Considering alternatives to ChatGPT? Compare top AI assistants to find options that prioritize reliability, privacy, and honest performance over hype.
Critical Bugs
GPT-5 breaks when generating complex code. Users report that scripts exceeding 600 lines consistently fail with variable initialization and scope issues.
— OpenAI Developer Community
Request GPT-4o instead (now restored for Plus users). Break code into smaller chunks under 500 lines.
The Project Files feature in ChatGPT 5 is severely broken. Users report the AI cannot properly access or reference uploaded project files.
— OpenAI Community Forum, December 2025
GPT-5's automatic model switching system breaks frequently, causing dramatically degraded responses.
— Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO
High Severity Issues
Despite promises of reduced errors, GPT-5 still hallucinates at rates users find unacceptable for professional use. Real errors include wrong stock prices, confusing story details, and fabricated information.
Core capabilities that GPT-4o handled easily now fail. Basic summarization, organizing text into tables, and following simple instructions are unreliable.
Many users believe GPT-5 is throttling token output to minimize costs, resulting in shorter, less helpful responses.
— Reddit User
GPT-5 is described as "creatively and emotionally flat" compared to GPT-4o. Users find it "genuinely unpleasant to talk to."
Medium Severity Issues
Generated files are frequently "no longer there" even when clicked immediately. The AI claims files will appear in 5 minutes but never delivers.
GPT-5 regularly hangs in Chrome browser, requiring page refreshes and losing conversation context.
After uploading images, GPT-5 repeatedly asks users to re-upload, claiming it can't access files it just received.
OpenAI's Response
After massive backlash, OpenAI has:
- Doubled GPT-5 rate limits for Plus users
- Restored GPT-4o as a selectable option
- Released GPT-5.1 with "faster response times and adaptive reasoning"
- Admitted the rollout was "a little more bumpy than we hoped for"
However, many users report issues persist even after these fixes.
What Users Are Doing
Frustrated users are increasingly:
- Switching to Claude, Gemini, and other alternatives
- Cancelling ChatGPT Plus subscriptions
- Using GPT-4o instead of GPT-5 when possible
- Breaking complex tasks into smaller chunks
- Verifying all AI outputs manually
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