Question 1

Where is ChatGPT available? Where is it blocked?

Accepted Answer

ChatGPT is available in ~172 countries and fully blocked in ~9. ❌ Fully blocked: 🇨🇳 Mainland China (GFW + OpenAI double-block), 🇷🇺 Russia, 🇮🇷 Iran, 🇰🇵 North Korea, 🇨🇺 Cuba, 🇸🇾 Syria, 🇧🇾 Belarus. Partially restricted: 🇦🇫 Afghanistan, 🇱🇾 Libya, 🇸🇩 Sudan, 🇸🇴 Somalia, 🇻🇪 Venezuela. ✓ Hong Kong / Macao: July 2024 OpenAI announced a block, but it rolled back quickly or was never fully enforced — currently accessible directly. Major supported regions (172 total, partial list):

Question 2

Why is ChatGPT a 'double blockade' for mainland China users?

Accepted Answer

Mainland China users face two layers of blocking that must both be bypassed: ① Layer 1 — GFW National Firewall: chatgpt.com / api.openai.com are DNS-poisoned and IP-blocked. Direct access fails 100%. Bypassed via VPN. ② Layer 2 — OpenAI region check (company level): July 2024 OpenAI emailed users about blocking mainland China IPs. Mainland China IPs remain rejected. The HK/Macao block was rolled back quickly or never enforced — HK/Macao currently access ChatGPT directly.

Question 3

Are Hong Kong and Macao also blocked?

Accepted Answer

✓ No. As of April 2026, Hong Kong and Macao can access ChatGPT directly. In July 2024, OpenAI emailed users about an upcoming HK/Macao block, but in practice it either rolled back quickly or was never fully enforced. GFW doesn't apply in HK/Macao, and OpenAI's company-level block didn't stick. HK/Macao users currently access chatgpt.com directly without VPN. If OpenAI reinstates the HK/Macao block in the future, you'll need to VPN to US / Japan / Singapore / Taiwan.

Question 4

How much is ChatGPT? Is the Free tier enough?

Accepted Answer

The Free tier is sufficient for most users. ① ChatGPT Free — $0, unlimited GPT-4o mini + limited GPT-4o + basic features ② ChatGPT Plus — $20/mo, full GPT-4o/GPT-5/GPT-5.3 + DALL·E + advanced voice

Question 5

Why do check results differ from actual use?

Accepted Answer

AF3's result only represents IP accessibility at that moment — this is a one-time snapshot. We cannot monitor your network after the check. Accessible ≠ smooth streaming. If the check passes but you experience buffering or slow loading, common causes include: These are all VPN provider network quality issues, unrelated to AF3's check. Contact your VPN provider directly or try a different node/protocol.

Question 6

What do I need to register a ChatGPT account?

Accepted Answer

① Non-China phone number — OpenAI does not accept +86 China numbers. Options: • Google Voice (free, requires US IP to register) • Third-party SMS services (SMS-Activate / sms-man, ~$0.5-1.5 per code)

Question 7

What are China's alternatives to ChatGPT?

Accepted Answer

If you don't want to deal with VPN hassle, China's domestic AI has advanced rapidly in 2024-2026, with some models approaching or surpassing ChatGPT: These are directly accessible in China without VPN. For Chinese writing/coding/querying, they're fully sufficient. If you specifically need GPT-5 / DALL·E / specific plugins, you'll still need ChatGPT.

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