Claude AI vs ChatGPT: Advantages, Limitations and Feedback

Well, you have probably heard of ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence that outshines all others. It has become the go-to reference for everything from content writing to code generation. But today, we would like to draw your attention to another AI that, while lesser-known, equally deserves to be in the spotlight: Claude AI.

Developed by Anthropic, Claude AI has emerged as a serious alternative to ChatGPT. Why? Because, in summary, Claude combines the same features as ChatGPT with far superior responses on a specific subject: coding.

To provide some context, at Digidop, we have tested (and compared) Claude in various development scenarios, and we were all convinced by the accuracy and quality of its responses. While ChatGPT tends to produce functional code that isn’t always optimal, Claude's output is often much cleaner and better structured.

In this article, we will introduce you to Claude AI and what sets it apart from ChatGPT, as well as show you how you can start using it today. And to top it all off, we will share our experiences at Digidop.

Let’s get started!

1. What is Claude AI?

Claude AI is the artificial intelligence from Anthropic, a startup founded by former OpenAI employees (the same ones who created ChatGPT). Their mission? To create an AI that is not only powerful, but also more responsible. It is with this idea in mind—balancing performance and ethics—that Anthropic designed Claude AI.

The idea behind Claude is to push the boundaries of language models even further while minimizing risks.

2. Why choose Claude AI over ChatGPT?

But beyond that, what makes Claude special in comparison to the standard that is ChatGPT?

Both AIs share similar foundations, but while ChatGPT aims to be a "generalist" that can respond to any topic, Claude is more specialized—particularly in technical fields like coding. On these topics, Claude often provides better solutions, with fewer errors and more attention to detail.

One of Claude's greatest assets is its ability to understand and manipulate complex concepts (like code). Unlike other AIs that might provide basic snippets or generate seemingly correct answers that often require several iterations of prompts, Claude AI is more efficient. It doesn't just suggest functional code; it seeks to understand the intention behind your request and offers the most optimized solution. Less trial and error, more productivity.

Concrete Example

To illustrate this last point, here is one of my recent simple tests:

Write me a JS code to:
1) Retrieve the page language
2) Get the text inside the block [data-content-name]
3) Set these two parameters as the value of the input [data-content-input]

And here are the responses from Claude and ChatGPT:

Claude AI's Response

document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
    // 1) Récupérer la langue de la page
    const pageLanguage = document.documentElement.lang || 'en';

    // 2) Récupérer le texte à l'intérieur du bloc [data-content-name]
    const contentNameElement = document.querySelector('[data-content-name]');
    const contentText = contentNameElement ? contentNameElement.textContent.trim() : '';

    // 3) Mettre ces deux paramètres comme valeur de l'input [data-content-input]
    const contentInput = document.querySelector('[data-content-input]');
    if (contentInput) {
        contentInput.value = `${pageLanguage}|${contentText}`;
    }
});

ChatGPT's Response

// Fonction pour récupérer la langue de la page
function getPageLanguage() {
    return document.documentElement.getAttribute('lang') || 'unknown';
}

// Fonction pour récupérer le texte à l'intérieur de l'élément avec data-content-name
function getContentText() {
    const contentElement = document.querySelector('[data-content-name]');
    return contentElement ? contentElement.textContent.trim() : 'No content found';
}

// Fonction pour mettre les valeurs dans l'input avec data-content-input
function setInputValues() {
    const language = getPageLanguage();
    const contentText = getContentText();
    
    // Sélectionner l'input avec data-content-input
    const inputElement = document.querySelector('[data-content-input]');
    
    if (inputElement) {
        inputElement.value = `${language} | ${contentText}`;
    } else {
        console.warn('Input element with data-content-input not found.');
    }
}

// Appel de la fonction pour mettre à jour l'input avec les valeurs récupérées
setInputValues();

A quick analysis of the two codes shows that the code provided by Claude is indeed more optimized (12 lines versus 23) and better structured.

Benchmark Comparison

We also find the same trend in the benchmarks of the different models, as Claude outperforms all ChatGPT models in coding and logic tests.

3. How to Use Claude AI

Alright, perhaps you are now convinced of Claude’s advantages and wish to incorporate it into your workflow. If so, here’s how to get started:

• Sign-Up: Visit the official Anthropic website to create a Claude AI account.
• Interface: Once logged in, you will find an interface very similar to that of ChatGPT, with a preview of your recent prompts on the left and a space to initiate a new conversation on the rest of the screen. You can simply write and send your prompt.

Tips for Optimizing Your Prompts

But before you dive in, here are a few tips to get the most out of Claude AI with your prompts:

1. Be specific and precise: One of the most important aspects of getting good responses from any AI assistant is to frame clear requests. Don’t hesitate to include details, such as the type of project or constraints you have.
2. Use detailed contexts: The richer and more detailed the context described in your prompts, the better Claude will perform in its responses. Provide as much information as possible about what you want, the expected methods, or the frameworks to be used, and why.
3. Use examples for clarification: Providing an example of what you have already done or what you want to achieve can be very helpful. By copying and pasting lengthy sections of code into your prompts, you can also attach them as additional files to avoid cluttering your prompting window.
4. Iterate to refine responses: Finally, even though you might need to do this less with Claude, remember that the process is iterative. After receiving a response from Claude, test it and adjust your prompts based on the outcome to fine-tune the solutions and obtain increasingly precise answers.

4. Our Feedback on Claude at Digidop

At Digidop, we have been testing Claude for a while now. While ChatGPT remains a reference, Claude is starting to carve out a real place in our workflow, particularly for its performance in coding.

To conclude, here is our feedback, mainly focused on development:

Higher Quality Responses in Coding

Well, you've probably already figured it out, but it’s the most obvious point that stands out from our tests: Claude's ability to generate clean and concise code.

Where ChatGPT often requires several iterations to achieve a satisfactory result, Claude usually arrives at the right solution on the first prompt—which translates to a considerable time saving.

This capability to produce well-optimized code from the outset makes Claude AI an ideal assistant for development tasks. It won’t just provide a solution; it seeks to minimize code while maximizing efficiency, which is essential for achieving the most performant projects possible.

Focus on Essentials in Responses

In line with the first point, another strong suit of Claude is its ability to stay focused on what matters. Unlike ChatGPT, which can sometimes wander into superfluous explanations or generate excessive code, Claude tends to limit itself to what is necessary.

This aspect is particularly useful for improving our efficiency and keeping conversations centered on the critical aspects of the project—without being overwhelmed by large blocks of unnecessary code.

A Slightly Less Fluid Workflow than ChatGPT

Overall, we found the Claude AI interface quite pleasant to use, but ChatGPT retains a significant advantage in this regard: its MacOS application and the seamless usability it offers in a workflow.

Another drawback with Claude is the limit on prompts in the free version. Once this limit is reached, access to Claude is simply blocked, which can be frustrating in the middle of a task—where ChatGPT simply switches to a less powerful model but allows us to continue working without interruption.

This seamless usability, even with restrictions, gives ChatGPT an edge over Claude, especially for those who heavily rely on these tools for their daily productivity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Claude AI stands out as a serious and promising alternative to ChatGPT, particularly for developers seeking an AI capable of generating clean and efficient code on the first try.

Even though ChatGPT continues to dominate the market, our experience with Anthropic's AI has been generally very positive, and we will continue to incorporate it into our workflow to leverage its clear advantages over ChatGPT.