Which AI model for which job: the Claude and ChatGPT ladders on one page

Start on the lowest rung that can do the job. Current as of October 7, 2026.

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What's in the chart:

  • Which Claude model and which ChatGPT setting sit on each of the four rungs, and the jobs each rung is sized for
  • What each plan actually gets you in both apps, free and paid
  • What the top rung costs next to the bottom one, by list price
  • How both lineups got here, so a model name you see in the wild makes sense

Sources are listed on the chart: mostly Anthropic's and OpenAI's own pages, read October 7, 2026.