Anthropic has recorded a sharp rise in paid subscriptions for its Claude chatbot, driven by increased public attention from its dispute with the U.S. Department of Defense, advertising campaigns, and the release of new features, according to transaction data analysed for TechCrunch.
The analysis, conducted by consumer data firm Indagari, reviewed billions of anonymised credit card transactions from around 28 million U.S. consumers. It indicates that Claude gained paid users at record levels, particularly between January and February, while also seeing a notable return of previous subscribers during the same period.
Data Scope And Subscription Trends
Indagari noted that while the dataset is extensive, it does not capture all users. It excludes enterprise customers, which represent a significant portion of Anthropic’s business, as well as free-tier users. As a result, total user figures remain uncertain, with external estimates ranging between 18 million and 30 million users. Anthropic has not disclosed official totals but confirmed that paid subscriptions have more than doubled this year.
Most new subscribers are joining Claude’s lowest-priced tier, known as Pro, which costs $20 per month, compared with higher tiers priced at $100 or $200. Data available through early March, with a two-week reporting delay, indicates that growth has continued beyond February.
Public Attention From Advertising And Dispute
Increased visibility for Claude coincided with a series of Super Bowl advertisements that positioned the chatbot in contrast to competitors. The campaigns referenced decisions by OpenAI regarding advertising within its products and stated that Claude would not follow the same approach. The advertisements also drew a response from OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman.
At the same time, a dispute between Anthropic and the Department of Defense gained public attention. Reports from outlets including The Wall Street Journal and Axios described disagreements over the permitted use of Anthropic’s AI models.
Anthropic declined to allow its systems to be used for lethal autonomous operations or large-scale surveillance of U.S. citizens. The dispute escalated in late February, when chief executive Dario Amodei issued a public statement after the Department of Defense signalled it could classify the company as a supply risk. The designation was later temporarily blocked by a federal judge, while legal challenges continue.
Subscriber growth increased during this period, with the most significant rise occurring between the initial reports in late January and Amodei’s statement on February 26.
Product Features Driving User Growth
Alongside external attention, product updates have contributed to subscription growth. Anthropic introduced tools such as Claude Code and Claude Cowork in January, targeting developers and productivity use cases. A newer feature, Computer Use, allows the AI to interact with a computer interface by clicking, scrolling, and performing tasks autonomously.
The feature integrates with Dispatch, which enables users to assign tasks from mobile devices. These capabilities are limited to paid users and are not available on the free tier.
Competitive Position Against OpenAI
Despite increased adoption, Claude remains behind ChatGPT in overall scale. Data from Indagari shows that while OpenAI experienced a temporary increase in app uninstalls following its own agreement with the Department of Defense, it continues to add new paying users at a strong pace.
OpenAI remains the largest consumer AI platform by subscriber base, maintaining a lead over competitors even as Anthropic’s growth accelerates.
Featured image credits: Syllaby.io
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