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You may have come across posts by professionals on LinkedIn and other social media platforms claiming that OpenAI is not truly “open.” They restrict access to the best of their models, while companies like Anthropic, Google, and Grok offer full access to their models through free chatbot applications.
In this article, we will explore simple ways to bypass these restrictions and gain access to the new GPT-4.5 model using OpenAI’s platform playground.
Open AI is not Open
Currently, access to GPT-4.5 is limited to 200 USD per month subscriptions. This means that even to try a few prompts, you have to pay 200 USD, which many consider unfair. Why is this the case? Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, stated that it is the largest model they have produced so far, and they are running out of GPUs to handle model inference. In short, she mentioned on X (formerly Twitter) that running the model is expensive, which is why it can only be accessed by Pro subscription holders or developers through the OpenAI API platform.
Image from ChatGPT
How to Access GPT-4.5 for Less than a Dollar
Now, let’s look at how to bypass this restriction and access GPT-4.5 for an average of $0.20 per request through the OpenAI playground.
First, you need to create an account on https://platform.openai.com/. This account is separate from your ChatGPT account, meaning your subscription there won’t give you access to these models. You will need a credit card to add credits to your account.
Add $5 to $10 in credits using your credit card, and that’s it. You are now ready to use any model offered by OpenAI on this platform via the API or the playground.
Image from Billing overview – OpenAI API
Before you start using the model, it’s crucial to understand the pricing. While it is significantly cheaper than paying 200 USD per month for access, it is still one of the most expensive models to use. Therefore, consider using this model only when you feel that other models are underperforming for your use case.
Images from Pricing – OpenAI API
Go to the “Playground” tab and select the “gpt-4.5-preview” model from the selection menu.
Images from Chat Playground – OpenAI API
You can then start using it just like you would in the ChatGPT application. Ask a question, and it will generate an answer for you.
Images from Chat Playground – OpenAI API
Conclusion
For a single query and answer, OpenAI has charged approximately $0.11, with average costs ranging from $0.10 to $0.30 per request.
Image from Organization settings – OpenAI API
Additionally, OpenAI allows you to integrate the new GPT-4.5 model into your applications, chatbots, and code editors using the API. All you need to do is generate the API key and provide it to your chat application, VSCode extension, or website integration.
In this brief guide, we learned about an alternative and cost-effective way to experience the GPT-4.5 model. While this model may not be perfect, it offers unique advantages that many users overlook. It is more factually accurate and provides human-like conversations compared to other models.
Abid Ali Awan (@1abidaliawan) is a certified data scientist professional who loves building machine learning models. Currently, he is focusing on content creation and writing technical blogs on machine learning and data science technologies. Abid holds a Master’s degree in technology management and a bachelor’s degree in telecommunication engineering. His vision is to build an AI product using a graph neural network for students struggling with mental illness.