Home / Compare / ChatGPT vs Claude

ChatGPT vs Claude

In short: Claude scores higher on quality (Elo and editorial score combined), the two barely differ on privacy, and ChatGPT is cheaper to get started with.

ChatGPTOpenAI
1485EloGDPR: Strong

1 of 5 criteria with a clear difference

vs
ClaudeAnthropic
1506EloGDPR: Strong

4 of 5 criteria with a clear difference

ChatGPTThe duelClaude
1485Quality (Elo)Quality from blind duels on LMArena: users choose between two anonymous answers. You notice a difference of about 20 points; a few points is noise. How we measure1506
1767Code EloThe same blind duels on LMArena, but only with programming tasks. How we measure1818
8.9Editorial scoreOur own assessment on 10 of suitability for professional work, price and privacy. An assessment, not a measurement; that is why it always sits alongside the Elo. How we measure9.0
$50Price out per 1M (lower is better)$20

A bar fills towards the model's side; yellow is a clear difference, grey falls within the margin of measurement.

CriterionChatGPTClaude
Quality (Elo)Quality from blind duels on LMArena: users choose between two anonymous answers. A difference of about 20 points is noticeable, a few points is noise. How we measure14851506
Editorial scoreOur own assessment on 10 of suitability for professional work, price and privacy. This is a judgement, not a measurement; that is why it always sits alongside the Elo. How we measure8,9 / 109,0 / 10
Code EloThe same blind duels on LMArena, but only with programming tasks. How we measure17671818
API price in, per 1M$10$4
API price out, per 1M$50$20
Entry price (subscription)$8 / month$20 / month
Businessfrom $20 / seat (Business / API)from $20 / seat (Team / API)
Context window~1M tokens1M tokens
ModalitiesText, Image, Speech, CodeText, Image input, Code
EU hostingYesYes
Self-hostableNoNo
No training (business)YesYes
GDPR profileOur summary of what the provider itself publishes about your data. For a professional tool: whether the data is stored in the EU, whether there is a certification or GDPR guarantee, and whether the provider is based in the Netherlands or the EU. For a general model: EU hosting, no training on your data and self-hosting. From Strong to Unknown; Caution only for a model with a documented problem. How we measureStrongStrong

Source: LMArena, OpenRouter · retrieved 9 November 2026

Choose ChatGPT if…

  • you consider versatility across a wide range of tasks important
  • you consider strength in agentic coding and debugging important
  • price is a decisive factor

Choose Claude if…

  • you consider reading long documents and codebases important
  • you consider careful, traceable reasoning important
  • you want the highest overall quality

Frequently asked questions

By field

Which is better: ChatGPT or Claude?

On combined quality (LMArena Elo + our editorial score), Claude comes out higher, but the right choice depends on your field and requirements: ChatGPT may suit you better on price or privacy. See the table above.

Which is better for privacy and GDPR: ChatGPT or Claude?

They differ little (EU hosting, on-premise and no training on your data). ChatGPT: EU data residency available for Enterprise, Edu and the API. Business and API data are not used for training by default; consumer tiers (Free/Plus/Pro) are, unless you switch this off.

Which is cheaper: ChatGPT or Claude?

ChatGPT has the lowest entry price. Always check current prices, as they change often.

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