OpenAI just kicked down the paywall. In a surprise move this September 2025, the AI powerhouse made its Projects feature available to all free-tier users. No subscription needed. None.

This organizational tool—previously reserved for paying customers—lets users create themed folders to group related chats, files, and custom instructions. Available now on web and Android, with iOS users left waiting. Typical. While privacy policies remain vague, users are embracing the accessibility of these new features.

The free version isn't quite as robust as paid tiers, but it's still pretty decent. Free users can upload 5 files per Project, while Plus and Go subscribers get 25, and the big spenders with Pro and Business accounts score 40. Not too shabby for something that used to cost actual money.

All users can customize their Projects with different colors and icons. Because apparently, we all need our AI assistants to be color-coded now. This visual customization enhances project recognition and helps users quickly identify different categories of work.

Color-coding your AI assistant is exactly the excessive personalization none of us asked for, yet somehow all of us need.

What's genuinely useful is the memory isolation feature. Each Project maintains its own separate memory that doesn't bleed into other conversations. This means your travel planning won't suddenly appear in your work Project. Revolutionary concept, right? Privacy actually matters!

The standard GPT-5 model powers these free Projects, though paid users get fancier model selection options. Free users still access core tools like Canvas, image generation, study mode, voice interactions, and web search—all neatly tucked into their Projects. Users can define AI constraints to ensure responses match their project's specific requirements.

Advanced features like deep research and agent mode remain locked behind the subscription wall. Gotta keep some carrots dangling.

Projects can be deleted permanently, taking all associated files and chats with them. No takesy-backsies there. The feature is designed for organizing everything from health records to travel plans to work tasks, creating mini specialized chatbots for different parts of your life.

For something free, it's surprisingly powerful. Maybe OpenAI isn't just about squeezing every last penny from its users after all. Who knew?