What Claude does
Claude is Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis, coding and longer multi-step tasks. You chat with it on the web, desktop or phone, hand it files and connected apps, and it can return finished documents, spreadsheets and slides you can edit. Paid plans add Claude Code for programming, a Chrome extension that can act in your browser, and Microsoft 365 integration. It stands out for long tasks that can keep running after you close your laptop.
Best for
- Professionals drafting documents, slides and spreadsheets
- Developers using Claude Code
- Analysts working through long files and research
- Teams that want an assistant connected to their apps
Key features
Editable file outputs
Produces documents, spreadsheets and slides you can open and change, plus interactive artifacts.
Connectors and files
Links to other apps through connectors and MCP, and the desktop app can work with files on your computer.
Claude Code
A coding tool included from the Pro plan up for writing and changing software.
Claude in Chrome
A browser extension on paid plans that can carry out tasks in web pages.
Research and web search
Searches the web and runs deeper research tasks on paid plans.
Projects and memory
Keeps related chats, files and custom instructions together and remembers context.
Claude pricing
Claude has a free plan. Chat on web, desktop and mobile with web search, file creation, memory and up to 5 projects, under limits that reset every 5 hours and weekly. Paid plans start at $20/month. Usage limits depend on the model, chat length and file size. Team Premium seats cost $125/seat/month ($100 billed annually). Prices checked on the official site on Nov 9, 2026.
| Free | $0 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | $20/month | $17/month billed annually ($200 up front) |
| Max | $100/month | 5x Pro usage |
| Ultra | $200/month | 10x Pro weekly usage |
| Team Standard | $25/seat/month | $20/seat/month billed annually; 2-150 seats |
Source: Claude pricing page
Pros and cons
What it does well
- Free plan already includes web search, file creation and projects.
- Apps cover web, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, plus a Chrome extension.
- Team plans exclude your content from model training by default.
Know before you sign up
- All plans, including paid ones, have usage limits that reset every 5 hours and weekly.
- Opus models, Claude Code, Research and Claude in Chrome need a paid plan.
- The free plan is limited to 5 projects.
Alternatives to Claude
ChatGPTAsk questions, create, and work with files in ChatGPT.
GensparkCreate documents and media in an AI workspace.
Google GeminiGet Google AI help for questions, research, and creative work.
GrokChat, search, reason, and create with Grok.
Mistral VibeDelegate research, documents, coding, and workflows to Vibe.
DeepSeekUse DeepSeek’s chat service and model platform.
Questions about Claude
What is Claude?
Claude is Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis, coding and longer multi-step tasks. You chat with it on the web, desktop or phone, hand it files and connected apps, and it can return finished documents, spreadsheets and slides you can edit. Paid plans add Claude Code for programming, a Chrome extension that can act in your browser, and Microsoft 365 integration. It stands out for long tasks that can keep running after you close your laptop.
Is Claude free?
Claude has a free plan. Chat on web, desktop and mobile with web search, file creation, memory and up to 5 projects, under limits that reset every 5 hours and weekly. Paid plans start at $20/month. Usage limits depend on the model, chat length and file size. Team Premium seats cost $125/seat/month ($100 billed annually). Prices checked on the official site on Nov 9, 2026.
How much does Claude cost?
Paid plans start at $20/month; plans listed on the official pricing page: Free ($0), Pro ($20/month), Max ($100/month), Ultra ($200/month), Team Standard ($25/seat/month). Usage limits depend on the model, chat length and file size. Team Premium seats cost $125/seat/month ($100 billed annually).
Who is Claude best for?
Professionals drafting documents, slides and spreadsheets, Developers using Claude Code, Analysts working through long files and research and Teams that want an assistant connected to their apps.
Where can I use Claude?
Claude is available on Web, Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, Chrome extension and Slack, according to its official site.
What are some alternatives to Claude?
Similar ai assistants tools include ChatGPT, Genspark, Google Gemini and Grok. Compare them on the AI assistants page.