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ChatGPT vs Claude

The short answer. Both are excellent everyday assistants and cost the same. ChatGPT does more kinds of things in one app, including images and voice. Claude is the stronger pick for careful writing, long documents and code.

Which one should you pick?

Choose ChatGPT if

  • You want one app that also makes images and talks by voice
  • You like having the widest choice of add-ons and custom assistants
  • People around you already use it and share tips

Choose Claude if

  • Most of your work is writing, editing or reading long reports
  • You want help with code, or plan to use Claude Code
  • You prefer answers that are careful and say when they are unsure

Many people keep both free plans and pay for the one they open more often.

Side by side
ChatGPT
Claude
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Price
Free plan. Go (price varies by country), Plus $20/month, Pro from $100/month.
Free plan. Pro $20/month ($17/month billed yearly). Max from $100/month.
Skill needed
No coding
No coding
Overall test score of its best model
53 · GPT-6 Astra
58 · Claude Opus 5.5
Made by
OpenAI
Anthropic

Test score: Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, out of 100, checked 2026-09-30. Small gaps do not matter in daily use. All test scores

The details

ChatGPT

by OpenAI

A chat assistant you type or talk to that writes, explains, answers questions and makes images.

People use it to

  • Draft emails, letters and posts
  • Explain a confusing topic in simple words
  • Summarize a long document you upload

What it costs

Free plan. Go (price varies by country), Plus $20/month, Pro from $100/month.

Good to know

It can state wrong facts confidently, so check anything important. Your chats can be used to train models unless you opt out in settings. The Go plan may show ads.

Open ChatGPTHow to start

Claude

by Anthropic

A chat assistant that is strong at writing, reading long documents and helping with code.

People use it to

  • Rewrite a text in a clearer tone
  • Ask questions about a long PDF or report
  • Get help writing or fixing code

What it costs

Free plan. Pro $20/month ($17/month billed yearly). Max from $100/month.

Good to know

It can make mistakes, so check important facts. The free plan has usage limits that reset after a few hours. Check privacy settings to choose whether your chats help train models.

Open ClaudeHow to start

Prices as listed by each company when we last checked; they change often and can differ by country. Spotted something wrong?

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