OpenAI pauses high-tier subscriptions to manage Astra load

OpenAI has temporarily paused new sign-ups for its 200-dollar-per-month Pro plan due to overwhelming demand for its latest model, Astra. The announcement came from product leader Thibault Sottiaux, who explained that the Pro tier places the highest load on OpenAI’s infrastructure, making the pause necessary to maintain service quality. Other plans, including API access and the lower-cost Go and Plus tiers, remain available. Sottiaux noted that demand for Astra is unprecedented, surpassing even previous periods of steep growth. OpenAI has not disclosed how long the pause will last or how many users are joining daily. The strain appears recent, as usage limits for Codex were increased only last month. Astra, launched on September 3, promises major advancements in reasoning, coding, and computer interaction, and OpenAI has positioned it as the beginning of the AGI era, further fueling demand.

Read the full story on TechCrunch →