GPT-3.5 and GPT-4: Which ChatGPT to use for your business needs

Since its launch in November of 2022, ChatGPT has taken the world by storm, becoming an indispensable tool for businesses across various industries. The advanced technology has demonstrated its usefulness and versatility across multiple applications, from enhancing customer service experiences to streamlining content creation. As a result, ChatGPT has established itself as a major asset for businesses looking to leverage artificial intelligence for improved efficiency and innovation. In March 2023, shortly after the release of ChatGPT, OpenAI released ChatGPT Plus, or GPT-4, a paid version of the technology that offers more capabilities.

As is to be expected with any new technology, the initial free version had several issues, such as a knowledge base limited to events that occurred up until September 2021. With ChatGPT Plus, OpenAI offered a range of solutions to create a more accurate, faster AI tool. The new model has since had many business owners asking the question: which version of ChatGPT should I use? In this blog, we'll take a look at how you can use ChatGPT, and what each version offers. Ultimately, it comes down to understanding how ChatGPT works, and whether you are prepared to pay for the tool or not. Let's explore why you might want to do that.

Free versus paid: A quick overview

Of course, the free version enables you to use ChatGPT without incurring any costs, providing access to a range of functionalities that can enhance various business operations. However, this version does have certain limitations in terms of access and capabilities, which can impact its usefulness, depending on what you hope to do with the tool. The paid version is designed to cater to the more demanding needs of businesses and power users, offering uninterrupted access, even during peak usage times, and delivering faster responses, enhancing the overall user experience. Additionally, subscribers to GPT-4 receive priority access to new features and improvements.

When it comes to deciding whether to use the free or paid version, business owners have to evaluate their specific needs and how this tool can be leveraged to meet these. By understanding the features and capabilities of each version, businesses can make an informed choice that aligns with their objectives and maximise the benefits that this AI tool has to offer.

The free version, GPT-3.5

Let's take a look at GPT-3.5, the free version of ChatGPT. This is a highly accessible option, open to all individuals and businesses looking to explore the capabilities of this advanced language model. This version provides users with a variety of features, enabling them to generate text, respond to queries, and develop conversational agents with ease. It serves as a great starting point for those new to ChatGPT, offering a taste of what the technology can achieve without any associated costs.

GPT-3.5 lies at the heart of ChatGPT. This state-of-the-art iteration of the GPT model developed by OpenAI is renowned for its remarkable proficiency in comprehending and generating text that closely mimics human language, making interactions and content creation appear seamless and natural. GPT-3.5 excels in a variety of applications, ranging from answering queries and generating detailed text to creating sophisticated conversational agents that can engage users in meaningful dialogue.

The strength of GPT-3.5 lies in its deep understanding of context and its ability to produce responses that are not only relevant but also coherent and contextually appropriate. This level of comprehension and text generation capability makes GPT-3.5 an invaluable tool across numerous domains. In customer service, it can provide quick and accurate responses, enhancing customer experience and efficiency. In content creation, it aids in generating high-quality, relevant content, saving time and resources. Furthermore, GPT-3.5 can assist in coding tasks, offering suggestions and solutions, thereby streamlining the development process. Its versatility and powerful capabilities make GPT-3.5 a cornerstone in the functionality of ChatGPT, underpinning both the free and paid versions of the tool.

Despite its accessibility and range of features, it is crucial for users to be aware of the limitations that come with the free version of ChatGPT. During periods of high demand, access may be restricted, potentially impacting user experience. Additionally, the free version imposes limitations on the length of responses generated and the number of requests that can be made within a specific timeframe. These constraints may influence the suitability of the free version for certain applications, particularly for businesses with high-volume or time-sensitive requirements.

What you can do with the free version

• Text generation: Generate creative writing, such as stories, poems, and dialogue.

• Drafting and editing content: Create drafts for articles, blogs, or reports and get suggestions for improving written content.

• Answering questions: Obtain answers to questions on a wide range of topics.

• Creating conversational agents: Develop simple chatbots or conversational agents for various purposes.

• Learning new topics: Use ChatGPT to explain concepts and provide information on new subjects.

• Programming help: Get assistance with coding problems and debugging.

• Language translation: Translate text from one language to another.

• Writing assistance: Get help with composing emails, letters, or other forms of written communication.

• Generating code snippets: Get assistance in writing small pieces of code in various programming languages.

Limitations of the free version

• Restricted access during peak times: Users might experience limited access to ChatGPT during periods of high demand.

• Limited response length: The responses generated may be shorter and less detailed.

• Usage quotas: There are caps on the number of requests and the amount of usage allowed in a given timeframe.

• Slower response times: The free version may have longer wait times for generating responses.

• No priority access to new features: Users do not get early or priority access to new features and improvements.

• Limited customer support: The level of customer support available to free version users is limited in comparison to the paid version.

• Potential for downtime: The free version may experience more frequent downtime or maintenance periods.

• No guaranteed access: Access to the free version is subject to availability and might not be guaranteed.

The paid version, GPT-4

The paid version of ChatGPT offers an enhanced suite of features that, ultimately, is better tailored to meet the demands of businesses and power users. Users gain uninterrupted access to the platform, ensuring that they can leverage the tool’s capabilities even during periods of high demand. This is particularly crucial for businesses that rely on timely responses and cannot afford delays in their operations. Furthermore, GPT-4 offers faster response times, enabling more efficient interactions and workflow, which is essential for users who need to process large volumes of text or queries in a short amount of time.

GPT-4 subscribers are granted priority access to new features and improvements as they are rolled out. This ensures that they are always at the cutting edge of what ChatGPT has to offer, maintaining a competitive advantage in their respective fields. The development team behind ChatGPT is continually working to refine and expand the tool’s capabilities, and GPT-4 users are the first to benefit from these advancements. Whether it’s enhanced language understanding, new functionalities, or integration capabilities, GPT-4 provides a comprehensive and forward-thinking solution for those who require the very best in language generation and processing.

GPT-4 builds upon the capabilities of GPT-3.5. With a substantial increase in model size and a more extensive set of training data, GPT-4 demonstrates far better proficiency in understanding and generating text. Its responses are not only accurate and relevant but also show a deeper comprehension of complex and nuanced prompts. This makes GPT-4 an indispensable tool for businesses that require high-level language processing capabilities. Whether it’s generating human-like text for customer interactions, creating content, or providing coding assistance, GPT-4 handles tasks with a level of sophistication and precision that is unmatched.

The most important difference between GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 is, of course, the price. To subscribe to the paid version, users will find plans starting from $20 per month, scaling up. This pricing structure ensures that businesses of various sizes and capacities can access GPT-4’s advanced features and integrate them into their operations. The subscription provides full access to all the functionalities and benefits that GPT-4 has to offer, ensuring that businesses can maximise the potential of this cutting-edge language model. With a range of payment options available, GPT-4 offers both flexibility and affordability, making it a viable option for businesses looking to enhance their language processing capabilities and stay ahead in the digital landscape.

Additional benefits with GPT-4

GPT-4 can do everything that GPT-3.5 does, and also offers several additional benefits. Let's take a look at these now.

• Use of plugins: GPT-4 offers a range of plugins that users can activate to assist with their work. This includes web browsing tools that allow you to include links to web pages, as well as PDF readers that can lift information from documents
  
  
• More up-to-date information: GPT-4 has been trained on information up until March 2023, a significant leap in comparison to GPT-3.5, which is only trained up to September 2021
  
  
• Larger model size: GPT-4 has more parameters than GPT-3.5, making it a larger and potentially more powerful model
  
  
• Improved understanding of context: With advancements in training and model architecture, GPT-4 seems to have a better grasp of context, leading to more accurate and relevant responses
  
  
• Better handling of nuanced prompts: GPT-4 also seems to be more adept at understanding and responding to complex and nuanced prompts
  
  
• Increased efficiency: GPT-4 allows for much faster response times and more efficient processing of queries
  
  
• Improved robustness and reliability: GPT-4 offers more robust and reliable performance, with fewer errors and inconsistencies

Making the choice

Ultimately, whether you should use ChatGPT in its free or paid version depends largely on your specific needs and usage patterns. For individuals or businesses with basic needs and infrequent use, the free version may be sufficient. However, for those who require a more reliable, efficient, and powerful tool, the paid version, powered by GPT-4, offers a range of features and capabilities that can significantly enhance your experience and productivity.

Here's a quick recap of the pros and cons for each version:

GPT 3.5 pros

1. Accessible to anyone
2. No cost involved
3. Good for basic tasks and small-scale use

GPT 3.5 cons

1. Limited access during peak times
2. Restricted response length
3. Cap on the number of requests

GPT-4 pros

1. General access even during peak times
2. Faster response times
3. Priority access to new features and improvements
4. More suitable for businesses and power users

GPT-4 cons

1. Monthly subscription cost
2. May be more than necessary for basic or infrequent use

In the end, understanding how ChatGPT works and the capabilities of each version is key to making an informed decision. By weighing the pros and cons of each version, you can determine which one best suits your needs, ensuring that your business benefits from either GPT-3.5 or GPT-4, depending on your specific requirements. 

At NEXA, we pride ourselves on remaining at the forefront of every new advancement in tech. We are leveraging the power of ChatGPT to optimise our own operations while helping our clients to do the same. If you want to find out more about how ChatGPT can help your business, reach out to us today and let's explore how this innovative technology can help you succeed.