For educational purposes only. This comparison is compiled from official plan pages checked on 13 Oct 2026, not hands-on benchmark testing. Prices change — confirm on each official page.
Key takeaways
- Both have a free plan and a roughly $20 personal paid plan.
- Heavy-use tiers: ChatGPT Pro $100–$500/month; Claude Max $100–$200/month.
- ChatGPT has the broader feature set; Claude bundles terminal coding (Claude Code) into Pro.
- For teams, both offer business plans with admin controls.
Side by side
| ChatGPT | Claude | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes — unlimited everyday chats, limited extras | Yes — chat, web search, files, Artifacts |
| Personal paid plan | Plus (see pricing page) | Pro: $20/month, $17 annually |
| Heavy-use plan | Pro: $100 / $200 / $500 per month | Max: $100 (5x) / $200 (20x) per month |
| Team plan | Business: $25/user/month monthly | Team (see pricing page) |
| Image creation | Yes | Visuals via Artifacts |
| Coding | Codex | Claude Code (Pro and up) |
| Apps | Web, desktop, iOS, Android | Web, desktop, iOS, Android |
Which should you pick?
- Writing long articles or reports: Claude.
- Mixed tasks — images, voice, research and chat: ChatGPT.
- Coding in the terminal: both work; Claude includes Claude Code on Pro, ChatGPT includes Codex.
- Research with sources: consider Perplexity alongside either.
Read the full reviews: ChatGPT review · Claude review.
FAQ
Is ChatGPT or Claude cheaper?
Their entry paid plans are similar; Claude Pro is $20/month or $17 annually. Heavy-use plans start at $100/month for both.
Can I use both for free?
Yes — both have free plans with usage limits.