Claude vs Gemini
Two strong options — here's where they genuinely differ, and which one fits what you're trying to do.
| Claude | Gemini | |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Anthropic | |
| Current model | Claude Fable 5 (June 2026) | Gemini 3.1 Pro / Flash |
| Free tier | Yes — daily message caps; long-form output quality notably strong on free tier | Yes — generous: Gemini Flash with Google Search grounding, image generation and Workspace integrations |
| Paid from | $20/mo (~£16, $17/mo billed annually) | $4.99/mo (AI Plus) — AI Pro $19.99/mo |
| Plan ladder | Free · Pro $20 · Max $100 (5×) · Max $200 (20×); Team ~$25–30/user | Free · AI Plus $4.99 · AI Pro $19.99 · AI Ultra $200; included in Workspace plans |
| Context window | Up to 1M tokens (standard pricing since March 2026) | 1M tokens (Gemini 3.1 Pro) |
| Multimodal | Text, images, file analysis; agentic coding via Claude Code | Text, images, audio, video understanding, image generation, live voice |
| Public API | ✔ Yes | ✔ Yes |
| Open weights | ✕ No | ✕ No |
| Data & privacy | Does not train on user data by default (opt-in); strong enterprise compliance posture | Tied to Google account; review activity settings — free-tier conversations may be reviewed/used to improve services |
Ad slot: 3030303030
The verdict
Choose Claude if your priority is coding & development, long documents & analysis, writing & content, privacy-conscious, business & teams.
Choose Gemini if you care more about best value / free use, google workspace users, research & cited answers, real-time information, good at everything.
Both offer free tiers — the genuinely sensible move is to try each on a task you actually do, then pay for the one that earned it.