Pricing, Plans, and Access
Understanding the pricing and plans for ChatGPT and Claude helps you make cost-effective decisions. Both offer free tiers and paid options, each with different capabilities and limitations.
ChatGPT Pricing
Free Tier
ChatGPT's free tier provides:
| Feature | Availability |
|---|---|
| GPT-4o access | Limited messages, then falls back to GPT-4o mini |
| GPT-4o mini | Unlimited |
| Web browsing | Limited |
| DALL-E image generation | Limited |
| Custom GPTs | Can use, cannot create |
| Voice mode | Basic |
| File uploads | Limited |
The free tier is generous for casual use. You get access to GPT-4o but with rate limits—when you hit those limits, you're switched to the faster but less capable GPT-4o mini.
ChatGPT Plus ($20/month)
The most popular paid tier for individuals:
| Feature | Availability |
|---|---|
| GPT-4o | Higher limits |
| GPT-4 | Full access |
| o1-mini reasoning | Yes |
| DALL-E | More generations |
| Custom GPTs | Create and publish |
| Advanced Voice Mode | Yes |
| Priority access | During high demand |
Best for: Regular users who want reliable access to the best models without interruption.
ChatGPT Pro ($200/month)
For power users needing the most advanced capabilities:
| Feature | Availability |
|---|---|
| Everything in Plus | Yes |
| o1 (full reasoning model) | Yes |
| o1 pro mode | Yes (highest reasoning) |
| Unlimited access | To all models |
| Priority access | Always |
Best for: Researchers, developers, and professionals using AI extensively for complex reasoning tasks.
ChatGPT Team ($25-30/user/month)
For organizations:
| Feature | Availability |
|---|---|
| Everything in Plus | Yes |
| Admin console | Yes |
| Team workspaces | Yes |
| Data not used for training | Yes |
| Higher limits | Yes |
ChatGPT Enterprise (Custom pricing)
For large organizations with security and compliance needs. Includes SSO, advanced security, dedicated support, and custom deployment options.
Claude Pricing
Free Tier
Claude's free tier includes:
| Feature | Availability |
|---|---|
| Claude 3.5 Sonnet | Limited daily messages |
| Claude 3.5 Haiku | Yes |
| File uploads | Yes |
| Projects | Limited |
| Artifacts | Yes |
The free tier gives access to the excellent Sonnet model but with stricter daily limits than ChatGPT's free tier.
Claude Pro ($20/month)
Anthropic's individual paid tier:
| Feature | Availability |
|---|---|
| Claude 3.5 Sonnet | 5x more usage |
| Claude 3 Opus | Yes |
| Claude 3.5 Haiku | Unlimited |
| Priority access | During high demand |
| Projects | More capacity |
| Early feature access | Yes |
Best for: Regular Claude users who want access to Opus and higher usage limits.
Claude Team ($25/user/month, minimum 5 users)
For small to medium teams:
| Feature | Availability |
|---|---|
| Everything in Pro | Yes |
| Admin controls | Yes |
| Shared projects | Yes |
| Data not used for training | Yes |
| Higher limits | Per user |
Claude Enterprise (Custom pricing)
For large organizations. Includes SSO, expanded context windows, SCIM provisioning, audit logs, and dedicated support.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Free Tiers
| Aspect | ChatGPT Free | Claude Free |
|---|---|---|
| Best model available | GPT-4o (limited) | Claude 3.5 Sonnet (limited) |
| Daily limits | Moderate | More restrictive |
| Image generation | Limited | No |
| Web browsing | Limited | No |
| File uploads | Limited | Yes |
| Voice mode | Basic | No |
Verdict: ChatGPT's free tier is more generous in features. Claude's free tier gives access to an excellent model but with tighter usage limits.
Individual Paid Plans ($20/month)
| Aspect | ChatGPT Plus | Claude Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Primary model | GPT-4o | Claude 3.5 Sonnet |
| Advanced model | o1-mini | Claude 3 Opus |
| Image generation | DALL-E | No |
| Web browsing | Yes | No |
| Voice conversations | Advanced | No |
| Context window | 128K tokens | 200K tokens |
| Custom assistants | Custom GPTs | Projects |
Verdict: Similar value at the same price. ChatGPT Plus offers more features (images, voice, browsing); Claude Pro offers larger context and access to Opus.
Value Analysis
ChatGPT Plus is better value if you:
- Need image generation
- Want voice conversations
- Require web browsing for research
- Use the plugin ecosystem
- Work within Microsoft 365
Claude Pro is better value if you:
- Work with very long documents
- Prioritize writing quality
- Need extensive code review
- Want more thorough analysis
- Prefer measured, thoughtful responses
API Pricing
For developers building applications, both offer API access with usage-based pricing.
ChatGPT API (Per 1M tokens)
| Model | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|
| GPT-4o | $2.50 | $10.00 |
| GPT-4o mini | $0.15 | $0.60 |
| GPT-4 Turbo | $10.00 | $30.00 |
| o1 | $15.00 | $60.00 |
Claude API (Per 1M tokens)
| Model | Input | Output |
|---|---|---|
| Claude 3.5 Sonnet | $3.00 | $15.00 |
| Claude 3 Opus | $15.00 | $75.00 |
| Claude 3.5 Haiku | $0.25 | $1.25 |
API pricing is competitive between both services. For most applications, the costs are similar.
Accessing the Tools
ChatGPT Access Options
- Web: chat.openai.com
- iOS app: ChatGPT in App Store
- Android app: ChatGPT in Play Store
- Desktop: ChatGPT desktop app (Mac, Windows)
- API: platform.openai.com
Claude Access Options
- Web: claude.ai
- iOS app: Claude in App Store
- Android app: Claude in Play Store
- Desktop: Claude desktop app (Mac, Windows)
- API: console.anthropic.com
Both have similar availability across platforms.
Key Takeaways
- Both offer free tiers; ChatGPT's is more feature-rich, Claude's has tighter limits
- Individual paid plans are both $20/month with different strengths
- ChatGPT Plus includes image generation, voice, and web browsing
- Claude Pro offers larger context windows and access to Opus
- Team/Enterprise pricing is comparable for both
- API costs are similar; choose based on which model fits your use case