OpenAI suits buyers who want one vendor for chat, coding and always-on agents. September 2026 brought the GPT-6 family, from Astra at $10 per million input tokens down to Luna at $0.10, plus dots. OpenAI reports 1.2 billion weekly ChatGPT users, but check each plan's model access first.
OpenAI is the San Francisco lab behind ChatGPT, Codex and the GPT-6 models, founded in 2015 and led by Sam Altman. It released GPT-6 Astra, Sol and Luna in September 2026, reports 1.2 billion weekly ChatGPT users, and counts Microsoft and Amazon among its biggest backers.
Founded: 2015 · HQ: San Francisco, California, USA · Team: 8,800+ · CEO: Sam Altman · Funding: $122 billion round (March 2026); Amazon announced up to $50 billion (February 2026) · Valuation: $852 billion post-money (March 2026)
About OpenAI
OpenAI was founded in December 2015 in San Francisco as a non-profit research lab whose team included Sam Altman (now CEO), Elon Musk (who left the board in 2018), Ilya Sutskever, Greg Brockman, Wojciech Zaremba, John Schulman, and Andrej Karpathy. Its stated mission is to make sure artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. It moved to a capped for-profit structure in 2019 and, in 2025, restructured into a Public Benefit Corporation.
The product line changed a great deal in September 2026. OpenAI released GPT-6 Astra on 3 September at $10 input and $50 output per million tokens, then GPT-6 Sol and GPT-6 Luna on 22 September at $2/$10 and $0.10/$0.50, and GPT-6.1 Sol on 29 September at $2 input and $10 output. OpenAI says ChatGPT now reaches 1.2 billion weekly users, a company figure it gave in its 29 September DevDay recap. ChatGPT sells Free, Go, Plus, three Pro tiers and Business and Enterprise plans, and the newest GPT-6 models arrived in ChatGPT Work and Codex before the Chat tab.
The same week OpenAI introduced dots, always-on agents that run on GPT-6 Astra with their own cloud computer and connect to apps through plugins. They are rolling out to Pro, Business Premium and Enterprise customers in eligible markets; our guide to what dots do covers the plan gates. For developers, the OpenAI Agents API adds computer use, and Codex Security scans repositories for vulnerabilities. OpenAI reported 20 million active Codex users in August 2026. The company also sells enterprise deployment help through the OpenAI Deployment Company, a subsidiary announced in May 2026.
OpenAI shut down its consumer Sora video app on 26 April 2026 and scheduled the Sora API to end on 24 September; our Sora shutdown guide tracks the aftermath.
The money and partners also moved. In March 2026 OpenAI closed a $122 billion round at an $852 billion post-money valuation, and in February Amazon announced an investment of up to $50 billion. On 27 April 2026 OpenAI and Microsoft renegotiated: Microsoft now holds a nonexclusive license to OpenAI models and products through 2032, Azure stays the primary cloud partner, and OpenAI may serve its products on any cloud, according to TechCrunch. CNBC reported on 8 June 2026 that OpenAI had confidentially filed for an IPO.
OpenAI's trust portal covers audited security reports and ISO standards, though the products in scope differ by report. See the Anthropic, Google DeepMind and xAI profiles for the labs it competes with most directly.
The case for choosing someone else is concrete. OpenAI's own Astra comparison table shows Claude Fable 5.1 ahead of Astra on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (65.7 against 61.2), Astra is the model OpenAI itself rates at its Critical cybersecurity threshold, and its newest Sol and Luna models are not yet in the Chat tab. Teams that need open weights, a single cloud contract, or a video product should look at other labs, since the models are closed and Sora is gone.
Mission
To develop artificial general intelligence that is safe and beneficial, ensuring that AI benefits humanity broadly and aligns with human values.
Products
- ChatGPT
- GPT-6 family (Astra, Sol, Luna, 6.1 Sol)
- OpenAI API and Agents API
- Codex
- ChatGPT Work
- dots
- OpenAI Deployment Company (DeployCo)
OpenAI Models on HokAI
Compliance
SOC 2 Type 2, SOC 3, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27017, ISO/IEC 27018, ISO/IEC 27701, ISO/IEC 42001, PCI DSS, CSA STAR, TX-RAMP, FedRAMP 20x
Links
Frequently Asked Questions
How much has OpenAI raised, and what is it valued at?
OpenAI raised $122 billion in March 2026, which valued it at $852 billion after the money came in. The February Amazon pledge is up to $50 billion. CNBC reported on 8 June 2026 that it had confidentially filed for an IPO. Microsoft kept a stake of about 27% in the for-profit entity, per TechCrunch.
Which OpenAI products and models can you use today?
ChatGPT is the main consumer product, now with GPT-6 models in ChatGPT Work and Codex and the Chat tab still to follow. Developers call gpt-6-astra, gpt-6-sol, gpt-6-luna or gpt-6.1-sol through the API, while Business and Enterprise teams use ChatGPT Work and Pro or Business Premium users can set up dots.
What does OpenAI charge per million tokens in the API?
GPT-6 Astra is $10 input and $50 output, GPT-6.1 Sol is $2 input and $10 output with $0.10 cached input, and GPT-6 Luna is $0.10 input and $0.50 output. Sol and Luna prices were cut 50% from the GPT-5.6 launch pricing on 22 September 2026.
Which security certifications does OpenAI list?
Its trust portal carries PCI DSS, CSA STAR, GDPR and CCPA materials, TX-RAMP and FedRAMP 20x documentation, plus SOC reports and an ISO/IEC family that includes 42001 for AI management. The portal says the products in scope differ by report, so confirm the one you plan to buy before relying on a certificate.
How does OpenAI compare with Anthropic and Google DeepMind?
OpenAI wins on consumer reach and price per token on its Sol and Luna models, while its own Astra table shows Claude Fable 5.1 scoring higher on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, 65.7 to 61.2. Read the Anthropic and Google DeepMind profiles for their own plans, and test your workload instead of relying on any vendor table.
Top Alternatives
- Anthropic: Pick OpenAI for the wider consumer and developer lineup and cheaper Sol and Luna tokens; pick Anthropic if you want Claude models that OpenAI's own Astra table shows ahead on one index.
- Google DeepMind: Pick OpenAI for ChatGPT and its agent products; pick Google DeepMind if you want Gemini models tied into Google Cloud and Workspace.
- xAI: Pick OpenAI for enterprise deployment through ChatGPT Work and DeployCo; pick xAI for Grok and direct integration with the X platform.
- Mistral AI: Pick OpenAI for closed frontier models and the largest agent ecosystem; pick Mistral AI for open-weight models you can self-host.
HokAI guides covering OpenAI
- Best AI Companies in 2026: Who Is Actually Leading: Anthropic's revenue passed OpenAI's in 2026, even as OpenAI keeps the bigger valuation. See how six leading AI companies actually compare, by the numbers.
- OpenAI Killed Sora in March. Seven Months Later, Here's Who Actually Won.: Sora's app closed in April, its API was due to end September 24, and Disney has named no AI video partner. See what changed since OpenAI's March news.
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