In this Anadyne IQ Rundown, we're diving into a practical comparison of Claude and ChatGPT. Whether you're familiar with both, one, or just getting started with AI assistants, this guide will help you make an informed decision about which tool will best suit your needs and help supercharge your productivity.
Author: Dr. Sarah Mitchell, Founder & CEO Anadyne IQ
You've probably heard of ChatGPT, the AI assistant that's been making waves in the tech world. But have you heard of Claude? This lesser-known AI tool is quickly gaining traction among writers, researchers, and businesses for its particular features. As someone who uses both Claude and ChatGPT for daily tasks, ranging from copywriting and proofreading to article analysis and coding ideation, I've noticed that each tool has its distinct strengths. Often, I find myself bouncing between the two, testing the same prompt to see which tool offers the better output. In this post I'll take a look at how Claude and ChatGPT differ, their strengths and features, and which tool might best work for you.
1. Introducing Claude: The Writer's AI Companion
Anthropic's AI assistant Claude has been gaining favour among writers and content creators. Anthropic was founded by former OpenAI researchers (the creators of ChatGPT) and is a smaller but focused player in the AI field. With a valuation of approximately $18 billion, compared to OpenAI's $90 billion, and a team of fewer than 500 employees (OpenAI has around ~2500 staff), Anthropic has positioned itself as a company prioritizing AI safety, reliability, and control.
The latest iteration, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, released in mid 2024, represents a significant leap forward. It's more intelligent and faster than its predecessor, Claude 3 Opus. Along with these improvements, Anthropic has introduced two exciting features: Projects and Artifacts (we'll talk more about these later).
The Claude user interface. Source: Anthropic
Here's why I think Claude stands out:
Less Generic Output: Unlike some AI (I'm looking at you ChatGPT) that commonly defaults to cliché phrases like "In the ever-changing landscape..." or "Unleash the power...", Claude seems to produce more natural, less AI-sounding text without me asking it to. Generally speaking, of course. Even with Claude, there'll still be a few "In today's fast paced world..." statements that pop up here and there.
Intuitive Writing Style: This one goes hand in hand with the previous point, Claude better captures my writing tone and style on first draft. It feels more like a collaborative partner that better understands me. By sharing just a couple of writing examples and some feedback on initial output, I've found Claude can quickly adjust to crafting text that resonates with my style. While ChatGPT can certainly produce similar results, I've found it takes a lot more back and forth effort to get it there.
Large Context Window: Claude 3.5 Sonnet can process up to 200,000 tokens (about 150,000 words) in a single conversation, which is significantly more than ChatGPT (128k tokens via the api, about 8k via the chat interface). This "context window" is essentially how much information the AI can keep in mind while chatting with you. A larger context window means Claude can analyse longer documents, handle more complex tasks, and maintain coherence over extended conversations. This is particularly useful for tasks like summarizing long reports or maintaining consistency in large writing projects.
Claude's limitations include:
There's no internet access for real-time information
Claude can't generate images, so if you like an 'all-in-one tool' Claude might not be for you
There are message limits even on the paid versions, which can be reached quickly with longer contexts. Once you hit your daily message limit, you'll have to wait until your quota resets, which can be anywhere from a couple of hours until the next day.
2. ChatGPT: The Jack-of-All-Trades
ChatGPT, created by OpenAI, offers a wide range of capabilities that make it a highly versatile tool. Since its first release in 2022, ChatGPT quickly became the most dominant conversational AI tool on the market. There's plenty to like about ChatGPT, particularly if you've got a paid version (Plus, Team, Enterprise). But if you're a free user you'll still have access to some premium features, check out ChatGPT's Free Tier FAQs for more details.
The ChatGPT chat interface. Source: ChatGPT
Here's some ChatGPT perks:
Internet Access: With ChatGPT you can browse the web, allowing you to access up-to-date information, which is a significant advantage over Claude. I'm often working on tasks that require knowledge of the latest news or access to a website. Within-tool internet access is the leading reason why I might switch from Claude back to ChatGPT. Or alternatively, I'll use another tool called Perplexity (but that's an Anadyne IQ Rundown for another day).
Convenient Image Generation: You can generate AI images from within ChatGPT using DALL-E, which is rather convenient (free users can create 2 images per day). I've made some really cool images with DALL-E, but I've also made some really rubbish ones. More often than not, I find it a challenge to produce the images I'm envisioning with DALL-E. So, whilst ChatGPT's multimodal capability is certainly convenient and powerful, I'll typically use specific image generation tools anyway. Freepik's Pikaso and Leonardo.ai are my current favourites.
An image created by DALL-E from within ChatGPT. Odd? Absolutely. But intriguing nonetheless. The prompt was simple: 'Create a humorous illustration of purple robots running riot in a downtown street'.
Larger Message Limits: ChatGPT Plus seems to have slightly larger message limits than Claude Pro. So far, I have not hit the message limit with ChatGPT Plus (80 messages every three hours on ChatGPT-4o), but I frequently hit the usage limits with Claude Pro, which can be a real pain when you're in the middle of a conversation. And for all you techies out there, yes, you can absolutely access these models with an api and pay as you go if that's your style.
Free Tier Fallback Model: On the free tier you're allocated a certain number of ChatGPT-4o messages each day - that's ChatGPT's most powerful model. This means that with the free version you get pretty much all the same functionality as the paid version... but only for a little while. Once you hit the daily message limit you'll default back to a lesser model. Which is a good thing. The perk here is you can keep using ChatGPT, just a less good version. This is unlike Claude where you'll have to wait until your quota resets (typically the next day) if you reach the message limit.
ChatGPT's limitations include:
May require more specific prompting to achieve desired results
Sometimes defaults to generic, metaphorical, or overly enthusiastic language, even with custom instructions
Custom GPTs can sometimes "forget" uploaded information and instructions
3. Claude vs ChatGPT: Features and Performance
Feature Comparison
Let's take a look at a high-level comparison between the two tools. Note the writing style evaluation is largely based on my own experience rather than any formal performance measures.
Feature | Claude | ChatGPT |
|---|---|---|
Writing Style | More natural, adaptive | Can be generic, requires prompting |
Internet Access | No | Yes (limited on free version) |
Image Generation | No | Yes (DALL-E integration for paid users) |
Message Limits | Yes | Yes, but more generous than Claude |
Custom Contexts | Projects feature | Custom GPTs |
Code Visualisation | Artifacts feature | No equivalent feature |
Context Window | 200,000 tokens | 128,000 via the api |
Pricing (Basic) | USD $20/month | USD $20/month |
Performance Comparison
If you're interested in performance metrics, check out the table below from Anthropic. They benchmarked the leading models using a bunch of standardised tests. You can see that both Claude 3.5 Sonnet and ChatGPT-4o perform similarly for many tests.
Claude scores clearly higher for reasoning and coding, while ChatGPT takes the lead for math problem solving. Whilst these tests do provide a helpful comparison, take them with a grain of salt. The key learning from this table is that both models are very powerful, yet they will perform slightly differently for various tasks. The best way to figure out which one is best for you is to have a play.
Model performance comparison table. Source: Anthropic
4. Custom Contexts: Personalizing Your AI Experience
Both Claude and ChatGPT offer features for creating customized AI assistants, which are incredibly valuable for tailoring the AI's responses to your specific needs. These custom contexts allow you to upload resources (like PDFs, images, or text) and provide instructions, essentially creating a more personalized and relevant AI experience.
This means you can create a 'virtual expert' on any topic by feeding it relevant documents and instructions. Think style guides, important reports, presentations, interview transcripts, or codebases - essentially anything you want the AI to easily recall and use.
Best of all, you don't need any coding knowledge to create a customised assistant.
Custom contexts are particularly useful for:
Creating virtual subject matter experts
Ensuring consistency in brand voice across different writers
Quickly onboarding new team members to company knowledge
Developing interactive training materials
Claude's Custom Context Offering: Projects
Claude Projects is available for Pro or Team account holders. A project can hold about 500 pages of information in its context window (about 6 times that of ChatGPT). I've found Projects very helpful, and Claude has consistently recalled and utilised the information I've uploaded. Yay, Claude!
You can upload internal knowledge with Claude Projects. Source: Anthropic
For example, I created a Project with my company's style guide and key marketing materials. Now, when I need to draft new content, Claude can reference these materials to ensure consistency with our brand voice and messaging.
You can specify custom instructions with Claude Projects. Source: Anthropic
ChatGPT's Custom Context Offering: GPTs
I've heard many positive reviews of ChatGPT's Custom GPTs, they're user friendly and easy to configure for non-technical users. GPTs can be created by paid users, while free tier users can access publicly available ones in the GPT Store (message limits do apply for free users).
My own personal experience with GPTs has been a bit of a mixed bag. Some GPTs I've created have been very helpful, but I've also found they can sometimes "forget" uploaded information, which means I have to remind them to use the provided context or instructions. Not a dealbreaker, but a tad inconvenient. That said, they are a great tool to play and prototype, and my top tip is to keep their scope narrow - the less you ask of them the better they will be at executing that specific task.
The GPT store offers pre-made custom GPTs. Source: OpenAI
Want to know more about Claude Projects or Custom GPTs? Keep an eye out for our upcoming Anadyne IQ blog posts, I'll walk you through how to get started and key insights to get the most from these features.
5. Claude's Artifacts: Bringing Ideas to Life
Artifacts is one of the standout features introduced with Claude 3.5 Sonnet. This feature is rather fun. It visualizes standalone pieces of content in a dedicated window adjacent to the main conversation. This content may be text, code snippets (that the AI writes for you), website mockups, and interactive outputs - all available within the chat interface. It's like having a mini development environment at your fingertips, and no coding experience required.
Claude Artifacts release video. Source: Anthropic
Here's how it works:
You describe what you want to create
Claude generates the necessary code or output
The Artifacts window displays the result in real-time
Cool right?!
While it might not be a daily-use tool for everyone, it's an excellent way to:
Prototype ideas quickly
Visualize potential layouts for reports, websites, or dashboards
Explore coding and educational concepts in a fun, interactive way
6. ChatGPT vs Claude, Which One Should You Choose?
No single AI tool is going to meet all your requirements. You can think of AI tools a bit like streaming platforms. Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ all offer a various selection of TV shows and movies. Whilst very similar, each platform has their own style and distinct offering. You might choose to only use one, you might use them all, or you might swap between them. Either way, it comes down to personal preference and budget.
The world of AI tools is no different.
This is why many users, myself included, find value in using both tools. Don't be afraid of these AI assistants, there's so many things they can help you with. Experiment and play with them to see which one you like. Consider cycling between subscriptions or maintaining both, depending on your needs and budget. Remember, the goal is to enhance your productivity and creativity – choose the tool(s) that best help you achieve that.
Use Claude for:
Writing tasks where capturing your personal style is crucial
Analysing long documents
Quick prototyping with Artifacts
Use ChatGPT for:
Tasks requiring up-to-date information from the internet
Image generation (alternatively consider specialized image generation tools)
When you need a higher message limit
A Rapid Evolution
One more thought: the competition between Claude and ChatGPT (and other AI assistants) drives rapid innovation that benefits the end users - you and me. With each new iteration of these tools, we're seeing constantly evolving features and capability, often leagues ahead of previous versions. So, you've tried out ChatGPT or Claude in the past and were underwhelmed with the outputs, it might be time to take a second look - I think you'll be surprised by what it can achieve.
Today's AI is the worst you will ever use
Ethan Mollick, Co-Director of the Generative AI Lab at The Wharton School
7. Getting Started
Getting started with Claude or ChatGPT is really easy: just navigate to their website (links below), create an account, and start a conversation with the AI. Not sure what to ask it? Tell the AI a bit about yourself and your job, and then ask it for suggestions on how it might be able to help you.
Both Claude and ChatGPT offer powerful capabilities that can transform your workflows. With a little bit of experimentation and practice, you'll soon find yourself using AI to assist you with all sorts of tasks, particularly the boring ones you don't enjoy. And remember, these AI assistants are tools designed to augment human capabilities, not replace them.
One small note, take care with the information you give to the AI. Keep it clear of confidential and proprietary information (think bank account details, health info, company finance data), as your data may be used to train the model.
If you have any questions about getting started, just send me a message at hello@anadyneiq.com and I'll be happy to give you a hand.
Check out more info from Claude and ChatGPT below:
Get started with Claude: https://claude.ai/
Learn more about Claude 3.5 Sonnet: https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-3-5-sonnet
Get started with ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/
Learn more about ChatGPT-4o: https://www.anadyneiq.com/post/introducing-gpt-4o-the-anadyne-iq-rundown
Here at Anadyne IQ, we're all about making AI less complicated. Whether you're interested in working with Claude, ChatGPT, or other AI solutions, we've got you covered. We can help you get started and learn how to use these tools effectively and responsibly. A great starting point is our no-fuss AI workshops, which are designed to boost your practical knowledge and confidence with AI tools so you can supercharge your workday.
Intrigued by what AI could do for you or your business? Let's have a chat. Reach out for a no-pressure discovery call to learn more about our practical AI workshops and our AI consulting services.
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