AI tool privacy · Comparison
ChatGPT vs Claude: how each handles your data
By David Michaelson, MS Last checked October 23, 2026
The short answer
ChatGPT
ChatGPT Business and Enterprise do not train on your data by default; on Free, Plus, and Pro, OpenAI may use your chats to train its models unless you turn that off.
Claude
Claude Team and Enterprise do not train on your chats by default; on Free, Pro, and Max, Anthropic uses your chats to improve Claude only if you allow it, and keeps them up to 5 years if you do.
For a team: compare the plan you would actually buy, not just the brand. The tables below show each plan’s answers, with sources.
Side by side
Every answer links to the vendor’s own page and shows the date we read it. Where we could not confirm an answer, the cell says so in plain words and links to the page we checked.
| Question | ChatGPTFree, Plus, and Pro | ClaudeFree, Pro, and Max |
|---|---|---|
| Trains on your data by default? | Yes, unless you turn it off. OpenAI says it may use your content to train its models. Turn off “Improve the model for everyone” under Settings > Data controls. If you give a thumbs up or down, the whole chat may be used for training even after you opt out. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: help.openai.com | Only if you allow it. Anthropic says it uses your chats to improve its models if you choose to allow it, if a chat is flagged for safety review, or if you opt in another way. The setting is under Settings > Privacy, “Help Improve our AI models.” Read on October 23, 2026 Source: privacy.claude.com |
| How long your data is kept | Saved chats stay until you delete them. Deleted chats are scheduled for permanent deletion within 30 days, unless OpenAI must keep them longer for security or legal reasons. Temporary chats may be kept for up to 30 days for safety. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: help.openai.com | Deleted chats leave your history at once and are deleted from back-end storage within 30 days. If you allow model improvement, Anthropic may keep de-identified data for up to 5 years. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: privacy.claude.com |
| Who can see it | OpenAI’s policy does not describe company access to a personal account. It says that if you sign up with a work email, OpenAI may share that you have an account, and your email address, with your employer. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: openai.com | Not described on the pages we read. Page checked: privacy.claude.com, October 23, 2026 |
| Where data is stored | On servers in the United States and in other countries where OpenAI’s affiliates, partners, or vendors are located. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: openai.com | Anthropic says your personal data is transferred to its servers in the US, or to other countries outside the EEA and the UK. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: anthropic.com |
| How to delete | In your chat history, open the ••• menu on a chat and select Delete. To clear everything, open Settings > Data controls > Delete all chats. Deleted chats cannot be restored. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: help.openai.com | Open the chat, click its name at the top of the screen, and select Delete. To delete several, open Recents, check the chats, and click “Delete Selected.” Read on October 23, 2026 Source: privacy.anthropic.com |
| Question | ChatGPTChatGPT Business | ClaudeTeam and Enterprise |
|---|---|---|
| Trains on your data by default? | No, not by default. OpenAI says it does not use inputs or outputs from ChatGPT Business to improve its models, and a thumbs up or down does not change that. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: help.openai.com | No, not by default. Anthropic says it does not train on inputs or outputs from its commercial products. If someone sends thumbs up or down feedback, that conversation may be used. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: privacy.claude.com |
| How long your data is kept | Workspace admins can control how long data is kept. Deleted or unsaved conversations are removed within 30 days, unless the law or protecting the service requires longer. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: openai.com | Chats are kept in the product so people can continue them. Deleted chats leave the history at once and are deleted from back-end storage within 30 days. Chats flagged for a policy violation may be kept up to 2 years. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: privacy.claude.com |
| Who can see it | Each person sees their own conversations. Workspace admins can view, access, export, and delete members’ conversations. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: openai.com | Your organization’s Primary Owner manages the work account and its data, and can export data that may include members’ conversations and uploaded files. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: privacy.claude.com |
| Where data is stored | Not stated for this plan on the page we read. OpenAI lists data residency choices for eligible Enterprise, Edu, Healthcare, and API customers, not Business. Page checked: openai.com, October 23, 2026 | Not stated for Team or Enterprise on the pages we read. Anthropic points to its Trust Center, which we have not checked. Page checked: privacy.claude.com, October 23, 2026 |
| How to delete | Members delete chats from the ••• menu or Settings > Data controls. Admins can also delete members’ conversations. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: help.openai.com | Same steps as the personal plans: open the chat, click its name, and select Delete. Deleted chats are removed from back-end storage within 30 days. Read on October 23, 2026 Source: privacy.claude.com |
Building your own approved tools list? The SafeStart Handbook includes one, with company accounts and safer privacy settings.