ChatGPT or Claude? How to decide which AI chatbot is worth your money.

Site SearchClearSEARCHAdvanced Search ➔Search ResultsSymbolsNo results foundAll NewsArticlesVideoPodcasts0 ResultsNo Results FoundAuthorsNo results foundSectionsNo results foundColumnsNo results found ChatGPT or Claude? How to decide which AI chatbot is worth your money.Before subscribing to an AI bot like these — or Grok or Gemini — here’s how the top four models compare on features and pricePublished: March 25, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. ETShareResizeListen(9 min)Some AI enthusiasts have made the switch from ChatGPT to Claude in recent weeks. Photo: MarketWatch photo illustration/iStockphotoChoosing an AI chatbot used to be a simple technical preference. But after OpenAI partnered with the U.S. Defense Department following Anthropic’s clash with the Pentagon, some consumers began treating their $20 monthly subscriptions like a political ballot.In late February, Anthropic’s Claude briefly unseated OpenAI’s ChatGPT as the No. 1 app in Apple’s AAPL U.S. app store. The surge followed a standoff with the White House, during which the U.S. government labeled Anthropic a national-security risk after the artificial-intelligence company refused to waive its restrictions on using AI for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. OpenAI took the opposite approach — signing a major deal to deploy its models on the Pentagon’s classified networks. About the Author Genna ContinoGenna Contino is the Smart Spending reporter on MarketWatch's personal finance desk. She previously covered personal finance for CNBC as well as city hall for The Charlotte Observer in North Carolina. She graduated from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York in 2024.Show Conversation (0)Back To TopA Dow Jones CompanyCopyright © 2026 MarketWatch, Inc. All rights reserved.Terms of UsePrivacy NoticeCookie NoticeArchive MarketwatchCustomer CenterContact UsNewslettersNewsroom RosterVirtual Stock ExchangeMarketWatch GuidesCopyright PolicyManage NotificationsCancel My SubscriptionCompanyDow JonesCode of ConductCorrectionsReprints & LicensingDigital Self ServiceYour Ad ChoicesCorporate SubscriptionsAccessibilityDow Jones NetworkThe Wall Street JournalBarron'sInvestor's Business DailyFinancial News Londonrealtor.comMansion GlobalDow Jones Smart MoneyIntraday Data provided by FACTSET and subject to terms of use. Historical and current end-of-day data provided by FACTSET. All quotes are in local exchange time. Real-time last sale data for U.S. stock quotes reflect trades reported through Nasdaq only. Intraday data delayed at least 15 minutes or per exchange requirements.