The Reddit post questions whether GPT‑5 is just a repackaged set of older models—like “GPT‑4o” and “o4‑mini (‘Thinking’)”—designed to push users toward paying for API access. Let's break this down with current information.
Is GPT-5 just a wrapped-up older model?
No. GPT-5 is a new flagship model—released August 7, 2025—that replaces previous models like GPT-4o, o4-mini, GPT-4.1, 4.5, and o3. en.wikipedia.org
What’s genuinely new about GPT-5?
- Multi‑variant architecture: GPT‑5 now includes several variants—standard (“main”), mini, nano, and thinking versions: GPT‑5-thinking, GPT‑5-thinking-mini, and GPT‑5-thinking-nano. There's also a GPT‑5 Pro (sometimes called “thinking‑pro”) available to Pro-tier users, offering parallel reasoning computation. en.wikipedia.org
- Auto‑routing and simplification: The system automatically selects the appropriate model for your query’s complexity—no need to manually switch between models. en.wikipedia.orgopenai.comwww.theverge.comtechcrunch.com
- Performance gains:
- Coding: GPT‑5 sets new benchmarks—74.9% on SWE-Bench Verified, 88% on Aider Polyglot—with fewer tokens and tool calls than o3. openai.com
- Lower hallucination: Thinking versions reduce hallucinations by ~26% compared to GPT‑4o and ~65% compared to o3. www.wired.com
- Enhanced reasoning, tool usage, health and math support, better creative writing, personalization, and safety. cincodias.elpais.comwww.theatlantic.comwww.washingtonpost.comwww.wired.com
Is this a money-grab to push API usage?
Partially—but not in a cynical way. OpenAI:
- Offers GPT‑5 to all users: Free users get default access, with mini fallback if usage caps are reached. www.theverge.comopenai.com
- Monetizes through tiered access: Pro users ($200/month) gain unlimited GPT‑5, plus access to GPT‑5-Pro and thinking variants. openai.com This is standard freemium: basic functionality is free, but full power is paid.
Bottom line
- The Reddit writer is wrong: GPT-5 is not merely GPT-4o or o4-mini in fancy packaging—it’s a distinct model with tangible performance and capability upgrades.
- They do have a point about tiered access: OpenAI structures access so that the best and most powerful versions (like GPT-5-Pro or thinking-pro) are gated behind the Pro subscription.
- But it's not just about pushing API usage—it’s also about delivering improved safety, reasoning, and user experience across the board.
Opinion (concise):
GPT-5 is a significant technical advancement—not a rebrand. The tiered model access is deliberate—but typical for monetizing infrastructure-heavy services.Let me know if you'd like a deeper dive into any benchmark or reasoning performance aspect.Further reading[
The VergeGPT-5 is being released to all ChatGPT usersToday](www.theverge.com Finally Launched GPT-5. Here's Everything You Need to Know](media.wired.com)
WIREDOpenAI Finally Launched GPT-5. Here's Everything You Need to KnowToday](www.wired.com made a big upgrade to ChatGPT. Here's what to know about GPT-5.](www.washingtonpost.com)