Claude (Anthropic)
BeginnerClaude (Anthropic) is a solid Gemini alternative. Among the strongest assistants for writing, reasoning and code. American: keep it for non-sensitive tasks.
Information verified on July 22, 2026
Description
Claude, built by Anthropic, is among the most capable assistants for demanding tasks: long-form writing, reasoning, code. The company is not an advertising giant and has no service ecosystem to cross-reference with your conversations. But it is American, hence subject to the Cloud Act, and since September 2025 conversations feed training by default (you can turn it off), with retention of up to five years. The right use: its power for work, nothing private.
My take
My tool for demanding tasks: the best I've found for programming and reasoning. In exchange, I share nothing private with it. That trade-off, I detail in chapter 13.
Key features
- Long-form writing and reasoning
- Document analysis
- Mobile and desktop apps
- Incognito mode
- Training opt-out
Strengths
- + Excellent at writing, reasoning and code
- + No ad model, no ecosystem to cross-reference
- + Training can be disabled, incognito mode available
Weaknesses
- − American company, subject to the Cloud Act
- − Training on by default since September 2025 (disable it)
- − Data kept up to five years if training stays on
Recommended for
- Demanding intellectual tasks: writing, analysis, code
- Alongside a European chatbot for everyday use
Claude (Anthropic) vs Gemini: the comparison
| Criterion | Claude (Anthropic) | Gemini |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free. Pro at $20/month ($17/month billed annually). | Free, paid Google AI subscriptions |
| Targeted ads on your data | No | Conversations tied to your Google account, partly reviewed by humans |
| Source code | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Migration difficulty | Easy (1/5) | — |
Comparison
Claude is the category's heavy hitter: keep it for demanding, non-sensitive tasks. For everyday use, Vibe is European; for confidential matters, Lumo or a local model.
This topic is chapter 13 of my book
It answers these questions, among others:
- which assistant for which use, without ever trusting one player with everything?
- how do you run an AI at home, and on what machine?
- and how do you decide what you share, or not, with an online AI?
Forthcoming 22/10/2026 from Éditions Eyrolles
Frequently asked questions
How much does Claude (Anthropic) cost?
Free. Pro at $20/month ($17/month billed annually).
How do you switch from Gemini to Claude (Anthropic)?
Estimated difficulty: Easy (1/5). Create an account and disable training under Settings, Privacy. Nothing to migrate.
Who is Claude (Anthropic) for?
You accept a jurisdiction trade-off in exchange for answer quality, and you never share anything personal with it.
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Similar alternatives
Vibe (Mistral)
BeginnerVibe, the French chatbot by Mistral AI (formerly Le Chat). A solid everyday assistant, under GDPR rather than the Cloud Act.
Lumo (Proton)
BeginnerProton's AI assistant. No conversation logs, zero-access encryption, works without an account.
GPT4All
BeginnerThe easiest local AI to install. Your questions never leave your computer.