Direct Vs. Supplemental: Which GPT Suits You?

ChatGPT is like the Swiss army knife of productivity. It can be a math tutor, therapist, career counselor, programming aid, or even a travel guide. The phenomenal AI chatbot can be just about anything you want it to be as long as you know how to make it do what you want.But how well can you make ChatGPT do what you want? Do you know which version of ChatGPT can best fulfill your needs?

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Are There Different Versions of ChatGPT?

Anyone who wants to access ChatGPT uses the ChatGPT website or the mobile app. They are technically accessing the same product. However, we don’t necessarily interact with the same version of the product. While there aren’t drastic differences between all available versions, each one is optimized for certain tasks and may provide very different responses.

Not convinced? Well, check this out. Using the same ChatGPT account, running the same GPT-4 model, we asked ChatGPT to fact-check an article.

The first version couldn’t perform the task.

The second version performed the task impressively.

So why did the first version work and the second didn’t? What is the difference between the first and the second? If you haven’t figured it out yet, the secret is the GPT model involved and the extra tools it can use. Beyond the name, below are some of the ChatGPT versions you should know.

The 4 ChatGPT Versions You Should Know

The four ChatGPT versions you should familiarize yourself with are:

• The default GPT-3.5 version
• The default GPT-4 version
• The browsing-enabled GPT-4 version
• The plugin-powered GPT-4 version

All these variants of ChatGPT may seem like the same wine in different bottles, but they all have unique selling points that you’ll come to appreciate once you embrace their uniqueness.

But which of them should you use and when? What unique features do they offer?

1. ChatGPT Running Default GPT-3.5

GPT-3.5 is the default version used by both free and paid-tier ChatGPT users. It can do most of what you’d expect in any version of ChatGPT. This variant, solely powered by the GPT-3.5 turbo model, is the base version of ChatGPT and has the least capabilities of all the available models.

Once you sign up for a ChatGPT account, you should automatically have access to this version. So, when should you use this version of ChatGPT?

The ChatGPT GPT-4 model has a limit of 25 messages every three hours (although OpenAI is experimenting with this figure, and some users report up to 50 or even 100 messages every three hours). If you’re planning a long prompting session spanning several hours, you might be better off using the GPT-3.5 model, which has no message limit. Although you might not enjoy as much creativity as on the GPT-4 powered ChatGPT models, you’ll only notice differences in select tasks.

2. ChatGPT Running Default GPT-4

ChatGPT using GPT-4 is superior to any ChatGPT version that runs on GPT-3.5, as it is the most advanced GPT model currently integrated with ChatGPT. GPT-4 gives ChatGPT more creativity and improved reasoning and mathematics abilities.

It is perfect for tasks requiring better mathematical abilities or enormous creativity, like writing a book, crafting unique jokes, or writing a speech. It also has improved programming abilities. For example, if you write code, you can fall back to this version if you have programming-related challenges.

3. ChatGPT Running GPT-4 Plus Web Browsing

ChatGPT with web browsing inherits all the abilities of the default GPT-4 version with the additional ability to access the internet. With this version, you can access and use data anywhere on the internet in real time, giving you access to information beyond ChatGPT’s knowledge base. This allows ChatGPT to significantly expand the number of topics it can handle, far beyond the limits of its training data.

When should you use this version of ChatGPT? Turning on ChatGPT’s browsing abilities opens up the chatbot to endless possibilities. One of the key use cases is whenever you need to complete a task that needs access to up-to-date and factual information. Also, if you also need sources to be cited in your ChatGPT responses, this version can handle that.

In July 2023, due to abuse, OpenAI temporarily disabled the browsing feature.

4. ChatGPT Running GPT-4 with Plugins

ChatGPT with plugins is probably the most versatile version of ChatGPT. Exclusively available to ChatGPT Plus users, this variant of ChatGPT significantly extends ChatGPT’s abilities beyond what it was originally designed to handle. For instance, while regular ChatGPT can not interface with a PDF file or, say, create flowcharts, ChatGPT with plugins can do so effectively as long as you pick the right plugin for the task.

From everything like using ChatGPT to chat with a PDF file to creating memes, you’ll find a host of ChatGPT Plugins on the plugin store that does much of what you want to achieve. The list of available plugins is actively growing, and with it, the list of new things you can achieve with this version of ChatGPT. Here are some of the best ChatGPT plugins you can try right now .

Which ChatGPT Version Is the Best?

It all boils down to the circumstances and tasks you want to complete. Although ChatGPT versions powered by GPT-4 clearly have a performance advantage, using up your hourly GPT-4 message quota isn’t just worth it for some tasks. GPT-3.5 is a very capable model that can fulfill or surpass GPT-4 in some unique cases. If you are having fun or trivial conversations with the AI chatbot, the default ChatGPT version powered by the GPT-3.5 model will do.

ChatGPT versions powered by the GPT-4 model are heavy movers. Because of the quota limitation, you should ideally use them when advanced reasoning or creativity is required for a task. Or when you are concerned about running out of message quota during a task.

Know Which ChatGPT Version to Use

The version of ChatGPT you use greatly impacts your experience with the AI chatbot. It might seem like just about any version goes, but you need to consciously use the right version for the right task. To ensure you have all the available versions, a ChatGPT Plus account is advisable.

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