Sign in with ChatGPT now lets you log in to partner apps with your ChatGPT account and, if you choose, spend your own plan’s usage there instead of paying twice. OpenAI announced it at DevDay 2026, and it works without an API key.
The catch is that partner apps draw from the same pool as your own chats and Codex work. So a busy app can use up allowance you wanted for yourself.
Here is the short version:
- Anyone can sign in; using your plan for AI requests needs a Go, Plus or Pro plan.
- Apps get your name, email address and profile picture.
- Eligible requests count toward your ChatGPT Work and Codex usage.
- You can set a weekly cap per app in Settings > Usage.
- Credit use is off by default.
How Sign in with ChatGPT works in practice
It looks like any “Continue with” button. You pick Sign in with ChatGPT inside a participating app, log in to the account you want, and review what the app will receive.
Then comes the part that matters. OpenAI asks a second, separate question: do you want this app to use your ChatGPT plan? You can say no and still sign in. The app may then offer another way to pay, and you should read those terms before agreeing.
This is a different idea from the agent sign-in standard we covered in our Personal Agent Protocol explainer. That one is about agents logging in for you. This one is about who pays for the AI.
What an app can see, and what it can’t
Signing in and sharing your plan are two different permissions. This table shows how they compare, based on OpenAI’s help page.
| Question | Sign in only | Sign in and use your plan |
|---|---|---|
| What the app gets | Your name, email address and profile picture | Same basics, plus the right to bill eligible AI requests to your plan |
| Who pays for AI requests | The app, or another payment option it offers | Your ChatGPT plan’s included usage |
| Your chats and memories | Not shared | Not shared by this step alone |
| API key needed | No | No |
Sharing your plan does not, by itself, give an app access to your conversations or memories. Still, OpenAI advises signing in only to apps you trust, and you should check any extra permissions an app asks for.
Keep your weekly usage in check
Plan usage is shared, so the controls are worth five minutes. Open Settings > Usage to see how much each app has used and to set a weekly limit per app.
An app limit is a slice of your overall weekly usage. It is not a separate pool, and it does not raise your total. An app can hit its cap while you still have allowance left.
When you reach your overall plan limit, the app stops using your plan. The exception is credits. Credit use is off by default, and an app must be set to 100% to use them. If you also turned on automatic credit purchases, further use can cost money, and you may not get a separate notice when included usage runs out.
Rates can also differ between an app and ChatGPT itself, and the usage page does not show action-level detail. Signing in again won’t restore usage you’ve spent.
Which apps and plans are covered
OpenAI says the program launched with a limited set of partners, and there are 16 plan-usage partners at launch. According to TechBytes, the named ones include Cognition’s Devin, Notion, Vercel, T3, OpenClaw and Dactyl. OpenAI’s own page points to a directory at learn.chatgpt.com for the current list.
On plans, Go, Plus and Pro can use their plan in commercial partner apps. Supported open-source tools are open to all ChatGPT users. Partner apps may also limit plan use to certain app plans, so your side and the app’s side both need to qualify.
If you’re weighing a bigger plan for heavy use, our guide to the ChatGPT Pro 500 tier covers who needs that much headroom.
How to disconnect an app
You can cut an app off at any time. Follow these steps:
- Open Settings > Security and login > Login connections > Sign in with ChatGPT.
- Select the app, then choose Manage connection > Disconnect.
- Confirm.
Signing out inside the app is not enough, because it does not disconnect the app from ChatGPT or stop its use of your plan. Disconnecting also doesn’t undo usage already recorded or delete data the app already received. For that, you need to contact the app provider.
Some sign-in-only connections don’t show these controls. For those, sign out in the app or delete your account through the app or its support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an OpenAI API key to use Sign in with ChatGPT?
No. OpenAI says you don’t need to create or share an API key. The app bills eligible requests to your plan instead.
Is Sign in with ChatGPT free?
Signing in costs nothing, and plan usage is included in the plan you already pay for. Extra charges can happen only if you allow credit use and have automatic credit purchases on.
Can a partner app read my ChatGPT conversations?
Not through sign-in or plan sharing alone. The app receives your name, email address and profile picture. Check any other permissions it requests.
Which ChatGPT plans can use it?
Go, Plus and Pro can use their plan in commercial partner apps. Anyone can sign in, and open-source tools are open to all users. OpenAI’s help page doesn’t spell out Business or Enterprise terms for this feature.
Worth turning on, with a cap
If you already pay for ChatGPT and use one of the launch partners, this is a fair deal: you skip a second AI bill. But don’t click through on autopilot. Set a weekly limit for each app on day one, leave credit use off, and check Settings > Usage after a week to see which app is eating your allowance.
Leave a Reply