Anthropic is widening access to its AI chatbot Claude by adding several new features to its free plan, a move that comes at a time when competition in the AI space is heating up.
The update follows recent changes by OpenAI, which introduced ads to its free and lower-cost ChatGPT plans. That decision sparked debate among users and prompted rivals to respond. Anthropic even ran high-profile ads during the Super Bowl, making it clear that Claude would remain ad-free. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman later said the company did not plan to hide its best tools behind a paywall. Now, Anthropic appears to be making its own statement by bringing some previously paid features to Claude’s free tier.
However, for users who were not sure whether they need the paid AI services of Anthropic, the enhanced free option might even make the situation uncertain. Anthropic has made its services richer with features previously only accessible with the paid option.
File creation, connectors, and longer conversations
One of the biggest additions is file creation. Free users are now able to create and save PowerPoint presentations, Excel spreadsheets, Word documents, and PDFs directly from their conversations with Claude. That will make it easier to turn ideas, reports, or summaries into ready files without switching between multiple apps.
Anthropic has also introduced select Connectors to the free plan. These tools allow Claude to work with certain external services, including Google Workspace apps. Previously, Connectors were only available to paying subscribers. Bringing them into the free tier opens up more use cases, practically for students and professionals who live on Google Docs, Sheets, and similar tools.
Another feature that has moved out from behind the paywall is Custom Skills. Skills are a set of specific instructions that users can set up for Claude to follow in future interactions. Instead of having to make the same detailed request every time, users can create a Skill once and then reuse it. This is particularly helpful for users who use the chatbot for recurring tasks like drafting emails, summarizing documents, or brainstorming ideas.
Anthropic is also extending conversation length for free users, allowing for more back-and-forth without hitting limits too quickly. Interactive responses have been improved, and the company says image and voice search capabilities have been enhanced as well.
While some may see longer conversations as the standout upgrade, the overall package adds clear value to the free plan. At a time when ad-supported AI tools are becoming more common, Claude’s ad-free approach and expanded feature set could appeal to users looking for an alternative.
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