Introduction
OpenAI continues to evolve the ChatGPT experience, recently announcing two exciting upgrades: Projects are now free for all users, and a new Split Chat toggle feature has been rolled out. These enhancements aim to make collaboration, organization, and navigation within ChatGPT more seamless and user-friendly—even for those on the free plan.
New ChatGPT Projects Now Available for Free
Previously, users needed a premium ChatGPT Plus subscription to access the powerful “Projects” functionality. That’s no longer the case. OpenAI has now unlocked Projects for all users—completely free of charge.
What Are ChatGPT Projects?
ChatGPT Projects are essentially folders or organized workspaces where you can group conversations, files, and associated prompts based on themes, topics, or ongoing tasks. They’re perfect for users managing multiple discussions or working on long-term creative, coding, or research ventures.
Benefits of Using Projects
- Enhanced organization – Keep your chats categorized by topic or task.
- Streamlined workflows – Easier to track progress in multi-step processes.
- Improved productivity – Quickly jump between projects without losing context.
This change empowers free users to harness ChatGPT for more ambitious endeavors beyond casual Q&As, including academic research, app prototyping, and content creation—without paying a dime.
The New Split Chat Toggle
Alongside the Projects update, ChatGPT has introduced a new “Split Chat” toggle—a small interface tweak that makes a big difference, particularly when dealing with complex or code-heavy conversations.
How Does Split Chat Work?
Split Chat divides your screen vertically (or horizontally, depending on the layout) to display two sections:
- One side shows your complete conversation flow.
- The other side can be used to scroll, refer to past messages, or copy code/snippets while keeping your current position intact.
This UX enhancement allows users to reference earlier parts of a conversation without constantly losing their place during ongoing interactions. It’s especially valuable for:
- Developers debugging code across multiple message threads.
- Writers working on long-form drafts.
- Teams collaborating asynchronously within group chats or projects.
Why These Updates Matter
The decision to make Projects free and introduce Split Chat is part of OpenAI’s broader strategy to democratize AI tools and make ChatGPT more accessible for everyday users. Whether you’re a student organizing essays, a marketer drafting campaigns, or a developer coding apps with GPT-4, these updates drastically reduce friction.
Continued Focus on Usability
By delivering increasingly feature-rich tools at no cost, OpenAI reinforces its commitment to providing value and fostering innovation among creators across industries. Usability improvements like Split Chat signal OpenAI’s acknowledgement of how real-world users interact with its interface—and its readiness to adapt accordingly.
Final Thoughts
With Projects now free and the Split Chat toggle streamlining navigation, ChatGPT is no longer just a helpful assistant—it’s a powerful workspace built for focused productivity, accessible to all. OpenAI is clearly listening to its community, and these changes suggest even more usability-focused features may be on the horizon.
If you’re a regular ChatGPT user or just getting started, now’s the perfect time to explore these new upgrades and reimagine what you can achieve with AI at your fingertips.