Short answer: Claude is the AI assistant made by Anthropic, a US AI safety and research company. You can chat with it on the web, on desktop and on mobile, upload documents, have it write and edit, analyse data, build small apps called Artifacts and, on paid plans, run Claude Code for software work. As of November 2026 the main models are Claude Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5 and Haiku 5.5, with Fable 5.1 as Anthropic’s top model. There is a free plan, and paid plans start at $20 a month ($17 a month billed annually).
All plan details and prices were checked against Anthropic’s official pages on November 3, 2026. Prices are in US dollars before tax and can change.
Claude at a glance
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Maker | Anthropic |
| Where to use it | claude.ai on the web, Windows and Mac desktop apps, iOS and Android |
| Current models | Fable 5.1, Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5, Haiku 5.5 |
| Context window | Up to 1 million tokens, depending on the model |
| Free plan | Yes, with usage limits that reset every 5 hours and every week |
| Paid plans | Pro $20/month ($17 annual), Max $100, Ultra $200 |
| Business plans | Team from $20/seat/month (annual), Enterprise |
| Coding tool | Claude Code (included in paid plans) |
Sources: Claude pricing, Anthropic models page, Claude Platform release notes.
Who makes Claude?
Anthropic was founded in 2021 by former OpenAI researchers and describes itself as an AI safety and research company. Its focus on safety shows up in how Claude behaves: it tends to explain its reasoning, flag uncertainty and decline clearly harmful requests. That doesn’t mean Claude is always right. Like every large language model, it can still make confident mistakes, so you should check anything important.
The Claude models in November 2026
Anthropic releases models in families. The current one is the Claude 5.5 family, launched in autumn 2026:
| Model | Released | Best for | API price (input / output per million tokens) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fable 5.1 | 2026 | Hardest reasoning and long-running agents | $10 / $50 |
| Opus 5.5 | September 22, 2026 | Agentic coding and serious knowledge work | $4 / $20 |
| Sonnet 5.5 | September 28, 2026 | Everyday writing, coding and documents | $2 / $10 |
| Haiku 5.5 | October 7, 2026 | Fast, low-cost, high-volume tasks | from $0.10 / $0.50 |
Sources: Claude pricing, Claude Platform release notes, Anthropic models page.
According to Anthropic, Opus 5.5 has a 1-million-token context window by default and can produce up to 128,000 output tokens, and it costs about 40% less to run than Opus 5 on typical workloads. Sonnet 5.5 is described as a clear upgrade over Sonnet 5 that runs more than 30% faster. Haiku 5.5 is the fastest and cheapest model, aimed at summarising, sorting and other high-volume work.
What this means for you: if you use the Claude app, you don’t need to memorise these names. Free users get Sonnet and Haiku; paid users can also pick Opus, and Fable is available with usage credits on Pro and included (up to half of your weekly limit) on Max and Ultra.
Key features of Claude
1. Writing and editing
Claude is popular with writers, marketers and professionals because its default tone is natural and it follows detailed style instructions well. You can paste a draft and ask it to tighten, restructure or change the tone for a UK, US or Middle East audience. We cover this in depth in how to use Claude AI for professional writing.
2. File uploads and analysis
Claude reads PDF, DOCX, CSV, TXT, HTML, ODT, RTF, EPUB, JSON and XLSX files. In a chat you can attach up to 20 files of up to 500 MB each, and PDFs up to 1,000 pages (Claude Help Center). It can also create Word, Excel, PowerPoint and PDF files for you (Claude Help Center). See our guide to using Claude with PDF, Word and Excel files.
3. Artifacts, Design, Slides and Docs
Artifacts are small, interactive outputs such as a calculator, a chart or a simple web page that appear beside the chat. The free plan also includes Claude Design, Slides and Docs for creating visual and written content.
4. Web search, memory and connectors
All plans include web search, memory across conversations and connectors that let Claude work with apps you approve. Always check the sources Claude cites when it searches the web.
5. Research and scheduled tasks (paid)
Pro and above add Research for deeper multi-source reports, the ability to hand off and schedule tasks, Projects without the free plan’s limit of five, Claude in Chrome and Claude for Microsoft 365.
6. Claude Code (paid)
Claude Code is Anthropic’s agentic coding tool. It runs in the terminal, in VS Code and JetBrains, in the desktop app and in the browser, and it can read a codebase, edit files and run commands (Claude Code docs). Read our explainer: what is Claude Code and how does it work.
Claude pricing in 2026
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Chat, web search, file creation, memory, connectors, Artifacts, up to 5 projects |
| Pro | $20/month, or $17/month billed annually ($200/year) | More usage, Opus models, Research, Claude Code, Microsoft 365 and Chrome |
| Max | $100/month | 5x Pro usage, Fable up to half your weekly limit, $100/month API credits |
| Ultra | $200/month | 10x Pro weekly usage, no 5-hour limit for verified accounts, $200/month API credits |
| Team | $25/seat monthly or $20 annual (Standard); $125 or $100 (Premium) | Shared projects, admin controls, SSO, 2 to 150 seats |
| Enterprise | $20/seat plus usage at API rates | SCIM, audit logs, custom retention, HIPAA-ready offering |
Sources: Claude pricing, Claude Help Center: Team plan.
Anthropic notes that every plan has usage limits and that there is no fixed message count: long chats, big files and stronger models use your allowance faster. For a full breakdown, read Claude Free vs Pro.
Tax and regional pricing
Anthropic’s prices exclude tax. Depending on where you live, you may pay VAT or sales tax on top: for example 20% VAT in the UK (GOV.UK), the local VAT rate in EU countries (European Commission), 5% VAT in the UAE (UAE Federal Tax Authority), and GST/HST in Canada. Check the final price at checkout.
How to start using Claude: step by step
- Go to claude.ai or download the Claude app for iOS, Android, Windows or Mac.
- Sign up with an email address or a Google account and verify it.
- Start a chat. Type a clear request, for example: “Explain the difference between a Roth IRA and a traditional IRA in plain English for a 30-year-old.”
- Add context. Click the “+” button to attach a file, or paste text you want Claude to work with.
- Refine. Ask follow-ups such as “shorter”, “add a table” or “rewrite for a UK reader”.
- Set preferences. In Settings you can add personal preferences, manage memory and review privacy options, including whether your chats can be used to improve models.
- Upgrade only if you hit limits. Try Free for a week on real tasks before paying.
Beginner prompts to try
| Task | Prompt |
|---|---|
| Summarise | “Summarise this report in 5 bullet points and list any numbers I should double-check.” |
| Write | “Draft a polite email to a client asking to move our meeting to Thursday. Under 120 words.” |
| Learn | “Teach me the basics of index funds as if I’m new to investing. Use one example.” |
| Plan | “Create a 4-week plan to learn Excel pivot tables, 30 minutes a day.” |
| Check | “What are the weak points in this argument? Be direct.” |
Strengths and limitations
| Strengths | Limitations |
|---|---|
| Natural, careful writing style | Free plan limits can run out quickly on long chats |
| Large context window for long documents | No photo-style image or video generator listed on its plan pages |
| Strong coding tools with Claude Code | Can still state wrong facts confidently |
| Clear answers on uncertainty and sources | Some features (Claude Code, Research) need a paid plan |
Is Claude safe and private?
Anthropic’s pricing page lists model training as opt-out on Free, Pro, Max and Ultra, which means you can turn off the use of your chats for model training in your privacy settings. On Team and Enterprise plans, Anthropic says it does not train on your data by default (Claude pricing). Even so, don’t paste passwords, full bank details, passport numbers or confidential client data into any AI tool. If you handle personal data in the UK or EU, follow data protection rules such as UK GDPR (ICO guidance on AI).
How Claude compares with Grok and ChatGPT
Claude, ChatGPT and Grok are all capable general assistants, but each has a personality. ChatGPT is the broadest all-rounder with image tools and Office add-ins; Grok stands out for real-time information from X and image and video generation; Claude is often preferred for long-form writing, careful analysis and coding agents. Detailed comparisons:
- Claude vs ChatGPT: which is better for writing and research?
- Claude vs Grok: which AI model performs better?
- Grok vs Claude vs Gemini
- What is Grok AI?
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial or tax advice. Laws, pricing and product features (including AI regulations such as GDPR, the EU AI Act and UAE rules) change frequently and vary by country. Verify details with official sources and consult a qualified professional before acting. taxtotech.com is not affiliated with Anthropic.
Trending Claude Prompts You Can Copy
These are popular, widely shared prompt patterns for everyday use, adapted from community examples on Reddit and X and the advice in Anthropic’s prompt engineering guide. Replace the text in [brackets] with your own details. We do not claim any prompt is the “most used”; they are practical starting points.
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Summarise this article in 5 bullet points, then list 3 questions I should ask next: [paste text]
Why it works: Fixed output format and a follow-up step keep answers short and useful.
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Write a first draft of a blog intro about [topic] for [audience]. Hook in the first line, under 100 words.
Why it works: Audience, hook and length are the three levers that shape good intros.
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Give me a balanced overview of [topic]: key facts, main debates, and what is still uncertain. Cite sources I can check.
Why it works: Asking for uncertainty and sources discourages overconfident answers.
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Rewrite this email so it is polite, clear and under 120 words: [paste email]
Why it works: A tone, a goal and a word limit give the model clear targets.
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Edit this text for clarity and grammar. Keep my voice. Show changes as a list after the edited version: [text]
Why it works: Asking to keep your voice stops over-rewriting; listing changes keeps you in control.
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What are the strongest arguments for and against [claim]? Steelman both sides.
Why it works: Steelmanning gives fairer, more useful research than a one-sided answer.
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Plan 5 dinners for this week for 2 people, under 30 minutes each, using [ingredients]. Add a shopping list.
Why it works: Constraints (time, people, ingredients) turn a vague ask into a usable plan.
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Give me 10 headline options for [topic]: 3 how-to, 3 list, 3 question, 1 bold claim.
Why it works: Mixing formats gives real variety instead of 10 near-duplicates.
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Summarise this report in plain English: 5 key findings, 3 limitations, 1 action for me: [paste]
Why it works: Separating findings from limitations improves critical reading.
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Explain [topic] like I'm a beginner, then give me one real-world example.
Why it works: Setting the audience level controls jargon and depth.
Always check facts, numbers and code before you rely on the output.
FAQ
What is Claude AI used for?
People use Claude for writing and editing, summarising documents, research, data analysis, learning new topics, brainstorming and software development through Claude Code.
Is Claude AI free?
Yes. Claude has a free plan with chat, web search, file creation and memory, but usage limits reset every 5 hours and every week. Paid plans start at $20 a month.
Who owns Claude?
Claude is built by Anthropic, an AI safety and research company based in San Francisco.
Which Claude model is the newest?
In the Claude 5.5 family, Haiku 5.5 (October 7, 2026) is the newest release. Opus 5.5 and Sonnet 5.5 arrived in September 2026, and Fable 5.1 is Anthropic’s top model.
Can Claude generate images?
Claude can create charts, diagrams and interactive Artifacts with code, but Anthropic’s plan pages do not list a photo-style image or video generator like ChatGPT images or Grok Imagine.
Is Claude available in the UK, EU, Canada and UAE?
Claude is available in many countries, including the UK, EU countries, Canada and the UAE. Prices shown by Anthropic exclude local taxes.
What are the best Claude prompts to try?
Start with clear, specific prompts that set a role, a goal and an output format, such as summaries in bullet points, rewrites with a word limit, or step-by-step plans. See the “Trending Claude Prompts You Can Copy” section above for copy-ready examples; widely shared patterns work best when you add your own context.
Conclusion
Claude is a thoughtful, capable AI assistant that shines at writing, document analysis and coding. Start on the free plan, test it on the tasks you actually do each week, and upgrade to Pro only if the limits get in your way. If you are still choosing between assistants, read our guide to the best ChatGPT alternatives and our Claude vs ChatGPT comparison.
