 650 — that’s a small trade-off for most Kenyan users who just want access to GPT-5, image generation, and memory features without breaking the bank. This undercuts Google AI Plus, which currently has a 6-month offer of KES 500 per month before going back to the recommended price of KES 900 per month.
This move positions OpenAI to expand its footprint in emerging markets where the $20 ChatGPT Plus plan has been largely inaccessible. Kenya, now officially listed among the eligible countries, joins the likes of Nigeria, India, South Africa, and Indonesia — regions where affordability has been a major barrier to AI adoption.
With ChatGPT Go, OpenAI is clearly signaling its intent to make AI tools more accessible globally. While it’s not a full “ChatGPT Plus for less,” it’s close enough that most users won’t notice the difference, especially those who simply want GPT-5 access and longer conversations.
For many Kenyans, this could finally be the sweet spot between power and price in OpenAI’s growing lineup of ChatGPT plans.
