ChatGPT Users Say Microsoft Overcharged Them by Limiting AI Access

Case Overview: A new class action lawsuit accuses Microsoft of manipulating ChatGPT subscription prices by restricting OpenAI’s access to computing resources. 

Consumers Affected: All U.S. ChatGPT Plus subscribers who paid for access between November 2022 and February 2025.

Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

A group of ChatGPT Plus subscribers is accusing Microsoft of secretly manipulating prices in the booming consumer AI market. 

In a new lawsuit, the users claim that a behind-the-scenes deal between Microsoft and OpenAI allowed Microsoft to restrict the computing power needed to run ChatGPT, inflating prices for millions of users while degrading performance.

According to the complaint, the arrangement gave Microsoft, OpenAI’s key investor and cloud supplier, control over the compute capacity powering ChatGPT. By limiting supply, the lawsuit says, Microsoft kept prices high, throttled quality and innovation, and profited while readying its own competing products, including Copilot.

When Microsoft reportedly loosened the restriction in mid-2025, OpenAI immediately slashed prices by as much as 80 percent and rolled out long-delayed upgrades, proof, plaintiffs argue, that Microsoft’s control had long been holding ChatGPT back.

Subscribers Report Paying Premium Prices for Slower, Limited Access

The lawsuit was filed by ten ChatGPT Plus subscribers from across the U.S., including residents of California, Colorado, Washington, New York, and Virginia. Each plaintiff says they paid roughly $20 per month for their subscription between early 2023 and mid-2025.

Some, like California resident Samuel Bryant, remain active subscribers, while others say they canceled after months of paying inflated rates for what they describe as a degraded product, slow responses, limited access, and delayed new features. 

Several former subscribers say they would rejoin if the alleged anticompetitive practices were fixed and fair prices restored.

Lawsuit Claims Microsoft Restricted Compute Power To Boost Profits

When OpenAI launched ChatGPT in late 2022, it quickly became the fastest-growing app in history. The company introduced its paid “ChatGPT Plus” tier a few months later, charging users for faster access and advanced AI models.

But behind the scenes, the lawsuit claims, Microsoft was pulling strings. As OpenAI’s exclusive compute provider through its Azure cloud platform, Microsoft allegedly limited the computational resources available to ChatGPT, essentially restricting how much “brainpower” the service could use.

The move, plaintiffs say, artificially constrained output and created a false shortage. As a result, ChatGPT subscription prices, and the cost of tokens for developers using its API, soared to as much as 200 times higher than competing AI platforms during the February 2025 price war.

When Microsoft finally allowed OpenAI to purchase compute power from Google that June, prices plummeted and performance improved overnight. The plaintiffs argue this “natural experiment” proves Microsoft’s control was the root cause of years of overcharging and poor service.

Case Joins Growing Antitrust Scrutiny of Big Tech Power Plays

The case against Microsoft comes amid a wave of lawsuits accusing major corporations of using their dominance to raise prices and stifle competition.

Amazon is facing one of the largest consumer antitrust cases in U.S. history, accused of inflating prices on its marketplace by forbidding third-party sellers from listing cheaper deals elsewhere. 

Disney is battling claims that it leveraged ESPN and Hulu to force streaming bundles that drove up costs. Visa stands accused of suppressing competition to maintain high debit fees, while Netflix and Facebook face scrutiny for an alleged market-dividing data-sharing deal.

The ChatGPT subscribers are seeking to represent all paying users nationwide who purchased subscriptions between November 2022 and February 2025. They’re asking for damages, refunds for the alleged “overcharge,” and a court order to prevent Microsoft from restricting OpenAI’s computing supply in the future.

Case Details

• Lawsuit: Bryant, et al. v. Microsoft Corporation
• Case Number: 3:25-cv-08733 
• Court: U.S. District Court for the Northern District Of California

Plaintiffs' Attorneys

• Brian J. Dunne, Yavar Bathaee, Edward M. Grauman, Andrew C. Wolinsky, and Allison Watson (Bathaee Dunne LLP)

Are you a ChatGPT Plus subscriber? Do you think Microsoft’s role affected pricing or performance? Share your thoughts below.