Anthropic's AI application Claude is witnessing strong growth in the number of paid users in 2026, thanks to the combination of communication effects and product improvements.
However, despite many advances, this platform has not yet been able to surpass its biggest competitor, ChatGPT.
According to analysis data from the US Indagari Company, which specializes in analyzing consumer behavior data, based on billions of anonymous credit card transactions of about 28 million US consumers, the number of subscriptions for Claude has reached a record high in the first months of the year.
Notably, the number of users returning to the platform also increased sharply in February, showing an increasing level of engagement.
However, this data does not reflect the entire picture. Unstatistics include free users and corporate customers, which are Anthropic's main business lines. However, a company representative said that the number of paid subscribers has more than doubled just this year.
One of the factors driving interest in Claude was a series of media events related to the dispute between Anthropic and the US Department of Defense.
The company has refused to allow its AI to be used in activities related to mass surveillance, creating a public confrontation.
Along with that, Anthropic also promoted the brand through advertising campaigns, which helped Claude attract more new users.
Not only relying on media, Claude's growth also comes from product improvements. In January, Anthropic launched Claude Code and Claude Cowork, which are tools to support programming and productivity.
Recently, the "Using the computer" feature that allows AI to operate on the device itself, from clicking to scrolling pages, has created significant added attraction.
However, these advanced features are mainly for paid users, contributing to promoting the transition from free to paid packages.
According to Indagari, most new registrants choose basic packages of about $20 per month, instead of more expensive premium packages.
Despite impressive growth, Claude still has a large gap with ChatGPT. Data shows that OpenAI still maintains a strong rate of attracting paid users and holds the position of the largest consumer AI platform.
Even when the number of Uninstalls of OpenAI applications increased after some controversial decisions, the number of new users continued to increase. This shows that ChatGPT's advantage in scale and ecosystem is still very difficult to shake in the short term.
