Is Claude better than ChatGPT?

For development and longer, complex tasks I find Claude better. For quick questions, voice and images ChatGPT is nicer to use. Which one is better depends on your work.

What can Claude do that ChatGPT can't?

The biggest difference for me is Claude Code: Claude works directly in your project files, also from VS Code. I also connect Claude to Google Workspace, Shopify and WordPress.

Why are people switching from ChatGPT to Claude?

Often for development and writing. Claude thinks along, remembers how you work and carries out tasks in your own files. I switched about a year ago.

How much does Claude cost per month?

In October 2026, Claude Pro costs $20 a month when billed monthly. Max plans start at $100 a month. I pay about €180 a month for Max 20x.

Does ChatGPT have a better voice mode?

In my experience, yes. ChatGPT's voice mode speaks Dutch with me, Claude's does not. If you mostly talk to your AI, ChatGPT is the easier choice.

Claude vs ChatGPT: which one fits you as a freelancer?

I used ChatGPT for years. About a year ago I switched to Claude, and now I pay for both. Not because I can’t choose, but because they do different things for me. Below you will read what I use each one for, what it costs, and which one I would keep if I could only have one.

The difference in one table

	Claude	ChatGPT
Strong at	Development, long tasks, thinking along	Quick questions, voice, images
Works in your project files	Yes, with Claude Code (also in VS Code)	Through Codex, which I have not tested
Integrations	Google Workspace, Shopify, WordPress and more	Apps and plug-ins
Voice in Dutch	Not for me	Yes
Image generation	I don’t use it for that	Yes, and it is good
Entry price (Oct 2026)	Pro $20 a month	Plus $20 a month
Biggest downside	Limits and price	Less strong for big build work

The test: the same question four times

I asked four accounts exactly the same question, in Dutch: “Write a short intro for a proposal for a new Shopify store for a coffee roaster.” Twice in a new, empty account. Twice in my own account, which already knows me and my business.

Claude's answer in a new account to the proposal question (in Dutch) — Claude, new account

ChatGPT's answer in a new account to the proposal question (in Dutch) — ChatGPT, new account

Claude's answer in my own account, signed with my name (in Dutch) — Claude, my own account

ChatGPT's answer in my own account (in Dutch) — ChatGPT, my own account

What I notice:

In a new account they are close. Both usable, both a bit generic. ChatGPT uses a few more stock phrases.
In my own account the gap is big. Claude signs with my name, describes how I work (in steps, short lines, one point of contact) and adds a tip on what to cut. That is because Claude uses my skills and instructions.
ChatGPT kept it short in my account. Fine as a starting point, but I would rewrite more of it.

So the real difference is not the model itself. It is how much you put in about yourself, and how well the tool uses it.

What I use Claude for

Pretty much everything related to my work:

Development. With Claude Code, Claude works in my project files. I use it in the app and in VS Code. It can also reuse code from another project, which helps because I build a lot of dashboards for clients.
Email and calendar. Through the Google Workspace connection, Claude reads my email and adds or moves appointments in my calendar.
Design. With Claude Design I make clean mockups before I start building.
Thinking things through. When I have an idea, Claude thinks along and comes up with solutions.
On the go. I can leave a session running on my laptop and keep steering it from my phone.

What I use ChatGPT for

ChatGPT is a side tool for me:

Quick questions. Looking something up or translating.
Comparing products. When I want to buy something, I get an image and a link right away.
Talking. The voice mode speaks Dutch. Handy when I want to figure something out while walking.
Images. ChatGPT is really good at this. I use it for that too.

My partner uses the same subscription. For that kind of use it is exactly right.

What about Gemini?

Gemini comes with my Google Workspace subscription. I used to use it quite a lot, but in my experience it is now behind the other two. I only use it for a quick question in Gmail or Docs, or when my Claude limit has run out.

What it costs

In October 2026:

Claude Pro costs $20 a month billed monthly. Max starts at $100 a month. (Claude)
ChatGPT Plus costs $20 a month. There is also a cheaper Go plan and more expensive Pro plans.

I pay about €180 a month for Claude Max 20x. That is a lot. I started on Max 5x, but because I work on more and more projects at once, it was no longer enough. Claude Code uses a lot.

Claude’s biggest downside is the limits. When your session limit runs out, you sometimes have to wait an hour, in the middle of your work. I would rather have one limit per day.

Someone recently put it like this: Claude is the Apple of AI tools, ChatGPT the Microsoft. With Claude you also pay for the convenience and how polished everything is. That matches my experience.

Privacy and client data

In both tools I turned off training on my conversations. Do the same, you will find it in the privacy or data settings of each.

Still, I never put sensitive client data in an AI tool. No passwords, no customer lists, no contracts. A setting is not a guarantee, and it is still your client’s data.

Which one should you pick?

Pick ChatGPT if you run a business and mostly work on marketing, copy and images. The images are strong, it is cheaper, and it works well for copy and content. Give it clear instructions per project about your goal.

Pick Claude if you build websites, online stores or apps. Everything can run locally, you can test properly, and with Claude Design you can make good-looking mockups for a first version.

And pick one. Switching is easy, but going back and forth is a waste. The longer you use one tool, the better it knows you and your business.

My choice

If I could keep only one: Claude, no doubt. Claude Code, working from my phone, and the connections with Shopify, WordPress and Google Workspace work exactly the way I want. It knows my business and how I work. I am not going back.