Side by side
| ChatGPT | Claude | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes. The Free plan has unlimited text chats, with limited uploads, image creation, voice, deep research and memory. | Yes. The Free plan includes web search, connectors and up to 5 Projects. |
| Starting price | Not published. | Pro is $17 a month on an annual plan (billed up front as $200), or $20 a month billed monthly. |
| How it charges | A monthly fee per plan. Individual plans are Free, Go, Plus and Pro, and Pro comes in three usage tiers. The Go plan may include ads. | A flat monthly or yearly fee per plan. Pro and Max are individual plans, and Team and Enterprise are priced per seat. |
| Works with | Not published. | Slack, Gmail, Google Calendar and Salesforce through connectors, plus Microsoft 365 apps and Claude in Chrome. |
| AI features | Text and reasoning models, image creation, voice, deep research, memory, projects, scheduled tasks and custom GPTs, with higher limits on higher plans. | Writes and edits text, searches the web, reads Word, PDF, Excel, PowerPoint, CSV and code files, and builds documents, spreadsheets and slides. |
Prices and plans change. We checked these figures on October 10, 2026, so confirm them before you buy.
What ChatGPT is
ChatGPT is an AI assistant made by OpenAI. It offers text chats, file uploads, image creation, voice chats, deep research, memory, projects and scheduled tasks.
A newsletter operator would use it to brainstorm topics, draft and edit copy, research a subject and make images for an issue.
There is a Free plan and three paid individual plans named Go, Plus and Pro, plus Business and Enterprise plans for teams.
What Claude is
Claude is an AI assistant from Anthropic. It can produce first drafts, edit existing text and turn notes into briefs.
A newsletter operator could use it to draft and tighten issues, research a topic with web search, or read documents such as PDFs and spreadsheets. Projects keep instructions and files together by topic, and memory and saved preferences carry across conversations.
Which one fits
Both are AI assistants that people use to draft and edit newsletter copy. Each has a free plan, and each charges a flat fee for paid plans.
ChatGPT has Free, Go, Plus and Pro plans, with Pro in three usage tiers, and its free plan has limited uploads, image creation, voice and deep research. Claude's Pro is $17 a month on an annual plan or $20 billed monthly, and it has connectors to Slack, Gmail and Google Calendar. If you want image creation and voice, ChatGPT offers them. If you want to upload Word, PDF or spreadsheet files for analysis, Claude accepts those formats.
Is ChatGPT free to use?
Yes. There is a Free plan with unlimited text chats, subject to abuse guardrails. Uploads, image creation, voice, deep research and memory are limited on Free.
What do the paid ChatGPT plans add?
Go adds more messages with tools, more uploads, more image creation and longer memory. Plus adds advanced reasoning models, expanded deep research, projects, scheduled tasks and custom GPTs. Pro adds the highest limits and a choice of three usage tiers.
Can Claude read files I upload?
Yes. It reads common formats including Word, PDF, Excel, PowerPoint, CSV and code files.
Is there a free version?
Yes. The Free plan costs $0 and includes web search and connectors. Claude Code and Research are Pro features.