ChatGPT Review 2026: The General-Purpose AI That Developers Use for Code

What Is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is OpenAI’s general-purpose AI assistant, accessed through a web interface and native apps on macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android. It is not a coding tool in the way that Copilot, Cursor, or Claude Code are — it does not integrate with your IDE, access your file system, or run commands in your terminal. What it does is answer questions, generate code snippets, debug logic, explain concepts, and reason through architectural problems in a conversational format.

Despite not being purpose-built for development, ChatGPT is one of the most widely used AI tools among developers. Its accessibility — available in a browser, with no setup required — makes it the default starting point for many coding questions.

What It Does

Code Generation and Explanation

You describe what you need, and ChatGPT generates code. It handles a wide range of languages and frameworks, from Python scripts to React components to SQL queries. It can explain existing code line by line, suggest improvements, and walk through the logic of an algorithm. The quality depends heavily on how specific your prompt is — vague requests get generic answers, while detailed prompts with context get usable code.

Debugging and Problem-Solving

Paste an error message or a block of code that is not working, and ChatGPT can usually identify the issue. It is particularly strong at common errors — type mismatches, off-by-one bugs, missing imports, incorrect API usage. For more subtle bugs involving concurrency, state management, or complex business logic, it can propose hypotheses but may not always identify the root cause without broader context.

Image-to-Code

ChatGPT can accept screenshots of UI designs, wireframes, or even hand-drawn sketches and generate corresponding HTML, CSS, or component code. This is useful for prototyping — turning a design mockup into a starting implementation — though the output typically needs refinement for production use.

Voice Input

On mobile and desktop apps, you can describe coding problems verbally. This is genuinely useful when you are away from your keyboard — thinking through architecture on a walk, or debugging a concept while commuting. The voice-to-text accuracy is high enough for technical terminology.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Key Features
Free	$0	~10 messages per 5 hours, standard model
Go	$8/mo	Light use with extended access
Plus	$20/mo	Higher limits, advanced models, voice mode
Pro	$200/mo	Highest limits, extended thinking, priority access
Team	$30/user/mo	Workspace sharing, admin controls
Enterprise	Custom	SSO, compliance, dedicated support

The free tier gives you enough for occasional questions — a few coding queries per day. The Plus plan at $20/mo is where most developers land, as it provides access to advanced reasoning models and higher rate limits. The Pro plan at $200/mo is aimed at power users who rely on ChatGPT heavily throughout the day.

Pricing verified February 2026. Check OpenAI pricing for current pricing.

Strengths

Accessibility is unmatched. No IDE plugin to install, no API key to configure, no terminal to open. You go to a website or open an app and start asking questions. This zero-friction access means ChatGPT is often the first tool developers reach for, especially for quick questions or when exploring an unfamiliar language.

Reasoning on complex problems is strong. For algorithmic challenges, system design discussions, and architectural decisions, ChatGPT’s advanced reasoning models can think through problems methodically. It is often more useful for “how should I architect this?” conversations than tools that are focused on writing code in files.

Platform coverage is the broadest available. Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android — there is no device where you cannot access ChatGPT. The mobile apps are particularly useful for developers who think about code problems outside of their IDE.

Weaknesses

The copy-paste workflow is a real limitation. Every piece of code ChatGPT generates must be manually copied into your project. It cannot read your files, edit them in place, or understand your project’s structure. For any task beyond a single function or snippet, this friction adds up quickly compared to IDE-integrated tools.

No codebase awareness. ChatGPT does not know what your project looks like. It cannot reference your types, imports, file structure, or coding patterns unless you paste them into the chat. This means suggestions are generic rather than project-specific, and you spend significant time providing context that tools like Cursor or Claude Code infer automatically.

Not designed for coding workflows. ChatGPT cannot run tests, execute terminal commands, create branches, or deploy code. It is a conversation partner, not a development tool. For tasks that require interaction with your actual codebase, purpose-built tools are meaningfully more productive.

Who It’s For

ChatGPT fits well for:

• Developers who need quick answers to coding questions without setup
• Beginners learning to code who benefit from detailed explanations
• Anyone who wants to discuss architecture and design before writing code
• Developers on mobile who want to work through problems away from their desk

ChatGPT is a harder sell for:

• Professional developers who need AI integrated into their coding workflow (Cursor, Copilot, or Windsurf are better)
• Teams that need codebase-aware suggestions (any IDE-integrated tool is more effective)
• Anyone doing multi-file refactoring or large-scale code changes (Claude Code, Cursor, or Aider are purpose-built for this)
• Developers who want code completions as they type (ChatGPT does not offer inline completions)

Sources

• ChatGPT
• OpenAI Pricing
• OpenAI Platform Documentation