What is DALL·E (now ChatGPT Images)?
DALL·E was OpenAI's image generator. OpenAI shut down the DALL·E API on May 12, 2026, and retired the DALL·E GPT in ChatGPT on August 30, 2026. Image generation now runs on ChatGPT Images, with limited use on ChatGPT's free plan, and on GPT Image models in OpenAI's API.
Best for: Finding DALL·E's replacement: image generation now runs on ChatGPT Images and OpenAI's GPT Image API.
DALL·E (now ChatGPT Images) pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT Free | $0 | Limited image creation with ChatGPT Images |
| ChatGPT Go | $8/mo | More image creation; may include ads |
| ChatGPT Plus | $20/mo | More complex and accurate image creation |
| ChatGPT Pro | From $100/mo | Unlimited, faster image creation (abuse guardrails apply) |
| OpenAI API (GPT Image 2.5) | Per token | About $0.006 (low quality) to $0.21 (max quality) per 1024×1024 image in output tokens |
Prices checked on the official ChatGPT pricing page and OpenAI API docs. These are prices for DALL·E's replacements. DALL·E itself (the dall-e-2 and dall-e-3 API models and the DALL·E GPT) is no longer available. Vendors change prices often, so confirm before you buy.
DALL·E (now ChatGPT Images) pros and cons
Pros
- Its replacement, ChatGPT Images, is included on every ChatGPT plan, including Free
- Image generation sits inside the same assistant you use for writing and research
- Developers can generate images through the API, where low-quality images cost under a cent each
Cons
- DALL·E itself is gone: integrations that call dall-e-2 or dall-e-3 stopped working on May 12, 2026
- ChatGPT plans don't state exact image quotas, only "limited", "more", or "unlimited"
- API costs are billed per token and vary with image quality
Choose something else if…
- ChatGPT: you want DALL·E's direct successor, ChatGPT Images, along with everything else ChatGPT does.
- Midjourney: you want highly stylized visuals and video generation in one subscription.
- Leonardo AI: you want a dedicated creative platform with a free plan.
DALL·E (now ChatGPT Images) FAQ
Is DALL·E still available?
No. OpenAI shut down the dall-e-2 and dall-e-3 API models on May 12, 2026, and retired the DALL·E GPT in ChatGPT on August 30, 2026.
What replaced DALL·E?
In ChatGPT, image generation now runs on ChatGPT Images, which is available on every plan. For developers, OpenAI recommends its GPT Image models in the API.
How much does ChatGPT image generation cost?
ChatGPT's free plan includes limited image creation. Go ($8/month) and Plus ($20/month) allow more, and Pro (from $100/month) offers unlimited, faster image creation.
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Implementation notes
Some AI tools are easy to start using on your own. Others become more valuable when they are connected to your existing systems, such as forms, email, calendars, CRMs, spreadsheets, websites, or internal workflows.
If you are evaluating DALL·E (now ChatGPT Images) for business use, think about where the tool should fit into your process, what data it needs, who will use it, and what result you expect it to produce.
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