Where they are the same
Both have free plans and paid upgrades. Both run on the web, on desktop, and on phones. Both handle everyday work well: drafting, summarizing, planning, reading your files, answering questions. Both get things wrong sometimes, so the checking habits we teach apply to either.
The differences a beginner will actually notice
Set benchmarks aside; these are the practical differences:
| Claude | ChatGPT | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Anthropic | OpenAI |
| Keeping context together | Projects: folders that hold related chats and files (five free) | Its own project and memory features |
| Seeing what you create | Artifacts: documents and small apps appear in their own panel | Canvas, a similar side-by-side editor |
| Hands-on computer work | Cowork: works on your real computer, asking permission at each step (paid) | Agent features focused on browsing and research |
| Building without code | Code tab: visual, no terminal, you approve each change (paid) | Custom GPTs and code tools |
| Writing feel | Often described as careful and natural; judge with your own tasks | Often described as versatile; judge with your own tasks |
So which should you pick?
If you mainly want quick answers and variety, either works; try both free plans for a week on your real tasks and keep the one that felt better.
If what you want is to move beyond chatting into real workflows, files, and hands-on computer help, with someone walking you through it step by step, that is the path we teach, and it is Claude.
If you choose Claude, here is your free path
Start with Lesson 0, a click-by-click setup on Mac or Windows, then follow the course in order. It is free, needs no account on this site, and ends with you completing a real workflow of your own.