Claude

What is Claude?

Claude is Anthropic’s AI assistant, designed to be helpful, harmless, and honest. Since its initial release, Claude has grown from a capable chatbot into a full AI platform with desktop apps, terminal-based coding agents, computer automation, and deep integrations with dozens of productivity tools.

The current generation — Claude 4.6 — includes Opus (flagship), Sonnet (balanced), and Haiku (fast). Opus 4.6 scored 80.8% on SWE-bench Verified and leads professional benchmarks in finance and legal reasoning, making it arguably the most capable AI model available for complex knowledge work.

Key Features in Detail

Adaptive Thinking. New in Claude 4.6, adaptive thinking replaces the old manual “extended thinking” toggle. Claude now automatically decides how deeply to reason based on the complexity of your request. Simple questions get fast answers. Complex problems get step-by-step analysis. You don’t have to configure anything — it just works.

1M Token Context Window. Claude can process up to 1 million tokens in a single conversation — roughly 200,000 lines of code or several full novels. This makes it possible to analyze entire codebases, review lengthy legal documents, or process dozens of research papers at once without splitting them across multiple conversations.

Artifacts. When Claude generates code, visualizations, documents, or interactive content, it renders them in a dedicated panel alongside the conversation. You can iterate on artifacts, publish them with a shareable link, or download them directly. It turns Claude into a lightweight development environment.

Claude Code. A terminal-based coding agent that can autonomously navigate repositories, write and edit code across multiple files, run tests, and manage git workflows. It operates directly in your development environment with full access to your tools and context. Claude Code is included with Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans.

Computer Use. Claude can control your computer by analyzing screenshots and performing mouse clicks, keyboard input, and navigation. Opus 4.6 scores 72.7% on the OSWorld benchmark, making it the leading model for automated desktop workflows.

MCP Integrations. With over 50 integrations through the Model Context Protocol, Claude connects directly to Slack, Gmail, Notion, Figma, Canva, Asana, and more. MCP Apps render third-party interfaces inside the Claude chat window, so you can manage tasks, review designs, or respond to messages without switching tabs.

Projects. Create persistent workspaces with custom instructions and reference documents that carry across every conversation. Set up a project once — with your coding style guide, brand voice, or research context — and Claude remembers it every time.

Pricing Plans

Free — Access to Sonnet 4.6 with session-based message limits. Includes Artifacts, web search, and file uploads. A strong starting point for trying Claude.

Pro ($20/month) — Access to all models including Opus 4.6, higher usage limits, extended thinking, Projects, Claude Code, and MCP integrations. The best value for individual professionals.

Max 5x ($100/month) — 5x the Pro usage limits (approximately 225+ messages per 5-hour window). Includes everything in Pro with priority access and long-term memory.

Max 20x ($200/month) — 20x the Pro usage limits (approximately 900+ messages per 5-hour window). Maximum priority, near-zero wait times.

Team ($25-30/seat/month) — Everything in Pro with shared workspaces, admin controls, and team-level usage. Minimum 5 seats. Premium tier at $125/seat includes Claude Code.

Enterprise (Custom pricing) — SSO/SCIM, audit logging, HIPAA-ready option, governance tools, and SLA guarantees. Now available for direct purchase without contacting sales.

Who is Claude Best For?

Writers and analysts benefit most from Claude’s strength in long-form writing, nuanced reasoning, and careful analysis. Claude consistently produces more natural, less formulaic text than competing models.

Developers get an unmatched coding experience through Claude Code. The terminal agent handles complex refactoring, multi-file changes, test writing, and git operations autonomously. The 1M context window means Claude can understand your entire codebase at once.

Researchers can load entire paper collections into a single conversation and get comprehensive analysis with accurate citations. The adaptive thinking feature ensures complex questions receive thorough, step-by-step reasoning.

Teams and enterprises benefit from Projects, MCP integrations, and strong governance controls. The Team plan is competitively priced, and Enterprise now offers self-service purchasing.

Privacy-conscious users appreciate Anthropic’s stance on data handling — Claude is permanently ad-free, and business data is excluded from training by default.

Claude vs Alternatives

vs ChatGPT — ChatGPT offers more features (image generation, video, plugins, GPT Store). Claude excels at writing quality, reasoning depth, and coding. Choose ChatGPT for breadth, Claude for depth.

vs Gemini — Gemini integrates deeply with Google services (Search, Workspace, YouTube). Claude provides better standalone analysis and writing. Choose Gemini if you live in Google’s ecosystem, Claude for independent work.

vs Perplexity — Perplexity is a superior search and research tool with always-on citations. Claude is the better general assistant for writing, coding, and complex analysis.

For professionals who need the highest quality output in writing, analysis, and code — and who value a clean, focused experience — Claude is the top recommendation.