Anthropic's AI tool, Claude, has gained significant traction among consumers, with paid subscriptions more than doubling this year. The growth coincides with a public feud with the Department of Defense and effective Super Bowl ads that positioned Claude as a safer alternative to competitors. Despite this success, Claude still trails behind ChatGPT in overall user numbers.

• Claude's paid subscriptions have more than doubled in 2024, based on analysis of ~28 million anonymized US credit card transactions, with a sharp jump between January and February.
• Most new subscribers are choosing the cheapest $20/month "Pro" tier rather than the $100 or $200 plans, with growth also driven by new features like Claude Code, Claude Cowork, and Computer Use.
• Anthropic's public refusal to let its AI be used for lethal military operations (unlike OpenAI, which struck its own DoD deal) plus Super Bowl ads mocking ChatGPT have boosted Claude's profile as a "safer" alternative.
• Despite this growth, Claude still trails ChatGPT in total users, and OpenAI continues adding paid subscribers quickly despite backlash over its DoD deal.