I get asked this a lot, and my answer might surprise you.
Both Claude and ChatGPT are powerful large language models (LLMs), and they each bring something unique to the table. So which one is better for coding? Well, it depends on what you’re looking for—and how you like to work.
My Experience with Claude
Claude has consistently impressed me with the quality of its code output. It tends to prioritize readability and structure, which makes it easy to follow and tweak. For many coding tasks, Claude delivers excellent results right out of the gate, often nailing what I need on the very first prompt.
That said, I’ve run into some friction with more complex tasks. For example, when iterating on a script recently, Claude repeatedly ignored my updated code and seemed to rely on its original logic instead. Even minor version changes I added were overlooked until I adjusted my prompts with extra precision. It works great when it works—but sometimes you really have to guide it.
My Experience with ChatGPT
ChatGPT is where my AI journey began. While it may not seem as code-focused as Claude on the surface, it draws from many of the same training sources—and in practice, it performs really well.
One big strength I’ve noticed is how well ChatGPT handles updated code snippets. It’s usually quick to recognize changes and adapt accordingly. However, it’s not flawless. There are times when it completely misses the mark on what I’m asking, which can be frustrating. Fortunately, as a developer, I know how to steer it in the right direction with better prompts, but still, it can be a process.
So, Which One Wins?
Honestly? I use both. And I recommend you do too.
There’s no clear winner here, just different strengths. Claude shines with clean, readable code and quick wins on straightforward tasks. ChatGPT is a strong all-rounder with better code-tracking during iterative development.
The best tool is the one that gets you results. For me, that often means running my ideas through both and comparing the outputs. More often than not, I find myself leaning on ChatGPT, but Claude still plays an important role in my workflow.