Tell HN: OpenAI brings back 5 hour limit for plus and business standard users

Commenters argue that a $20 subscription should not be expected to provide thousands of dollars of compute, and that base plans are little more than a trial or an alternative to Google searches. OpenAI's cheap tokens are seen as a transparent growth strategy before prices rise. One reply counters that users should take advantage of current low prices and switch later if needed, while another stresses being aware that the service is subsidized, even if OpenAI's inference margins remain unknown.

Another thread compares the situation to Uber's referral program, where users enjoyed luxury rides for free until the subsidy ended, and asks whether third-party inference providers behind OpenRouter are also losing money. The response claims that resellers benefit from Chinese and some US AI labs absorbing compute, R&D, and data-harvesting costs by releasing permissive weights, distorting real pricing. The discussion concludes with skepticism about any sustainable business model in the current market and warns that once the winning provider IPOs and must boost margins, it will likely tighten usage caps and push $20 users toward $200 plans.