For a long time, GPT-4 was the undisputed king of AI. But Claude 3.5 Sonnet has changed the conversation, especially for developers and writers who hate "AI-sounding" text.
With its massive context window and the new "Artifacts" interface, Anthropic claims this model is smarter, faster, and more human. But is it worth switching your $20/month subscription from ChatGPT? In this Claude 3.5 Sonnet review, we tested it for coding, creative writing, and data analysis.
Quick Summary
The Developer's New Best Friend
Claude 3.5 Sonnet is noticeably better at coding than GPT-4o. It hallucinates less, writes cleaner CSS/React, and the Artifacts UI allows you to view and interact with the code instantly in a side panel. If you write code or long documents, this is the superior tool.
Try Claude 3.5 Free →
What Claude 3.5 Sonnet Actually Does
Claude is a Large Language Model (LLM) built by Anthropic. Unlike ChatGPT, which tries to be a "do-it-all" assistant with voice mode and image generation, Claude focuses purely on intelligence and reasoning.
It reads massive files (up to 200k tokens), analyzes images/charts, and writes exceptionally human-sounding prose. It doesn't generate images, but it can write the SVG code to draw an image.
Core Features
How to Use Claude — Workflow
We tested Claude 3.5 Sonnet while building our AI Prompt Generator tool.
- The Prompt: We asked: "Write a single HTML file for a Prompt Generator tool. It should take a Topic and Niche as input and output a structured prompt."
- The Artifact: Instead of dumping code in the chat, Claude opened the Artifacts Panel on the right.
- The Preview: We could see the tool working live inside Claude. We tested the buttons and inputs without leaving the tab.
- Refinement: We asked: "Make the 'Generate' button blue and add a copy-to-clipboard feature." Claude updated the Artifact instantly.
Example Use Cases
Who Claude Is Best For
- Developers: The Artifacts feature significantly speeds up UI prototyping.
- Writers: Claude's tone is warmer and less repetitive than GPT-4.
- Researchers: The large context window is perfect for analyzing multiple papers at once.
Who Should Avoid Claude
- Image Creators: Claude cannot generate AI images (like DALL-E 3).
- Voice Users: Claude does not have a native "Voice Mode" mobile feature like ChatGPT.
Pricing & Plans
- Access to Claude 3.5 Sonnet
- Limited Daily Messages
- Access to Artifacts
- 5x More Usage
- Priority Access (High Traffic)
- Projects (Custom Instructions)
How Claude Compares (vs GPT-4o)
| Feature | Claude 3.5 Sonnet | GPT-4o (ChatGPT) | Gemini 1.5 Pro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coding | Excellent (Artifacts) | Good | Good |
| Writing Tone | Human-like | Robotic / Verbose | Neutral |
| Image Gen | No | Yes (DALL-E 3) | Yes |
| Web Search | Limited | Yes | Yes |
Limitations & Reality Check
- Rate Limits: Even on the Pro plan, Claude has tighter message limits than ChatGPT. If you have a very long conversation, you might hit a "wait 4 hours" wall.
- No Web Browsing (Traditional): Claude cannot "browse the web" in real-time as deeply as Perplexity or ChatGPT to get breaking news. It relies on its training data.
Best Practices: The "System" Prompt
To get the best code, tell Claude how to act.
Pros & Cons
- "Artifacts" UI is a game changer for coding.
- Writing style is significantly better than GPT-4.
- Large context window handles massive PDFs.
- Less lazy/refusals than other models.
- Strict usage limits (even for paid users).
- No image generation capabilities.
- Mobile app is basic compared to ChatGPT.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Claude 3.5 Sonnet free?
Yes, it is available on the free tier of Claude.ai, but with much lower daily message limits compared to the Pro plan.
Can it generate images?
No. Claude 3.5 Sonnet is a text-only model. It can analyze images you upload, but it cannot create new images like DALL-E or Midjourney.
Is it better than GPT-4o?
For coding and creative writing, most users find Claude 3.5 Sonnet superior. For general assistance, voice mode, and image generation, GPT-4o is still more versatile.
What are Artifacts?
Artifacts are a UI feature where Claude displays code, documents, or React components in a separate side window, allowing you to preview and interact with the content instantly.
Is my data private?
Anthropic (the makers of Claude) generally has a strong stance on safety. On the Team/Enterprise plans, they explicitly state they do not train on your data. Check their latest privacy policy for personal accounts.
Final Verdict
If you are a developer, switch to Claude 3.5 Sonnet immediately. The Artifacts workflow is vastly superior to copying and pasting code from ChatGPT.
If you are a writer, switch to Claude. The prose is cleaner and less clichéd.
However, if you want a "Swiss Army Knife" that generates images, browses the web instantly, and talks to you, keep your ChatGPT subscription.
Start Using Claude 3.5 →
