ChatGPT vs Perplexity vs Claude — In-Depth Comparison in 2025
With the rapid advancement of generative AI, intelligent assistants such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude have become essential tools for users worldwide to access information, complete tasks, and create content. While all belong to the large language model (LLM) ecosystem, they differ in positioning, functionality, user base, and business models.
1. Parent Company and Market Valuation
ChatGPT — OpenAI
ChatGPT is the flagship product developed by OpenAI, an AI company headquartered in the United States. Since its launch in 2022, OpenAI has rapidly grown into an industry leader. According to 2025 industry estimates, OpenAI’s overall valuation and business scale have surpassed the tens of billions of dollars level, establishing its absolute leadership position within the sector. Business Insider
Perplexity — Perplexity AI Inc.
Perplexity AI is a startup focused on AI-driven search, also headquartered in the United States. Recent data indicates the company’s valuation has risen to approximately $14 billion (post-2025 funding round), reflecting capital recognition of its technological approach and growth potential. Wikipedia
Claude — Anthropic PBC
Anthropic, the company behind Claude, is an AI firm founded by former OpenAI members. By 2025, Anthropic’s valuation had surged to over $180 billion, making it one of the world’s most valuable AI startups. The Verge
2. Current User Base and Market Penetration
ChatGPT
ChatGPT holds a dominant lead in user base within the industry. According to OpenAI’s official statistics, ChatGPT achieved approximately 800 million weekly active users in 2025—a figure nearly several times that of its competitors—demonstrating exceptionally high global user penetration. Business Insider+1
Perplexity
Perplexity maintains a relatively smaller user base within the industry. As of the latest statistics, its monthly active users stand at approximately 45 million. However, leveraging its unique data sources and search capabilities, it holds strong appeal among research and professional user communities. App Business
Claude
Claude’s user base falls between the two extremes. Multiple data sources indicate Claude’s monthly active users in 2025 range from approximately 18 million to 30 million, with a significant portion originating from enterprise-level application scenarios. CEP DC
3.Key Feature Comparison
ChatGPT focuses on general conversation and content generation, with training data spanning a wide range of topics, making it suitable for most task types.
Perplexity’s standout feature is its integration of real-time search capabilities and answer attribution mechanisms, enabling easier verification of outputs.
Claude emphasizes security, long-form text analysis, and specialized reasoning capabilities, making it ideal for enterprise and high-risk industries.
TMO Group+1
4. Who is the target user group?
ChatGPT
Content creators
Students and researchers
Freelancers
General information seekers
Due to its powerful generation capabilities and multi-scenario adaptability, ChatGPT is one of the most widely adopted tools. Nerdynav
Perplexity
Researchers and students
Analysts and market researchers
Professional users requiring real-time data
Perplexity excels in scenarios demanding real-time, verifiable data due to its search attribution capabilities. pijushsaha.com
Claude
Enterprise users and legal compliance teams
Developers and technical teams
Users requiring highly specialized tasks
Claude is better suited for long-form writing, complex task analysis, and enterprise-level deployment. Data Studios ‧Exafin
5. Usage and Pricing Models
ChatGPT
ChatGPT offers web, mobile app, and API access, monetizing through subscriptions (e.g., ChatGPT Plus) and enterprise services (ChatGPT Enterprise). It provides flexible usage and integrates with Microsoft products (e.g., Teams, Office). TMO Group
Perplexity
Perplexity operates on a freemium model. Users can access basic search and Q&A for free, or upgrade to Perplexity Pro for additional query quotas and access to advanced models like GPT-4, Claude, and Llama 3. Its key features include transparent source attribution and factual verification. pijushsaha.com
Claude
Claude delivers services via its website, API, and enterprise integration products. Users can choose between free and paid tiers, with enterprise deployment options available. Its security mechanisms and reliability are key selling points in the paid market. App Business
Summary
Overall, these three tools each have distinct focuses within the AI ecosystem:
ChatGPT is currently the most influential, largest-scale, and most comprehensive general-purpose AI platform. Business Insider
Perplexity excels in real-time search and factual citation, making it better suited for research and data analysis scenarios. pijushsaha.com
Claude emphasizes security, compliance, and long-form text processing, particularly catering to enterprise and professional needs. Data Studios ‧Exafin
The competitive and complementary dynamics among these three are driving generative AI toward greater efficiency, trustworthiness, and professionalism, offering more tailored intelligent assistant options for diverse user groups.