@PaulSolt
ChatGPTPuppy game on ModRetro "In 2 hours … with ChatGPT"
Limits comparison
ChatGPT vs Claude Code
Plans, usage limits, what happens at the limit, model scores, real build spend and use cases, side by side.
Data checked · every row links its source
The verdict, from the data
ChatGPT is in our Chat assistants group, Claude Code in Coding agents.
Better for you if…
ChatGPT
- Lower entry price: Go at $8/mo vs Claude Code Pro (Claude) at $20/mo.
- Has a free plan (Free); Claude Code doesn't list one.
Better for you if…
Claude Code
- Its best Claude model scores higher on Web apps, Agentic coding, UI design, Android.
It depends
- Real-world spend: ChatGPT has 0 counted reports; we need 3 or more to show a range.
- Usage per dollar: the two tools meter usage in different units, so we don't rank them on it.
Each line is computed from our plan, score and cost data. It isn't a quality ranking. Data checked .
Latest models
ChatGPT · latest GPT modelsGPT-6.1 Sol Sep 29, 2026 · GPT-6 Luna Sep 22, 2026 · GPT-6 Astra Sep 3, 2026
Claude Code · latest Claude modelsClaude Haiku 5.5 Oct 7, 2026 · Claude Sonnet 5.5 Sep 28, 2026 · Claude Opus 5.5 Sep 22, 2026 · Claude Fable 5.1
Release dates from the vendors' official pages, checked Oct 17, 2026. Older models are hidden from the score charts below.
Price
ChatGPTClaude Code
Plans and limits
ChatGPT
| Plan | Price | Included | Resets | At the limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free partial | $0/mo | Unlimited text chats with GPT-6 (abuse guardrails); limited Codex (GPT-6 Luna, Standard speed, desktop app, subject to rollout); no image generation in Codex | unverified | Not confirmed |
| Go partial | $8/mo | More messages/uploads/images than Free; limited Codex (GPT-6 Luna, Standard speed, desktop app, subject to rollout); may include ads | unverified | Not confirmed |
| Plus | $20/mo | Codex on web, CLI, IDE extension, iOS; cloud integrations (code review, Slack); GPT-6.1 Sol and GPT-6 Luna. Est. local Codex messages per 5h: GPT-6 Astra 5-45, GPT-6.1 Sol 15-160, GPT-6 Sol 15-150, GPT-6 Luna 350-3,000 | 5-hour window; weekly limits may also apply | Buy a top-up |
| Pro partial | $100, $200, or $500/mo | Everything in Plus; expanded Codex; Pro reasoning (GPT-6 Astra); Dot agent; Ultrafast mode on Pro $500 only; no five-hour Codex limit currently | No five-hour limit currently; other limits per usage dashboard (unverified detail) | Buy a top-up |
| Business | $20/user/mo billed annually; $25/user/mo monthly | ChatGPT + Codex across desktop/mobile; larger cloud VMs; SAML SSO, MFA; no training on business data by default. Standard Business Codex 5h estimates same as Plus | 5-hour window; weekly limits may also apply | Buy a top-up |
| Enterprise / Edu partial | Contact sales | SCIM, EKM, RBAC, Compliance API, data residency; with flexible pricing no fixed rate limits (usage scales with credits); without flexible pricing per-seat limits same as Plus for most features | Flexible pricing: none fixed; otherwise as Plus | Usage-billed |
Sources: developers.openai.com · chatgpt.com · help.openai.com · checked 2026-10-16
Claude Code
| Plan | Price | Included | Resets | At the limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pro (Claude) | $20/mo monthly | Claude Code included; usage limits, no fixed message count | Rolling 5-hour session window + weekly limits (weekly size not published) | Usage-billed |
| Max 5x | $100/mo | 5x Pro per-session usage; $100/mo API credits | Session limit resets every 5 hours; weekly limit across all models resets at a fixed weekly time assigned to your account | Usage-billed |
| Max 20x | $200/mo | 20x Pro per-session usage; $200/mo API credits | Session limit resets every 5 hours; weekly limit across all models resets at a fixed weekly time assigned to your account | Usage-billed |
| Team Standard | $25/seat/mo | Claude Code included with every seat; shared pool with Claude | unverified | Not confirmed |
| Team Premium | $125/seat/mo | Claude Code included with every seat; shared pool with Claude | unverified | Not confirmed |
| Enterprise | $20/seat/mo + API-rate usage | Claude Code included with every seat; shared pool with Claude | unverified | Not confirmed |
Sources: claude.com · support.claude.com · support.claude.com · checked 2026-10-16
Model scores by category
Best non-preliminary score from each tool's current model lineup (newest generation only) on one board per category. Older models are left out. Bars run from the lowest to the highest score on that board. These are third-party model scores, not tool scores.
ChatGPTClaude Code
LMArena WebDev Arena · Terminal-Bench 4.0 · Design Arena (All categories) · Android Bench 2.0 (long-horizon, 30 tasks)
What builders say they spent
ChatGPTNot enough datan = 0 counted reports; a range needs 3
Claude Code$50–$130median $100 · n = 9 · paid
Estimate from user reports, p25–p75. How costs are counted →
Use cases
@KenLin1985
ChatGPT3D kart racing game — characters via Nano Banana and ChatGPT, 3D via Tripo3D
@premiumtantan
ChatGPT"I designed and shipped an entire iOS app in 2 days with @ChatGPT ( and ofc I burned all my tokens )"
@froessell
Claude CodeThree.js arena-shooter web game launched on CrazyGames
HamadMalikKhan
Claude CodeGave Claude Code a baseline website, ad accounts and a budget; the site is personalized per visitor with DeepSeek
yureki_lab
Claude CodeAudited and made 140 Celery background jobs idempotent after a double-charge incident
FAQ
Is ChatGPT or Claude Code cheaper?
ChatGPT's cheapest individual paid plan is Go at $8/mo; Claude Code's is Pro (Claude) at $20/mo (checked 2026-10-16). Usage is metered differently, so cheaper doesn't mean more usage.
Does ChatGPT or Claude Code have a free plan?
ChatGPT: yes (Free). Claude Code: no free plan listed.
What happens when you hit the limit on ChatGPT vs Claude Code?
ChatGPT Go: Not confirmed. Claude Code Pro (Claude): Usage-billed.
Which scores higher on coding benchmarks, ChatGPT or Claude Code?
LMArena WebDev Arena: gpt-6-astra-max 1774 vs claude-opus-5.5-max 1807; Terminal-Bench 4.0: GPT-6 Astra (max) 58.18 vs Opus 5.5 (max) 64.85; Design Arena (All categories): gpt-6-astra 1383 vs claude-opus-5-5 1389; Android Bench 2.0 (long-horizon, 30 tasks): GPT 6 Astra 28 vs Claude Opus 5.5 32.7. These are model scores from third-party boards, not tool scores.