Claude's Popularity Soars Among Paying Consumers

A recent analysis by Indagari shows that Claude is gaining paid subscribers in record numbers.

A recent examination of billions of anonymized credit card transactions from about 28 million U.S. consumers, conducted for TechCrunch by Indagari, a consumer transaction analysis company, shows that Claude is gaining paid subscribers in record numbers. The majority of new subscribers are opting for the lowest tier 'Pro' user plan, which costs $20 per month. This is a significant increase compared to the higher-tier plans, which cost $100 or $200 per month.

The attention generated by Anthropic's Super Bowl ads and the company's stance against the Department of Defense's use of its AI is likely the driving factor behind Claude's surge in popularity. The ads, which mocked ChatGPT's decision to show ads to its users, were effective in generating buzz around Claude. Additionally, Anthropic's refusal to allow the DOD to use its AI for lethal autonomous operations and mass surveillance of American citizens has resonated with consumers.

• New user growth climbed sharply during the period of time when the media reports about the feud between Anthropic and the DOD were published.
• Previous users returned to Claude in record numbers in February.
• The Computer Use feature, released this week, has sparked a surge in new subscriptions.
• This feature allows Claude to navigate a computer independently, clicking, scrolling, and taking actions on its own.

However, it's worth noting that Claude remains a long way behind ChatGPT in terms of total consumer users. OpenAI's uninstalls spiked immediately after it announced a deal with the DOD, but the company is still gaining new paid subscribers at a rapid rate and remains the biggest consumer AI platform of them all.

Anthropic's growth among U.S. consumers willing to pay for AI is a significant development, but it's unclear what this means for the company's overall business model. The company has not disclosed its total current or new user numbers, and estimates for total Claude consumer users are all over the map. Nevertheless, it's clear that Claude is gaining traction among consumers, and it will be interesting to see how this trend continues in the coming months.