Claude is an AI assistant made by Anthropic, an AI safety and research company founded in 2021 by former OpenAI researchers including Dario and Daniela Amodei. You can chat with Claude to write, edit, analyse documents, brainstorm, learn, research and code. It is available on the web at claude.ai, as desktop apps for Mac and Windows, as mobile apps, inside tools like Slack, Chrome and Excel, and to developers through the Claude API.
This guide explains what Claude can do, how its plans and models work, and when it is the right choice compared with other assistants.
What can Claude do?
- Writing and editing: emails, blog posts, reports, scripts, cover letters and fiction, with strong control over tone.
- Document analysis: upload PDFs, contracts, research papers, spreadsheets or transcripts and ask detailed questions.
- Research: web search with citations, plus a Research mode that investigates a question across many sources.
- Coding: explain, write and debug code in chat, or use Claude Code for agentic software work.
- Data and files: create and edit documents, spreadsheets and slide decks, and run code to analyse data.
- Images: understand photos, charts, screenshots and handwriting (Claude does not generate images).
- Connected apps: through connectors, Claude can work with tools like Google Drive, Gmail, Calendar, Notion, Slack and many business apps.
- Taking actions: with Claude for Chrome and desktop features, Claude can navigate websites and work with files on your behalf, with your approval.
Who makes Claude?
Anthropic is headquartered in San Francisco and focuses on building reliable, interpretable and safe AI. It is known for research on AI alignment and for publishing a written “constitution” describing the values and priorities it trains Claude to follow. Anthropic has major cloud partnerships, and Claude models are available through Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud Vertex AI and Microsoft Foundry as well as Anthropic’s own platform.
Claude models explained
Claude comes in model families that trade off speed, cost and intelligence:
- Opus: the most capable models, best for complex reasoning, difficult coding and long agentic tasks.
- Sonnet: a balance of intelligence and speed, used for most everyday work.
- Haiku: the fastest and cheapest, ideal for quick tasks and high-volume API use.
Anthropic releases new versions regularly, so the exact model numbers change. In the apps you can usually pick a model from a menu, and paid plans unlock the most capable ones.
Where can you use Claude?
| Surface | What it is for |
|---|---|
| claude.ai (web) | Chat, projects, file uploads, research |
| Desktop apps (Mac, Windows) | Chat plus deeper computer integration and coding sessions. See Claude desktop app. |
| Mobile apps (iOS, Android) | Chat on the go, voice mode, photo analysis |
| Claude for Chrome | A browser extension that can read and act on web pages. See Claude for Chrome. |
| Claude Code | Agentic coding in the terminal, IDE, desktop and web. See how to install Claude Code. |
| Integrations | Slack, Excel, PowerPoint and other workplace tools |
| Claude API | For developers building apps. See how to get a Claude API key. |
Claude plans and pricing
- Free: chat on web, desktop and mobile with daily limits.
- Pro: about $20/month (cheaper billed yearly) for more usage, the most capable models, Projects, Research and Claude Code.
- Max: about $100 or $200/month for 5x or 20x Pro usage and priority access.
- Team and Enterprise: per-seat plans with admin controls, SSO and data protections.
- API: pay per token for developers.
Prices checked October 2026; confirm on Anthropic’s pricing page. For details on what the free tier includes, read Is Claude free?
Key features worth knowing
Projects
Projects store reference files and custom instructions so every chat starts with the right context. They are perfect for ongoing work like a book, a client account or a codebase.
Artifacts
When Claude creates something substantial, such as a document, a small app, a chart or a diagram, it can appear in a separate panel where you can view, edit and share it.
Memory
Claude can remember useful context across conversations if you enable memory, and you can view or edit what it remembers.
Connectors and skills
Connectors link Claude to your apps. Skills are packaged instructions that teach Claude repeatable workflows, such as creating spreadsheets or following your brand guidelines.
How is Claude different from ChatGPT and Gemini?
Claude is widely praised for natural writing, careful reasoning, handling long documents and coding. ChatGPT offers more built-in media features such as image and video generation. Gemini is the most integrated with Google apps. Read Claude vs ChatGPT for a detailed comparison.
Is Claude safe and private?
Anthropic invests heavily in safety research and publishes policies about how Claude should behave. On consumer plans you can choose whether your chats may be used to improve models; check Settings → Privacy. Team, Enterprise and API data is not used for training by default. As with any AI, do not share passwords or highly sensitive data, and double-check important facts.
How to start using Claude
- Go to claude.ai and sign up with email or Google.
- Ask a real question from your work today, such as “Summarise this PDF and list the three decisions it asks me to make.”
- Create a Project for a recurring task and upload your reference files.
- Try the desktop or mobile app so Claude is always one click away.
FAQ
Who owns Claude AI?
Claude is developed and owned by Anthropic, a US AI company. Several large technology firms have invested in Anthropic, but it operates independently.
Is Claude AI free?
Yes, there is a free plan with daily limits. Paid plans add more usage and features.
Can Claude browse the internet?
Yes. Claude can search the web and cite sources, and Claude for Chrome can navigate websites for you.
Can Claude generate images?
No. Claude can analyse images but does not create them. Use a dedicated tool from our free AI image generators list.
Is Claude good for coding?
Yes. Claude is one of the most popular models among developers, and Claude Code is a leading agentic coding tool.
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