I’ve been paying for the Pro versions of both Claude and ChatGPT, and after utilizing them extensively, one query retains coming again: which one would I truly belief if I gave it a job and let it get on with it? That’s precisely what I needed to search out out with Claude’s Cowork and ChatGPT’s Work. After giving them a good shot, I got here away with a surprisingly clear winner — and, extra importantly, I lastly know which one I’d spend my cash on.
So, what do these two truly do?
There’s greater than velocity at play right here
Earlier than entering into which one I desire, it’s price understanding what Claude Cowork and ChatGPT Work actually do. I do know they sound very related, however they differ in necessary methods in how they method your work.
Claude Cowork is actually Anthropic’s tackle an agentic AI workspace. As a substitute of asking Claude a query and ready for a solution, you possibly can hand it an precise job and let it work by means of the duty for you. That would imply digging by means of native recordsdata, dealing with a undertaking unfold throughout a number of paperwork, researching one thing on the internet, or connecting to work apps like Slack and Groups. It could possibly additionally create paperwork, displays, and spreadsheets alongside the best way. Relying on what you give it, a process would possibly wrap up in a couple of minutes or run for hours.
ChatGPT Work follows an analogous thought, however takes it slightly additional in some areas. You possibly can hand over a whole workflow and let ChatGPT do the analysis, join apps, and use native recordsdata to get it performed. It could possibly additionally construct Websites, schedule duties, run recurring jobs, and keep watch over ongoing workflows.
Let’s examine who remembers to clock in
Claude behaved extra like a coworker
For my first correct comparability, I needed to maintain issues as truthful as potential. So as an alternative of giving Claude Cowork and ChatGPT Work fully completely different jobs, I gave each the identical three duties and in contrast how they dealt with each. I began with one thing easy however helpful in my on a regular basis workflow: a recurring process. I have to ship a message to a Google Chat group on daily basis, so as an alternative of remembering to do it myself, I handed the duty to AI.
Claude Cowork went first. I linked it to Google Chat, defined what I wanted, and let it deal with the duty for a whole week. To my shock, it labored precisely as I’d hoped. The message went out when it was supposed to each weekday, whereas weekends have been left alone as anticipated. Then I recreated the identical workflow with ChatGPT Work. Setting all the pieces up took noticeably longer than it did with Claude, however as soon as it was lastly operating, the outcome was primarily the identical: my messages went out on time throughout the week and stopped for the weekend.
The outcome, then, was technically a tie. Each obtained the job performed. However the expertise of getting there was extraordinarily completely different. Claude felt rather more concerned from the start. Earlier than setting something up, it requested questions, tried to know precisely what I needed, and even gave me poll-style selections every time one thing wanted clarification. It didn’t appear occupied with speeding forward till it understood the duty correctly. ChatGPT Work took the alternative method. It was a lot faster to leap into doing the job, but sarcastically, it took longer truly to get all the pieces arrange. There was additionally much less back-and-forth alongside the best way, so I didn’t get fairly the identical feeling that it was making an attempt to know the broader context behind what I needed.
For a recurring process like this, that additional little bit of involvement made a distinction. Each crossed the end line, however Claude Cowork made me really feel extra assured about handing over the duty within the first place. So, spherical one goes to Claude.
Subsequent, I handed over my messy folder
This spherical resulted in a photograph end
For the second process, I needed to see how effectively each may deal with one thing sitting immediately on my MacBook. I had a folder filled with photos that wanted to be renamed, which is strictly the form of repetitive job I’d fortunately hand over to AI.
I’d actually tried this once before with Claude Cowork, and it did an excellent job. So, to maintain issues truthful, I gave ChatGPT Work entry to the identical folder and, extra importantly, used the identical immediate I had given Claude. Then I left it alone to see what would occur. ChatGPT Work lived as much as my expectations. It understood how I needed the photographs named, labored by means of the folder, renamed all the pieces accordingly, and even despatched me a notification when the job was completed. I didn’t have to sit down there watching it work or preserve checking whether or not it had accomplished the duty.
It did take a while, sure, however I don’t actually thoughts that with jobs like this. If I’m delegating one thing to an AI, I care much more about whether or not it will get the job performed correctly than whether or not it saves a number of additional minutes. And on this case, it did. Claude Cowork had already impressed me with the identical job, and ChatGPT Work matched it. So, spherical two is unquestionably a tie.
I saved the toughest job for final
The back-and-forth modified all the pieces
For the third and remaining take a look at, I gave each of them one thing rather more demanding: construct a whole presentation for me. I supplied the analysis, supporting recordsdata, and paperwork they would wish, then gave Claude Cowork and ChatGPT Work equally detailed prompts, in order that they have been primarily ranging from the identical transient. Unsurprisingly, neither whipped up the presentation in a few minutes. There was quite a lot of info to work by means of, so I anticipated each to take their time.
Claude Cowork did a noticeably higher job. It adopted the template I had supplied rather more intently, understood how I needed the data introduced, and gave me one thing that felt nearer to a completed presentation. Extra importantly, like in my first take a look at, Claude took time to verify it understood what I needed earlier than it began constructing something.
ChatGPT Work did full the presentation, however I discovered fairly a number of errors alongside the best way. That meant extra corrections, directions, and finally much more back-and-forth than I needed. At that time, a few of the comfort of handing the job over began to vanish. If I continuously need to step again in and make things better, it doesn’t actually really feel like delegation anymore. So, spherical three wasn’t significantly shut — Claude Cowork takes this one.
I do know which coworker I am conserving
ChatGPT Work undoubtedly has extra tips up its sleeve. Between Websites, scheduled duties, picture creation, and the flexibility to tackle longer workflows, it could actually do quite a bit that Claude Cowork both doesn’t supply or approaches in another way. On paper, that makes Work extremely compelling.
However after truly placing each to work, I’d nonetheless select Claude Cowork. It constantly spent extra time understanding what I used to be asking for, clarified issues when vital, after which obtained on with the job with out requiring me to poke my head again in continuously. And that’s actually what I need from an AI coworker. At $20 a month, Claude Cowork has earned its place in my workflow, and I’ll fortunately preserve paying for it.
