Claude
Claude is Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis, coding, web search, and delegating tasks that return finished documents, slides, spreadsheets, and designs.
What is Claude?
Claude is Anthropic's AI assistant for tasks involving language, reasoning, analysis, and coding. It is available on web, desktop, and mobile, and is positioned as a thinking partner for work rather than a narrow chatbot. The product spans a Free plan and paid Pro and Max plans.
The core chat experience includes web search, file creation, code execution, and cross-conversation memory on Free, while Pro adds higher usage, delegated task outputs such as completed documents, slides, spreadsheets, and designs, Claude Code, Projects, and integrations including Claude in Chrome and Microsoft 365. Access to specific models and advanced features varies by plan.
How does Claude work?
Users begin with natural-language instructions on web, desktop, or mobile. They can ask Claude to search the web, create files, run code, or work with memory of prior conversations. On Pro and higher plans, users can delegate tasks and receive finished deliverables, and can use Claude Code to read a codebase, edit files, and run commands.
Claude uses the current conversation and any connected context as input. Depending on the plan and task, it may search the web, execute code, create files, or operate within a project or codebase through Claude Code. Outputs can be text, files, code results, or delegated deliverables, and users can refine them through follow-up instructions.
Use Cases
- Drafting, editing, and restructuring written content
- Searching the web and synthesizing information across sources
- Creating and refining documents, slides, spreadsheets, and designs through delegated tasks
- Reading, editing, and debugging code with Claude Code
- Maintaining context across conversations with memory and Projects
- Running code and analyzing data within a conversation
Pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
| Plan | Price | Billing | Included usage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | — | Chat on web, desktop, and mobile; web search; file creation and code execution; cross-conversation memory; app and tool connections, subject to usage limits. | — |
| Pro | $20 | per month | Everything in Free, plus higher usage, delegated tasks with completed documents, slides, spreadsheets, and designs, Claude Code, Projects, more Claude models, Claude in Chrome, and Microsoft 365 integration. $17/month with annual billing ($200 up front). | — |
| Max | $100 | per month | Everything in Pro, plus a choice of 5x or 20x more usage per 5-hour and weekly window, early access to advanced features, and priority access during high-traffic periods. | — |
Common Limitations
- Usage limits · Message limits vary by plan and depend on message length, the length of attached files, and the length of the current conversation. Paid plans provide higher usage than Free.
- Plan-based access · Claude Code, Projects, delegated task outputs, Claude in Chrome, and Microsoft 365 integration are listed as Pro features; they are not included on the Free plan.
- API billing · Claude API usage is billed separately through Anthropic's developer platform and is not included in Claude.ai subscription plans.
Key Features
- Writing and editing
- Web search
- File creation and code execution
- Cross-conversation memory
- Delegated deliverables (documents, slides, spreadsheets, designs) on Pro and higher
Claude vs. ChatGPT and Gemini
This comparison uses current official product and pricing information for the consumer-facing plans of each assistant. It focuses on documented positioning, plan structure, and stated capabilities rather than subjective model-quality rankings.
| Tool | Positioning | Key differences | Best fit | Pricing note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Official product page and plans Pricing page Usage limit guidance | An AI assistant for thinking, working, and coding, with delegated deliverables and agentic coding on paid plans. | Anthropic emphasizes delegated tasks that return completed documents, slides, spreadsheets, and designs, agentic coding through Claude Code, Projects, cross-conversation memory, and higher usage tiers up to Max. | Users who want an assistant for writing, analysis, delegated work outputs, and coding within a single product, with a paid tier that includes Claude Code. | Free is available. Pro is $20/month or $17/month with annual billing ($200 up front). Max starts at $100/month. |
| ChatGPT What is ChatGPT Plus? | A general-purpose assistant for chatting, writing, analysis, image generation, research, and coding. | ChatGPT's documented Plus plan includes voice conversations, image generation, file uploads and analysis, and Deep Research where available. It does not use the same delegated-file-output or Claude Code-style terminal agent framing. | Users who want a broad multimodal assistant with image generation, voice, and research tools in one interface. | Free plan available. ChatGPT Plus is $20/month, billed monthly. API usage is billed separately. |
| Gemini Gemini plans and features | Google's AI assistant, connected to Google apps and services, with multimodal and research capabilities. | Gemini's official pages highlight Google AI plan tiers, image generation and editing, Deep Research, Gemini Live, Canvas, and integration with Google apps such as Gmail, Docs, and Drive. | Users who want an assistant closely integrated with Google's ecosystem and a plan ladder that includes a low-cost Google AI Plus tier. | Free access is available. Google AI Pro is $19.99/month in the US; Google AI Plus and other regional tiers may differ. Check Google's current page for local pricing. |
Comparison checked against official product information on 2026-11-08. Features and pricing may change.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Claude have a free plan?
Yes. Claude offers a Free plan that includes chat on web, desktop, and mobile, web search, file creation and code execution, cross-conversation memory, and app connections, subject to usage limits.
What does Claude Pro include beyond Free?
Claude Pro includes everything in Free plus higher usage, delegated task outputs (documents, slides, spreadsheets, and designs), Claude Code, Projects, more Claude models, Claude in Chrome, and Microsoft 365 integration, according to Anthropic's plan comparison.
Is Claude Code included in the Pro plan?
Yes. Anthropic's pricing page lists Claude Code as a Pro feature. It is not included on the Free plan.
Can Claude create files and run code?
Anthropic's Free plan description includes creating files and running code. Pro additionally covers delegated task outputs such as finished documents, slides, spreadsheets, and designs.
Is Claude API usage included in a Claude.ai subscription?
No. Claude API access is provided through Anthropic's developer platform and is billed separately from Claude.ai subscription plans.
Alternative Tools
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ChatGPT ChatGPT is a general-purpose AI assistant for writing, file and data analysis, web research, image generation, coding, and voice conversations. -
DeepSeek DeepSeek is an open-weight AI assistant with a free consumer chat app, a 1M-token context window, and a low-cost API supporting thinking mode and agent workflows. -
Grok Grok is xAI's AI assistant for chat, real-time search, image and video generation with Grok Imagine, voice conversations, file analysis, and coding and agentic tasks through Grok 4.5. -
Vibe (formerly Le Chat) Vibe (formerly Le Chat) is Mistral AI's unified assistant for chat, multi-step work tasks with connected apps, and agentic coding across web, IDE, and terminal, with a Free tier and paid Pro and Team plans. -
Google Gemini Google Gemini is Google's multimodal AI assistant, offering up to a 1M-token context window on paid plans, Deep Research, and deep integration with Google apps and services, with a Free tier now limited to the Flash-Lite model. -
Microsoft Copilot Microsoft Copilot is Microsoft's AI assistant, available as a free web tool and as an add-on within Microsoft 365 that uses organizational data through Work IQ to work across Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and enterprise systems.