Claude vs ChatGPT

Privacy compared: the newest public version of each, scored by the same six rules. Claude scores 80 and ChatGPT 68, so Claude is 12 points ahead.

80of 100

Claudecom.anthropic.claude

version 1.261019.20 ahead by 12

68of 100

ChatGPTcom.openai.chatgpt

version 1.2026.279

Who is ahead on what

The longer bar is the better one on every axis; a score is the mean of its six axes. The arithmetic behind each is on the app's own card.

Axes: Claude leads on 4 axes, ChatGPT on none; 2 axes are level.
Trackers: Claude carries 2 trackers, ChatGPT 2 trackers.
Dangerous permissions: Claude may ask for 6 permissions, ChatGPT for 9 permissions.

The six axes

Each axis is one short rule applied to both apps, with the one thing that decided its number underneath.

Security level

Claude 100 No security problem found.

ChatGPT 100 No security problem found.

Tracking Claude +10

Claude 79 2 tracking tools found.

ChatGPT 69 2 tracking tools found.

Build hygiene Claude +15

Claude 86 The app passes 12 of 14 checks of how well it was built.

ChatGPT 71 The app passes 10 of 14 checks of how well it was built.

Packaging level

Claude 100 Unpacked, the base APK is 46 MB; 108 KB of it is unused files.

ChatGPT 100 Unpacked, the base APK is 89 MB; 347 KB of it is unused files.

Access Claude +32

Claude 48 Asks for 5 of 11 kinds of permission; no special access.

ChatGPT 16 Asks for 9 of 11 kinds of permission; no special access.

Background Claude +10

Claude 64 Runs 2 kinds of background service and starts by itself after a restart.

ChatGPT 54 Runs 3 kinds of background service and starts by itself after a restart.

TrackersClaude 2 · ChatGPT 2

The advertising, analytics and attribution SDKs recognised in each app. What only one of them carries is what sets it apart.

Only in Claude

none

In both

Datadog RUMSegment

Only in ChatGPT

none

Dangerous permissionsClaude 6 · ChatGPT 9

The permissions Android asks the user about at run time: the camera, the microphone, the location, the contacts and the like. An app may need one for what it does; asking is not the same as using.

Only in Claude

WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE

In both

ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATIONACCESS_FINE_LOCATIONREAD_CALENDARRECORD_AUDIOWRITE_CALENDAR

Only in ChatGPT

CAMERAREAD_CONTACTSREAD_PHONE_STATESEND_SMS

Where this comes from

Both are the apps' public cards: what anyone may know of an app, from its newest public version - one Google Play installed, and out in the world. Each card has the score's lines and the earlier versions: Claude, ChatGPT.