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    Data & methods

    Head to head · AI assistants

    Claude vs ChatGPT: Market Share & Payment Activity (October 2026)

    Updated · Latest data October 2026

    Claude
    Data for October 2026
    Payment-activity rank
    #1
    Spend rank
    #1
    versus
    ChatGPT
    Data for October 2026
    Payment-activity rank
    #2
    Spend rank
    #5

    Claude accounts for 12.35% of all software purchases on Cledara (#1 overall); ChatGPT holds 5.94% (#2), and has dropped 1 rank position in the last 12 months.

    Quick answer

    As of October 2026, Claude ranks #1 and ChatGPT #2 in Cledara's software popularity ranking. They account for 12.35% and 5.94% of all software purchases respectively. Over the last 12 months, Claude climbed 9 positions and ChatGPT dropped 1 position, based on real software purchases by companies using Cledara.

    Market share

    Market share over time

    Each product's monthly share of all software payment activity on Cledara, so you can see who is gaining ground and when.

    ClaudeChatGPTShare (%)
    Jan 2022Nov 2022Sep 2023Jul 2024May 2025Mar 20260%4%8%12%16%
    View the chart data
    Monthly market share by payment activity (%)
    MonthClaudeChatGPT
    Jan 2022No data0%
    Feb 2022No data0%
    Mar 2022No data0%
    Apr 2022No data0%
    May 2022No data0%
    Jun 2022No data0%
    Jul 2022No data0%
    Aug 2022No data0%
    Sep 2022No data0%
    Oct 20220%0%
    Nov 20220%0%
    Dec 20220%0%
    Jan 20230%0.1%
    Feb 20230%0.1%
    Mar 20230%0.3%
    Apr 20230%0.6%
    May 20230%0.9%
    Jun 20230%1.1%
    Jul 20230%1.4%
    Aug 20230%1.5%
    Sep 20230%1.8%
    Oct 20230%2.1%
    Nov 20230%2.5%
    Dec 20230%2.9%
    Jan 20240%3.3%
    Feb 20240%3.7%
    Mar 20240%4%
    Apr 20240%4.2%
    May 20240%4.3%
    Jun 20240%4.5%
    Jul 20240.1%4.6%
    Aug 20240.1%4.7%
    Sep 20240.1%4.8%
    Oct 20240.1%4.9%
    Nov 20240.2%4.9%
    Dec 20240.2%4.9%
    Jan 20250.2%4.8%
    Feb 20250.3%4.8%
    Mar 20250.4%4.8%
    Apr 20250.4%4.9%
    May 20250.5%5%
    Jun 20250.7%5.1%
    Jul 20250.8%5.1%
    Aug 20251%5.2%
    Sep 20251.3%5.3%
    Oct 20251.6%5.4%
    Nov 20251.9%5.4%
    Dec 20252.2%5.5%
    Jan 20262.7%5.6%
    Feb 20263.5%5.6%
    Mar 20264.8%5.6%
    Apr 20266.2%5.5%
    May 20267.4%5.4%
    Jun 20268.4%5.5%
    Jul 20269.5%5.5%
    Aug 202610.3%5.5%
    Sep 202611.3%5.7%
    Oct 202612.3%5.9%
    Ranks

    Spend rank vs payment-activity rank

    Claude
    Payment-activity rank#1
    Spend rank#1
    Payment-activity share12.3%
    Spend share8.6%
    12-month payment-activity rank change: up 9
    ChatGPT
    Payment-activity rank#2
    Spend rank#5
    Payment-activity share5.9%
    Spend share4.4%
    12-month payment-activity rank change: down 1
    Overlap

    How many companies pay for both Claude and ChatGPT?

    87.8%

    of companies paying for Claude also pay for ChatGPT

    68.1%

    of companies paying for ChatGPT also pay for Claude

    Each figure is measured from that product’s own buyers across their full payment history, so the two percentages read in opposite directions. A high overlap means the tools are often bought together; a low one means companies tend to pick one.

    Stacks

    Which stack does each tool live in?

    Claude

    • Adobe 74.3%
    • Figma 74.1%
    • GitHub 73.1%
    • Microsoft 72.5%
    • LinkedIn 71.8%

    ChatGPT

    • Figma 72.6%
    • LinkedIn 71.2%
    • GitHub 70.9%
    • Adobe 70.6%
    • Microsoft 67.7%
    Analysis

    What the data shows for Claude vs ChatGPT

    Claude is the more popular of the two, ranking #1 as of October 2026, ahead of ChatGPT at #2. Claude also has the stronger momentum: it climbed 9 positions over the past year, while ChatGPT dropped 1 position. Over the past year, Claude's share of all software purchases has risen from 1.56% to 12.35%, while ChatGPT's has risen from 5.36% to 5.94%. Claude also ranks higher by spend (#1 versus #5), so it leads on both how often companies buy it and how much they pay. By spend, Claude takes 8.58% of all software spend and ChatGPT 4.38%. 87.8% of companies paying for Claude also pay for ChatGPT, so for many teams this is not an either-or choice. For buyers, the rankings show which product the market is choosing and which has the momentum; pair that with a trial against your own workflows and budget to make the final call.

    Claude vs ChatGPT: frequently asked questions

    Which is more popular, Claude or ChatGPT?

    Claude is more popular: it ranks #1 in Cledara's software popularity ranking, ahead of ChatGPT at #2 as of October 2026. The ranking counts every purchase and renewal over the last 12 months, so it reflects the tool companies keep paying for.

    How have Claude and ChatGPT changed in popularity?

    Claude has climbed 9 rank positions in the last 12 months, while ChatGPT dropped 1 position. That has widened Claude's lead over ChatGPT.

    Can you use Claude and ChatGPT together?

    Yes, and many companies do: 87.8% of companies paying for Claude also pay for ChatGPT, and 68.1% of companies paying for ChatGPT also pay for Claude. For many teams the two are not an either-or choice.

    Which is bigger by spend, Claude or ChatGPT?

    Claude ranks higher by spend: Claude is #1 and ChatGPT #5. The spend ranking orders every software product by how much companies pay for it over the last 12 months.

    Is Claude better than ChatGPT for ai platforms use cases?

    Claude is the more popular choice (#1 against #2), and Claude wins more of the budget by spend. Use that market signal to shortlist, then trial both against your own ai platforms workflows and budget.

    How does your company compare?

    This page shows the market. Cledara shows how your own software stack and spend compare, and helps you manage every subscription in one place.

    Learn more about Cledara

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