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Sign in with ChatGPT vs AI Pass: cut costs or earn on usage?

Sign in with ChatGPT can remove an inference cost; AI Pass lets you add a markup to user-funded usage. Compare models, controls and access, then try the agent setup.

EiliyaSeptember 30, 20268 min read

Sign in with ChatGPT vs AI Pass comes down to a blunt money question: do you want to cut an AI cost or earn on AI usage? The ChatGPT route spends the user's plan and pays your app nothing for that usage; AI Pass lets the user pay from a wallet and lets you add a markup.

For users, it's a choice between spending an existing OpenAI subscription and funding a portable wallet across providers. Both let you bring a way to pay for AI into participating apps, but their model coverage and entry requirements differ. Neither makes every feature of the host app free.

Sign in with ChatGPT vs AI Pass at a glance

OpenAI's plan usage documentation describes an optional permission for eligible Responses API requests. AI Pass's integration documentation describes a wallet funded by the user and a gateway across models and providers.

Question	Sign in with ChatGPT	AI Pass
Who pays for AI usage?	The user's included ChatGPT allowance, with credits under separate conditions	The user's wallet pays for exact model usage
Which models?	Eligible OpenAI models available through the plan route	Multiple providers, including Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek and GLM
Images and video?	Image generation is excluded; audio/video input and transcription API are unsupported in this preview	Covers text, images, speech and video; the app must expose the relevant features
Subscription needed?	Plus or Pro for published plan-sharing eligibility	No subscription required; users pay as they go
Who can integrate?	Open source and local projects have a documented route; paid or remotely hosted apps need selected access	Developers can start now without an application form
Developer earnings?	The plan pays for eligible inference; this route does not pay the app inference earnings	Developers can add a markup to user-funded model usage
Caps and controls?	Weekly caps per app in ChatGPT, plus overall plan limits and separate credit preferences	Wallet usage and balance; review the participating app's payment terms
Audience size?	OpenAI reports 1.2 billion weekly ChatGPT users, not all eligible plan subscribers	We have no comparable sourced weekly audience figure
Other app charges?	The app may charge for its subscription, service or infrastructure	The host app can have separate charges and a developer markup

AI Pass is independent: it isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or a partner of OpenAI. These are separate payment connections.

Your user's plan cuts a cost; a wallet can pay you

With Sign in with ChatGPT, the user's plan covers eligible OpenAI usage, so your app's AI is effectively free to them within that allowance. You earn nothing on that usage. It removes an inference cost; it doesn't create revenue.

Your product still needs to pay for its interface, storage, support and services outside the supported route. You can charge separately for those features and infrastructure, but the plan-sharing connection itself doesn't pay you.

With AI Pass, the user funds model requests from their wallet. You can add a markup and earn on eligible paid usage under the current AI Pass terms. AI usage can become income without you funding every call, asking for provider API keys or selling another subscription to cover inference.

An inference markup can earn from paid model usage; a separate product fee pays for your app's features and infrastructure.

OpenAI's biggest advantage: users already pay for it

If you already have an eligible ChatGPT plan, using its allowance in another app may be the cheapest next step. Covered requests within included usage don't need a new balance top-up. You can try another tool's workflow without creating provider credentials or funding a second AI account.

OpenAI's DevDay recap reports 1.2 billion weekly users for ChatGPT as a whole. That isn't a count of eligible Plus and Pro subscribers or a guarantee of customers for your app. Still, a familiar account and an existing payment relationship give developers a reason to pay attention.

The official directory includes Devin, Notion, Vercel, Amp, Warp, Kilo Code and other tools for plan usage.

Simon Willison welcomed the idea in his DevDay live blog, saying he'd wanted subscription use in other apps for years. That's the user benefit: pick a workflow that suits you and bring an allowance you've already purchased.

Each connected app consumes the same ChatGPT Work and Codex capacity. Weekly app caps control how much each can take; they don't add or reserve usage. Set them before letting several agents work on long tasks.

Your wallet can cover Claude, images and video too

AI Pass covers providers including Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek and GLM. If your model choice changes across tasks, you can carry one user-funded balance across participating apps without a new provider key or a separate AI subscription for each one.

It also covers text, images, speech and video: a generated image for a listing, speech for an audio feature or video output. Your app still has to implement and offer the feature. A gateway's catalog won't add a video button to an app that only supports text.

OpenAI's limitations page excludes image generation, file search, Code Interpreter, native computer use and hosted connectors from the Sign in with ChatGPT preview. Image input can be supported when the chosen model accepts it. Describing a picture and generating one are different capabilities.

Check model availability on both sides. AI Pass doesn't currently list GPT-6.1 Sol, so don't assume it carries every new OpenAI launch. A partner app supporting Claude through another route doesn't let your ChatGPT subscription pay for Claude either.

A wallet spends money from your balance, with no included ChatGPT allowance to use first. We haven't run a matched workload cost comparison. There's no basis here for calling the wallet always cheaper than a subscription.

Check permissions, caps and the final price

Start with the task and app. If you want a supported OpenAI coding workflow and have spare ChatGPT allowance, try the plan connection. For Claude, Gemini or generated media, check whether the app offers a wallet or another payment route.

Read the permission screen: OpenAI separates identity sign-in from permission to use the plan. Your name, email address and profile picture can be shared for identity, but the connection doesn't itself give the app your ChatGPT conversations or memories. Review any separate permission and anything you submit to the host app.

An app can stop at its weekly cap while your overall allowance still has room. Credits need an opt-in, available balance and the applicable conditions, including a 100% app cap. Check OpenAI's user help before enabling automatic credit purchases, which can lead to charges.

For a wallet, read the usage price and any app markup before starting a long task. Exact usage billing can suit occasional work, but the value depends on your models, task size and final price. Include separate app service charges when comparing the total cost.

OpenAI selects commercial apps; AI Pass is open today

OpenAI documents an open source and local integration path, while paid or remotely hosted apps must complete an interest form. Its quickstart describes selected commercial partners and a limited trial. Implementing OAuth isn't the same as having approval for commercial plan usage.

AI Pass lets you integrate now through a JavaScript SDK or OAuth and an OpenAI-compatible REST API. You can also hand the setup to your coding agent.

You can offer both connections where you're eligible and your app's architecture supports them. Show which one pays for each request: OpenAI's recovery guidance says plan errors stop inference rather than silently changing the billing route. A wallet alternative should be a clear user choice.

Try it today: ask your agent

Open the AI Pass docs and pick your tool: Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Lovable, Replit or another capable coding agent. Paste the one brief into your agent. It inspects your project, chooses the simplest working path and sets up the integration, asking you to approve any AI Pass setup.

Sign in to AI Pass and approve in your browser. There's no application form, no waitlist, no provider API keys and no manual OAuth client setup. Unlike OpenAI's interest form for commercial or hosted apps, this flow is ready to use today.

The public integration skill gives a capable agent the instructions to do the setup itself.

Which one should you use?

Choose the ChatGPT connection first if you already have an eligible plan, want OpenAI models and can stay within its supported features and limits. The familiar account, existing allowance and weekly app caps are good reasons to use it.

Choose AI Pass if your app supports it and you need multiple providers or images, speech and video without an AI subscription. Compare the actual usage price with how often you work. A wallet can sit alongside your ChatGPT plan; you don't have to cancel it.

If you're building the app, OpenAI's route makes sense when your audience already subscribes and your product fits its model and access rules. AI Pass adds provider choice, media generation, immediate access and a way to earn from eligible paid usage. Offering both can serve those different needs if you make payment clear.

FAQ

Is AI Pass a Sign in with ChatGPT alternative?

It is an alternative way for users to fund AI inside participating apps. It uses a wallet across providers rather than a ChatGPT subscription allowance.

Can I use AI Pass without ChatGPT Plus or Pro?

Yes. AI Pass requires no subscription. Users fund a wallet and pay for usage.

Do developers earn money from ChatGPT plan sharing?

The plan-sharing route does not pay the app inference earnings. An app may charge separately for its own product or services.

Can an app offer both payment connections?

It can design for both, subject to eligibility and integration requirements. The user should choose and understand the active payment route.