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Side-by-side comparison · AI Assistants & LLMs

ChatGPT vs Claude

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

ChatGPT

4.3

From $8/mo

Best overall

Claude

4.6

From $20/mo

Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Pick it if: Anyone who wants one general-purpose assistant that handles most everyday jobs.

Best overallBest value

Pick it if: Anyone who writes, researches or makes decisions for a living, plus anyone curious about Claude Code.

Overview

AttributeChatGPTClaude
In one lineOpenAI's all-rounder: chat, images, voice, web search and agents in one app.Anthropic's chat assistant, at its best on careful writing and long documents.
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starting price$8/mo$20/mo
Free plan Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code No Yes

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

AttributeChatGPTClaude
Overall rating4.34.6Winner
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
4.5
4.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers the job it's built for, and how well the pieces fit together.
5.0
4.5
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.0
5.0
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
4.0
4.5
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
4.0
4.5

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

AttributeChatGPTClaude
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes
Mobile app Yes Yes
Desktop app Yes Yes
Browser extension Yes Yes
API access Yes Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace Yes Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes Yes
Connects to other apps Yes Yes
Open source or self-hosted No No
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes Yes
Understands images Yes Yes
Makes images Yes No
Makes video Yes No
Writes code Yes Yes
Runs agents or automations Yes Yes
Learns your brand or style Yes Yes
Works in many languages Yes Yes
Capabilities score16/ 1714/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

AttributeChatGPTClaude
Plans

Free

Free

Trying it out and everyday questions.

Free

Free

Trying it out and light daily use.

Go

$8/mo

Casual users who hit the free limits.

ProOur pick

$20/mo, or $17/mo billed yearly

Anyone who uses it most days.

PlusOur pick

$20/mo

Anyone using it most days for work.

Max

From $100/mo

Heavy users and people living in Claude Code.

Pro

From $100/mo

Heavy users and people living in Codex.

Team

From $20/seat/mo billed yearly

Businesses with 2 to 150 people.

Business

See website

Teams from 2 people up.

Which plan to pickThe free plan is now good enough to use properly, so stay on it until the image, voice or research limits annoy you. Plus is the sensible upgrade. Only look at Pro if you run Codex or deep research all day, and read the current tier details first because they keep changing.Start on Free to see if the writing suits you. Most people who stick with it move to Pro within a month; only go to Max if you hit the Pro limits every day or you're running Claude Code for hours at a time.

Key features

AttributeChatGPTClaude
Standout features
  • Image generation and editing
  • Voice mode
  • Deep research
  • Agent mode
  • Custom GPTs and connectors
  • Codex
  • Projects
  • Artifacts
  • Long documents
  • Web search and connectors
  • Claude Code
  • Memory

Pros and cons

AttributeChatGPTClaude
Pros
  • The widest set of built-in tools of any assistant
  • Free plan now includes unlimited text chat on the main model
  • Image generation and voice mode are the best in the category
  • Huge ecosystem of custom GPTs, connectors and guides
  • One subscription covers the Codex coding agent too
  • Writing sounds like a person and needs the least editing of any assistant
  • Handles long documents and messy briefs without losing track
  • Projects and memory mean you stop repeating the same context
  • Artifacts turn answers into real documents, slides and small apps
  • One subscription covers Claude Code as well
Cons
  • Writing sounds generic unless you work hard on the prompt
  • Plans and limits change often, and Pro now runs to $500 a month
  • Free and Go plans may show ads
  • It's confident when it's wrong, so check facts before you publish
  • Free and Pro usage limits can bite on a busy day
  • No video generation, and image generation is basic next to ChatGPT
  • Fewer third-party connectors and plugins than ChatGPT

Who each one is for

AttributeChatGPTClaude
Best for
  • Everyday questions and brainstorming
  • Making and editing images in the chat
  • Voice conversations on your phone
  • Quick research with web search
  • Long-form writing and editing
  • Reading and summarising long documents
  • Thinking through a plan or decision
  • Pairing with Claude Code
You'll find it used by
  • Marketers
  • Small business owners
  • Students
  • Developers
  • Writers and marketers
  • Founders
  • Consultants
  • Developers

Questions people ask

Which is better, ChatGPT or Claude?

Claude scores highest overall in our ratings (ChatGPT 4.3/5 and Claude 4.6/5). ChatGPT is best for everyday questions and brainstorming and making and editing images in the chat. Claude is best for long-form writing and editing and reading and summarising long documents.

Which is cheaper, ChatGPT or Claude?

ChatGPT: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo. Claude: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $20/mo.

How we compare

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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