Is GPT-4.5 really worth $75/month? Everything devs need to know.

Was GPT-4.5 the AI breakthrough we were promised ... or just an expensive letdown?

OpenAI framed it as a step toward more human-like intelligence: better reasoning, sharper accuracy, and even a hint of emotional awareness. But when developers finally got access, the response was more muted than OpenAI might have hoped.

What many expected to be a major leap forward turned out to be much more modest. Minor upgrades, subtle regressions, and a noticeably higher price tag left developers asking the obvious question: is this real progress—or just the latest example of diminishing returns at scale?

In today's newsletter, we'll cut through the hype to explore:

• What’s actually new in GPT-4.5

• How it performs in real-world development workflows

• Where it delivers—and where it still falls short

• And whether it justifies the $75/month price tag

Let's go.