OpenAI Suspends Pro Subscriptions as Astra Demand Overwhelms Infrastructure
OpenAI pauses new subscriptions to its $200-per-month Pro plan as unprecedented demand for its newest model, Astra, strains the company's infrastructure. Product leader Thibault (Tibo) Sottiaux announces the change on X, explaining that the Pro tier places the most strain on OpenAI's systems. He frames the move as the smallest step that allows the company to keep providing the broadest access possible.
Sottiaux says demand for Astra is unlike anything he has seen before, despite the company having gone through very steep growth in the past. Existing Pro users remain the top priority, and other offerings, including the API and the lower-cost Go and Plus plans, stay open to new subscribers. OpenAI does not say how long the pause lasts or how many people are signing up daily, leaving the full scale of the demand unclear.
Astra launches on September 3 and rolls out across Pro, Plus, Enterprise, and Business accounts, promising major advances in reasoning, coding, and computer use. OpenAI hails the model as the beginning of the AGI era and a generational leap, further fueling demand. The company raises Codex usage limits as recently as last month, suggesting the strain on infrastructure is a recent development.