ChatGPT vs Claude

ChatGPT and Claude compared on what matters day to day: price, features, apps and privacy.

Data as of October 22, 2026

Side-by-side comparison

CriterionChatGPTClaude
DeveloperOpenAIAnthropic
CountryUnited StatesUnited States
LaunchedNovember 2022July 2023
Free versionYes, limitedYes, limited
Plansfrom $8 / monthfrom $20 / month
Web searchYesYes
Agent modeYesYes
File uploadYesYes
Image generationYesNot disclosed
Voice modeYesNot disclosed
MemoryYesYes
Code executionNot disclosedYes
Autonomous browsingNot disclosedYes
WebYesYes
iPhoneYesYes
AndroidYesYes
WindowsYesYes
macOSYesYes
Browser extensionNot disclosedYes
French interfaceYesYes
Spanish interfaceYesYes
Opt out of training on your chatsYesYes
Temporary chatYesYes
EU data residencyYesNot disclosed

The match-up at a glance

ChatGPT is made by OpenAI, launched in 2022; Claude by Anthropic, launched in 2023. Both answer questions, write and summarise, but their plans, features and privacy rules differ.

ChatGPT runs on GPT-6 Astra, GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-6 Luna; Claude runs on Claude Opus 5.5, Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Claude Haiku 5.5.

Survey carried out on October 22, 2026 from the official pages of both services.

Price and free version

At a comparable entry plan, ChatGPT is the cheaper one. Higher tiers mostly add usage volume and advanced features.

  • ChatGPT: limited free version
  • Claude: limited free version
  • ChatGPT: first paid plan at $8 per month
  • Claude: first paid plan at $20 per month

Features compared

Both offer: web search, agent mode, file upload and memory.

Not confirmed for one of the two: image generation, voice mode, code execution and autonomous browsing.

In total, of the 8 features we track, 6 are confirmed for ChatGPT and 6 for Claude. A feature may only be available on a paid plan: check before you subscribe.

Where to use them

Both available on: Web, iPhone, Android, Windows and macOS.

Privacy

Both allow: opt out of training on your chats and temporary chat.

In short

The best way to decide is still to try both free versions on the same task. To widen the choice, use the AI assistants comparison or the which-AI quiz.

  • Choose ChatGPT for finding sourced information.
  • Choose Claude for coding.

Other comparisons

Frequently asked questions

ChatGPT or Claude: which one is free?

ChatGPT: limited free version. Claude: limited free version.

Which one is cheaper?

ChatGPT has the cheaper entry-level paid plan. ChatGPT: first paid plan at $8 per month. Claude: first paid plan at $20 per month.

Which one protects my data best?

ChatGPT, with 3 of three safeguards confirmed (training opt-out, temporary chat, EU data residency), versus 2.

Which one should I choose?

Choose ChatGPT for finding sourced information. Choose Claude for coding.

Data sources

Data as of October 22, 2026

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