These days, new versions of AI chatbots are not just starting to take off; they were arrested and released into the community following government scrutiny. The new OpenAI models for GPT-5.6 were – like Anthropic’s Claude Mythos and Fable – apparently too powerful to just be introduced; but now, after some tinkering, they are available to you, dear customer.
Basically, it means that the new GPT-5.6 models are more powerful and smarter than before. In its presentation post, OpenAI shared a bunch of graphs showing how much better GPT-5.6 is than the competition, while using fewer tokens and generally being less expensive.
OK good. But GPT-5.6 is not just one model; it comes in three different flavors: Sol, Terra, and Luna. So what do different types of users get, what should they pay for, and which types should they (mainly) use? Let’s dive in.
Free users get (almost) nothing
Sorry; if you’re not a paying customer, you’ll have to make do with OpenAI’s previous flagship model, GPT-5.5. Any type of access to GPT-5.6 models requires a registration of some kind. Fortunately, the GPT-5.5 is still multitasking, but if you want the best, you’ll have to cough up the dough.
There is an exception to this: Free and Go users can access GPT-5.6 via ChatGPT Work. More on that below.
If you are a Plus or Business user, you can only get Sol (the most powerful model) in medium and high effort settings. There is another higher level of functionality called Sol Pro, but that is only available to Pro and Enterprise users.
Regarding the supply of one million tokens, the prices are: $5 input and $30 Sol output. $2.5 input and $15 output for Terra, and $1 input and $6 output for Luna.
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Sol, Terra, or Luna?
Why are there three models in the first place? Of course, OpenAI always had a multi-level model; for example, previous users could choose a “smaller” version of the main model for cheaper results. Now, the model is divided into three categories.
If you are a paying customer, you are free to use all three. But you know how it is in the world of LLMs: If you choose too smart, your usage limits will be hit quickly (yes, there are always usage limits, even if you throw a ton of money at OpenAI).
Mashable Light Speed
In simple terms, the GPT-5.6 Sol is the smartest model, the Terra is in the middle (with a performance level of about GPT-5.5), and the Luna is the cheapest, fastest, but also the least capable of the group.
The breakdown is as follows: Terra is a “moderate” model for everyday work. That’s what should be asking most of your questions. Don’t take it for granted, though, as OpenAI claims it performs better than Anthropic’s Fable 5 in some cases.
Luna is economical, and should be used for simple, non-essential daily tasks; consider recipes and movie recommendations. Also, OpenAI claims it outperforms Anthropic’s Opus 4.8 in some cases, so it’s no slouch, either.
Sol should be reserved for coding, deep research, programming, and cybersecurity: The most difficult jobs. Of course it comes at a (real) cost: Although OpenAI claims to use fewer tokens than Anthropic’s Fable 5, Sol will still reach usage limits much faster than other types.
Fun fact: If you ask GPT-5.5 about any of this, right now, it will give you completely wrong answers. Hopefully OpenAI will fix this soon.
Wait, what is this ChatGPT Work thing, then?
Oh yes, OpenAI also introduced ChatGPT Task, which is a new agent in ChatGPT that can access and perform actions on your apps and files, and run in the background until the task is completed. Powered by Codex (OpenAI software engineering agent) and GPT-5.6. Think of it as your friend who will go through your emails and files, browse the web, download relevant data, and create that presentation your boss wants before the end of the day.
ChatGPT functionality is launched for Pro, Enterprise and Edu users first on web and mobile; this will be extended to Plus and Business users “in the next few days.”
On desktop, Work is available to everyone, including free users.
Oh, and one more thing: The fact that ChatGPT Work has a built-in browser also means that OpenAI is sunsetting its own standalone web browser, Atlas. Sorry.
What about GPT Live?
GPT Live is the new version of ChatGPT Voice and will appear when you start talking to ChatGPT.
We’ve covered this in more depth here, but the bottom line is that GPT Live can listen and talk at the same time, allowing it to carry on a virtual conversation.
To wrap it all up
The new GPT-5.6 model is smart. It comes in three flavors: Luna, Terra, and Sol, with Sol being the most capable variant, Luna the most affordable, and Terra somewhere in between. Currently you can only find them in the paid sections, unless you use ChatGPT Work on desktop. And ChatGPT Voice is smart with GPT-Live underneath, a model that can listen and talk at the same time.
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