# GPT-5.6 Goes Public: Sol, Terra, Luna and the Prices

> OpenAI shipped GPT-5.6 publicly on 9 July as three tiers: Sol, Terra and Luna.

*OpenAI lifted the 13-day government-gated preview on 9 July and shipped GPT-5.6 as a three-tier family. Here is the fast version: the models, the prices, what is default, and the two side launches.*

By The FeaturedDaily Desk · FeaturedDaily
Canonical: https://featureddaily.com/news/gpt-5-6-public-launch-models-pricing-brief

> **Key:** **OpenAI made GPT-5.6 broadly available on 9 July 2026**, ending a 13-day government-coordinated preview and shipping the model as a three-tier family: Sol, Terra and Luna.

## What happened

The preview ran 13 days, starting 26 June with roughly 20 vetted partner orgs under the Trump administration's June AI executive order, which asks for voluntary pre-release government review of frontier models. On 9 July OpenAI opened GPT-5.6 to everyone, staging the rollout over about 24 to 48 hours. Free-tier users keep GPT-5.5 as their default.

The company did not go quietly. OpenAI publicly objected to the review process becoming "the long-term default," arguing it keeps the best tools from users, developers, enterprises and cyber defenders. That makes the launch both a product story and the first real test of the White House's voluntary framework.

> OpenAI said it does not believe this kind of government access process should become the long-term default, because it keeps the best tools from users, developers, enterprises, cyber defenders and global partners who need them.
> — [CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/08/openai-expanding-gpt-5point6-ai-model-release-ending-government-limits.html), 2026-07-08

## The models & pricing

Three tiers. **Sol** is the frontier model, with a heavier **Sol Ultra** mode that works harder and delegates to sub-models. **Terra** hits ~5.5-level intelligence at roughly half the cost and is now the default for paid ChatGPT (Plus, Team, Enterprise). **Luna** is small, fast and cheap. All three run a ~1.05M-token context with 128K max output, across ChatGPT, Codex and the API; the `gpt-5.6` alias routes to Sol.

API pricing per 1M tokens:

| Model | Input | Output |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sol | **$5** | **$30** |
| Terra | **$2.50** | **$15** |
| Luna | **$1** | **$6** |

OpenAI calls 5.6 its strongest cybersecurity model yet at far fewer tokens; Altman said Sol is about **54% more token-efficient** on coding. Under the Preparedness Framework all three rate "High" in cybersecurity and bio/chem, but none reach "Critical."

## What's next

Two side launches landed alongside the models. **ChatGPT Work** is an enterprise workplace companion for docs, sheets and decks. **GPT-Live** is a set of new voice models that listen and speak simultaneously. The efficiency angle is the one to watch: cheaper tokens make Terra the sensible default and widen OpenAI's margin. The bigger open question is regulatory. OpenAI just exited the govt-gated preview while telling Washington it should not become the norm, so watch whether the next frontier model gets the same review or skips it.

## Key takeaways

- GPT-5.6 went broadly available on 9 July 2026, ending a 13-day government-coordinated preview that began 26 June with about 20 vetted partner organizations.
- The family has three tiers: Sol (frontier, with a heavier Sol Ultra mode), Terra (~5.5-level intelligence at roughly half the cost, now the default for paid ChatGPT), and Luna (small, fast, cheap).
- API pricing per 1M tokens is Sol $5 in / $30 out, Terra $2.50 / $15, and Luna $1 / $6, all with ~1.05M-token context and 128K max output.
- OpenAI also shipped ChatGPT Work, an enterprise workplace companion, and GPT-Live, voice models that listen and speak at the same time.

## FAQ

### Which GPT-5.6 model do I get by default?
Paid ChatGPT users (Plus, Team, Enterprise) default to Terra, which delivers roughly 5.5-level intelligence at about half the cost. Free-tier users stay on GPT-5.5 as their default for now.

### How much does GPT-5.6 cost on the API?
Per 1M tokens: Sol is $5 in / $30 out, Terra is $2.50 / $15, and Luna is $1 / $6. All three offer a ~1.05M-token context window and 128K max output, and the gpt-5.6 alias routes to Sol.

### Why was GPT-5.6 delayed before the public launch?
It ran a 13-day government-coordinated preview from 26 June with about 20 vetted partners, tied to the June AI executive order's voluntary pre-release review. OpenAI opened it publicly on 9 July and criticized the process becoming permanent.

### What are ChatGPT Work and GPT-Live?
ChatGPT Work is an enterprise workplace companion for documents, sheets and decks. GPT-Live is a set of new voice models that can listen and speak at the same time. Both launched alongside GPT-5.6 on 9 July.

## Sources

- [OpenAI launches its new family of models with GPT-5.6](https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/09/openai-launches-its-new-family-of-models-with-gpt-5-6/) — TechCrunch, 2026-07-09
- [OpenAI releases GPT-5.6 and ChatGPT Work tool](https://www.axios.com/2026/07/09/ai-openai-gpt-release) — Axios, 2026-07-09
- [OpenAI to publicly release GPT-5.6, ending government limits](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/08/openai-expanding-gpt-5point6-ai-model-release-ending-government-limits.html) — CNBC, 2026-07-08
- [OpenAI's advanced GPT-5.6 models to be publicly released](https://www.nextgov.com/artificial-intelligence/2026/07/openais-advanced-gpt-56-models-be-available-public/414651/) — Nextgov/FCW, 2026-07-09