Learn How to Use GPT 3.5 in 2025 (Even If You’re Not a Techie)

In the fast-paced world of artificial intelligence, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype of the latest and greatest models. With new versions like GPT-4, GPT-4o, and beyond grabbing headlines, you might be wondering what happened to a reliable workhorse like GPT-3.5. Did it disappear? Is it obsolete?

Let’s clear the air: GPT-3.5 is not only still available in 2025, but it remains one of the most widely used and practical AI models on the planet. The way we access it has changed, but its value—especially for specific tasks—is stronger than ever.

If you’re not a developer or a tech guru, you might feel lost trying to figure out how to tap into its power. This guide is for you. We’ll break down everything you need to know about how to use GPT-3.5 in 2025, skipping the complex jargon and focusing on practical, actionable steps.

The Big Question: Is GPT-3.5 Still Available in 2025?

Yes, GPT-3.5 is absolutely still available and actively supported by OpenAI. The confusion arises because it’s no longer the default model you interact with on the main ChatGPT website.

When you use the free version of ChatGPT, you’re often interacting with a mix of models, with OpenAI automatically routing your request to the best model for the job, which is frequently a more advanced one. Paid subscribers typically default to cutting-edge models like GPT-4o.

So, where did GPT-3.5 go? It has transitioned from being the star of the show on the main chat interface to being the engine behind the scenes for countless apps and services. Its primary access point for dedicated use is now through something called an API and via third-party platforms that have it integrated. Don’t let the term “API” scare you—we’ll break down what it means in simple terms.

Why Bother With GPT-3.5 When Newer Models Exist?

With more powerful models available, why would anyone choose to use GPT-3.5? The answer comes down to a simple, powerful trade-off: cost and speed versus complexity.

Think of it like choosing a vehicle. You don’t need a monster truck for a quick trip to the grocery store; a small, efficient car is faster, cheaper, and gets the job done perfectly. GPT-3.5 is that efficient car.

Here’s a breakdown of its key advantages:

• Blazing Speed: GPT-3.5 is significantly faster than its more advanced counterparts. For tasks that require near-instant responses, like powering a customer service chatbot or generating quick content drafts, this speed is a game-changer.
• Incredible Cost-Effectiveness: This is GPT-3.5’s superpower. It is dramatically cheaper to run than models like GPT-4 or GPT-4o. For businesses, developers, or even individuals running large-scale projects, using GPT-3.5 for suitable tasks can result in savings of 90% or more.
• Proven Reliability for Standard Tasks: For a huge range of everyday tasks—summarizing text, rewriting sentences, brainstorming ideas, classifying data, and answering straightforward questions—GPT-3.5 performs exceptionally well. It’s a highly capable and reliable tool for the majority of common AI needs.

While newer models excel at complex reasoning, deep analysis, and multi-modal tasks (understanding images and audio), they are often overkill for simpler, high-volume jobs where GPT-3.5 shines.

How to Access and Use GPT-3.5 in 2025: Your Practical Guide

For a non-techie, the most practical way to use GPT-3.5 is through tools and platforms that have already done the technical work for you. Here are the primary methods, from easiest to slightly more involved.

Method 1: Using Third-Party Applications (The Easiest Way)

This is the best starting point for anyone who isn’t a developer. Hundreds of popular applications have integrated OpenAI’s models, and many allow you to choose which one you want to use. They handle all the API connections behind the scenes.

• What to Look For: In the settings or preferences of your favorite AI tools (writing assistants, marketing platforms, content generators), look for a “Model Selection” or “Engine” dropdown menu. You’ll often see options like GPT-4o, GPT-4, and gpt-3.5-turbo.
• Examples of Such Tools:
• AI Writing Assistants: Many grammar and writing tools allow you to select the model for generating or rewriting text. Choosing GPT-3.5 can give you faster suggestions at a lower cost.
• Content Creation Platforms: Platforms designed for generating blog posts, social media updates, or marketing copy often provide model selection to balance quality with cost.
• Chatbot Builders: Services that let you create your own chatbot for a website frequently allow you to pick GPT-3.5 as the underlying engine for quick, affordable customer interactions.

By selecting GPT-3.5 in these apps, you get all its benefits without ever touching a line of code.

Method 2: The OpenAI Playground (A Gentle Introduction to the API)

If you want a more direct way to interact with GPT-3.5 without the complexity of full API integration, the OpenAI Playground is your perfect sandbox. It’s a web-based interface that lets you experiment with different models and settings.

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide:

1. Create an OpenAI Account: Go to the OpenAI website (platform.openai.com) and sign up. You may need to add a payment method to get started, but you’ll receive some free credits to experiment with.
2. Navigate to the Playground: Once logged in, find the “Playground” section in the left-hand menu.
3. Select the Model: On the right side of the Playground screen, you’ll see a dropdown menu labeled “Model.” Click it and select gpt-3.5-turbo.
4. Start Chatting: You can now type your prompts directly into the main window and see how GPT-3.5 responds. You can also adjust settings like “Temperature” (creativity) and “Maximum Length” to see how they affect the output.

The Playground is an excellent way to get a feel for the model’s raw capabilities and practice your prompting skills.

Method 3: Understanding the API (For the Curious)

While you may not use the API directly by writing code, understanding what it is will demystify how most AI tools work.

API Explained with an Analogy:

Imagine you’re at a restaurant. You (the user) want a hamburger. The kitchen (the GPT-3.5 model) knows how to make the hamburger. You don’t go into the kitchen yourself; instead, you give your order to a waiter. The waiter takes your request to the kitchen and brings the food back to you.

In this analogy:

• The Waiter is the API (Application Programming Interface).
• Your Order is your Prompt.
• The Food is the AI’s Response.

The API is simply a standardized way for one piece of software (like a writing app) to request information or a service from another piece of software (like GPT-3.5). When you use a third-party tool, it’s using its API key to send your prompts to OpenAI and get the responses back for you.

Your Everyday Toolkit: Top Use Cases for GPT-3.5 in 2025

Now that you know how to access it, what should you use it for? GPT-3.5 is the perfect tool for high-volume, speed-dependent, and cost-sensitive tasks.

Content Generation and Brainstorming

Need ideas fast? GPT-3.5 is an incredible brainstorming partner. It excels at generating first drafts and multiple options quickly.

• Social Media Posts: “Generate 10 tweets about the benefits of remote work. Use a professional but friendly tone and include relevant hashtags.”
• Blog Post Outlines: “Create a detailed outline for a blog post titled ‘5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Home Office Setup’.”
• Email Drafts: “Draft a follow-up email to a potential client I met at a conference yesterday. My name is Jane Doe from Acme Inc., and we discussed their marketing needs.”
• Product Descriptions: “Write five different product descriptions for a new brand of organic coffee. Highlight its smooth taste and ethical sourcing.”

Summarization and Data Extraction

GPT-3.5 is brilliant at digesting large amounts of text and pulling out the key information.

• Meeting Transcripts: “Summarize this 30-minute meeting transcript into five key bullet points, highlighting action items and deadlines.”
• Article Summaries: “Provide a three-sentence summary of the following article.”
• Extracting Information: “From the text below, extract the company name, the CEO’s name, and the quarterly revenue figure.”

Rewriting and Editing

Perfect for refining your own writing or repurposing existing content.

• Tone Adjustment: “Rewrite the following paragraph to sound more formal and professional.”
• Simplifying Text: “Explain the concept of ‘photosynthesis’ in simple terms that a 10-year-old can understand.”
• Repurposing Content: “Turn this list of bullet points into a short, engaging paragraph for a LinkedIn post.”

Basic Customer Support and Chatbots

For handling common, first-level customer inquiries, GPT-3.5 is fast and cheap enough to power a chatbot that can answer frequently asked questions about shipping, returns, or product features.

Prompting GPT-3.5 for Success: Tips for Better Results

Because GPT-3.5 is less advanced in reasoning than its successors, the quality of your prompt is even more critical. It follows instructions literally, so clarity is key.

• Be Explicit and Specific: Don’t assume the model knows the context. Instead of “Write about cars,” try “Write a 200-word paragraph about the rise of electric cars, focusing on their environmental benefits and impact on the traditional auto industry.”

• Provide Clear Constraints: Tell the model exactly what you want. Specify the desired length, format, tone, and audience.

• Example: “Write a response in the style of a friendly customer service agent. The response should be under 100 words and formatted as a numbered list.”

• Use Few-Shot Prompting: Give the model an example of what you want. This is one of the most powerful techniques.

• Example:

• User: “Translate the following English sentences to French.”

• English: “Hello, how are you?” -> French: “Bonjour, comment ça va?”

• English: “Where is the library?” -> French: “Où est la bibliothèque?”

• English: “I would like a coffee.” -> French:

• Break Down Complex Tasks: If you have a complicated request, split it into smaller, simpler steps. Ask GPT-3.5 to do one thing at a time rather than everything at once. This approach, often used in comparisons of Perchance AI story generators vs ChatGPT, helps guide the model toward a better final output.

GPT-3.5 vs. Newer Models: A Simple Cheat Sheet

Still unsure which model to use? Here’s a quick guide to help you choose.

Feature	Use GPT-3.5 When…	Use GPT-4 / GPT-4o When…
Task Complexity	Your task is straightforward (summarizing, drafting, Q&A).	You need deep reasoning, analysis, or complex problem-solving.
Speed	You need a response immediately (e.g., live chat).	You can wait a few extra seconds for a more nuanced answer.
Cost	You’re on a tight budget or running a high-volume application.	Quality is the absolute top priority, regardless of cost.
Factual Accuracy	The information is for brainstorming or low-stakes content.	You need highly accurate, verifiable information for a report or research.
Creativity	You need standard creative content (e.g., marketing copy).	You need to generate novel ideas or write in a very specific, complex style.
Multi-Modal Needs	You are only working with text.	You need the AI to understand images, documents, or audio.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about Using GPT-3.5 in 2025

Q1: Can I still use GPT-3.5 for free?

The primary way to use GPT-3.5 is through the API or third-party tools, which usually involves costs (though very low). When you sign up for an OpenAI API account, you often receive free starting credits to experiment with. Some third-party applications may also offer a free tier that uses GPT-3.5 behind the scenes.

Q2: Will OpenAI stop supporting GPT-3.5?

While older versions are eventually deprecated, gpt-3.5-turbo is so widely integrated into applications worldwide that OpenAI is expected to support it for the foreseeable future. It serves a critical role in the AI ecosystem as the go-to model for fast, affordable tasks.

Q3: Is GPT-3.5 safe to use for sensitive information?

When using the OpenAI API, your data is not used to train their models. However, it’s always best practice to avoid inputting highly sensitive personal or corporate information into any third-party AI service unless you have thoroughly reviewed their privacy policy.

Q4: Why is GPT-3.5 so much cheaper than GPT-4o?

The cost is related to the computational resources required to run the model. GPT-3.5 is a smaller, more optimized model, so it requires less processing power for each query. GPT-4o is vastly larger and more complex, making it more expensive to operate.

Q5: What are the main limitations of GPT-3.5 I should be aware of?

The two biggest limitations are weaker reasoning skills and a higher tendency to “hallucinate” or make up facts compared to newer models. It struggles with multi-step logic problems and should not be relied upon as a sole source of truth for factual information. Always fact-check its outputs for important projects.

Conclusion: Embrace the Smart Choice

In 2025, knowing how to use GPT-3.5 is about working smarter, not just chasing the newest technology. While cutting-edge models push the boundaries of what’s possible, GPT-3.5 remains the undisputed champion of speed, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness for a vast array of everyday tasks.

By understanding its strengths and accessing it through user-friendly applications or the OpenAI Playground, you can add a powerful, practical, and affordable tool to your digital toolkit—no coding required. It’s the perfect engine for powering your creativity, streamlining your workflows, and getting things done fast.