By Anthropic

Claude explained for business

Claude is an AI assistant made by Anthropic. It can help you understand documents, draft content, analyse information and complete tasks using the files and tools you give it access to.

You could give Claude meeting notes and a proposal template, then ask it to prepare a first draft for you to review.

What you get back depends on the feature you use. It might be a written answer, an edited file, a spreadsheet, changes to software, or actions in tools you have connected.

Ways to use Claude

Claude can be used in several ways. Start with the one that matches the work you want to do.

Chat with Claude

Ask questions, upload documents, explore ideas and work through drafts.

Available: All plans, including Free, on the web, desktop and mobile apps.

Delegate work with Cowork

Give Claude a task involving several steps and let it work with the files and connected tools you authorise. Review its progress and results.

Anthropic now presents chat and Cowork together in the Claude app.

Available: Paid plans. In beta on web and mobile; the desktop app (Mac, Windows and Linux) is needed for files on your computer. On Enterprise, an admin must turn it on.

Build software with Claude Code

For developers

Claude works on a software project: reading the code, making changes and running checks. This mainly matters if you have developers or work with a software supplier.

Available: Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans. Not included on Free.

Use Claude inside Microsoft 365

Claude for Excel, Claude for PowerPoint and Claude for Word are add-ins that work inside those apps. Claude for Outlook is in beta.

Separately, the Microsoft 365 connector lets Claude search SharePoint, OneDrive, Outlook and Teams.

Available: Add-ins need a paid plan; admins can deploy them through the Microsoft 365 admin centre. The connector works on all plans but needs a Microsoft business account and admin approval.

Connect Claude to your own application

Advanced

The Claude API lets developers add Claude to your own software, such as a customer portal or an internal tool.

Available: A separate developer account, billed by usage. Not included in any Claude subscription.

These are related ways to use Claude, not five subscriptions everyone needs. Most teams start with chat and add other options as the work calls for them.

What it can do for a business

Practical examples, each labelled with the feature it uses. Check anything that matters before you rely on it.

Chat

Draft a proposal

Give Claude your meeting notes and an approved proposal template. It prepares a first draft for you to check and finish.

Chat

Review a tender

Upload the tender and ask for the requirements, deadlines and questions to raise. Ask for page references, then check them against the document.

Projects

Answer procedure questions

Keep your current procedures in a Project and share it with the staff who need it. Access and sharing have to be set up, and the procedures kept up to date.

Microsoft 365

Work with spreadsheets

In Excel, ask Claude to review a budget or work out why two sets of figures don’t match. Check the formulas and totals before you rely on them.

Claude Code

Build or maintain software

Your developers or software supplier can use Claude Code to investigate a problem, make changes and run checks. Its changes still need review and testing.

Connectors

Find information across systems

With connectors, Claude can search tools such as SharePoint, Google Drive or Slack. The connectors you have, and what they are allowed to do, decide which systems and actions are supported.

Cowork

Prepare a weekly status report

Bring together several project files and prepare a weekly status report for review.

How it works, simply

Four features that shape how Claude works with your information.

Projects

Keep related work together

A Project stores the files and instructions for ongoing work, so each chat in it starts with the right background.

Sharing depends on your plan, settings and permissions. On Team and Enterprise plans, you can share a Project with team members you have given access to. Don’t assume every conversation or memory in it is shared.

For example: A Tenders project holding your capability statement and past bids, used to draft each new response.

Setup details: Projects
  • Every plan has Projects; the Free plan allows up to five.
  • Sharing is available on Team and Enterprise, within your organisation. People can be given “Can view” or “Can edit” access.

Memory

Carry useful context forward

When memory is turned on, Claude keeps useful details from your chats, such as your preferences and ongoing work, so you don’t have to repeat them.

Memory is different from Project files (documents you add on purpose) and connectors (live access to another system).

For example: Claude remembers that you want Australian spelling and short summaries.

Setup details: Memory
  • On by default for Free, Pro and Max. On Team and Enterprise it stays off until an owner turns it on.
  • You can view, edit, delete or turn off memory in Settings. Each Project keeps its own separate memory, and incognito chats are not saved to memory.

Connectors

Work with existing systems

Connectors are authorised links to supported business tools. Some only let Claude look up information. Others can also take actions, such as sending an email or updating a file, if you allow it.

For example: Search SharePoint for the latest price list without leaving the chat.

Setup details: Connectors
  • Connectors are available on all plans. You can also add custom connectors (the Free plan allows one).
  • On Team and Enterprise, an owner must turn connectors on, and can limit them to read-only.
  • The Microsoft 365 connector needs a Microsoft business account and approval from your Microsoft admin.

Cowork

Complete a task across several steps

You describe the goal, give Claude the files and tools it needs, and it works through the steps while showing its progress. You review the result before using it.

For example: Pull together this week’s project files and draft a status report for your review.

Setup details: Cowork
  • Available on paid plans, in beta on web and mobile. Files on your computer need the desktop app open.
  • Scheduled tasks can repeat a Cowork task, such as a Monday report. They run in the cloud even when your computer is asleep, but can’t use a folder on your computer.

Plans and costs

Plans differ in how much you can use Claude and which features you get. Prices below are US reference prices before tax.

Australian customers see their local price and tax at checkout.

Claude plans: who each suits, the US reference price and what usage is included
Free Who it suits Trying Claude US reference price US$0 Usage Limited usage. Up to five Projects. No Claude Code or Cowork.
Pro Who it suits Individuals US reference price US$20 a month billed monthly, or US$17 a month when paid annually (US$200 a year) Usage Standard allowance. Extra usage can be bought.
Max Who it suits Individuals with heavy use US reference price US$100 or US$200 a month, billed monthly only Usage About 5 or 20 times Pro’s allowance. Extra usage can be bought.
Team Who it suits 2 to 150 people US reference price Standard seat US$25 a month, or US$20 a month when paid annually. Premium seat US$125, or US$100 when paid annually Usage Premium seats allow much more use. Seat types can be mixed. Extra usage can be bought.
Enterprise Who it suits Larger organisations US reference price US$20 per seat a month, billed annually, plus usage Usage Usage billed separately at API rates from a shared pool. Arranged with Anthropic.
  • Each plan includes a usage allowance. On paid plans you can keep working past it by buying extra usage, charged at API rates.
  • The Claude API is billed separately. A Claude subscription does not include API usage.

Last checked . See current prices on claude.com (opens in a new tab)

What the plan terms mean
Usage allowance
How much you can use Claude in a period. It varies by plan and by how demanding each task is.
Extra usage
Paying to keep working after you reach your allowance. You can set a monthly limit.
API rates
Anthropic’s pay-per-use prices, based on how much text Claude reads and writes.
Seat
A paid place on a Team or Enterprise plan for one person.

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

  • Can help turn rough notes into structured drafts. Review the facts, tone and final wording.
  • Works with long documents and the files you give it.
  • Several ways to work: chat, Cowork, Microsoft 365 add-ins, Claude Code and the API.
  • Connectors to common business tools, with owner controls on Team and Enterprise.

Limitations

  • It can miss information, misread documents or give incorrect answers and calculations. Check important work.
  • Usage allowances and billing vary by plan. Heavy use may need a higher plan or extra usage.
  • Files and web pages can contain instructions that try to steer the AI away from your task. Limit access and review consequential actions.
  • Some features are in beta or limited to certain plans and devices.

Business data and privacy

Four separate questions to answer before your team uses Claude with business information.

Is our data used to train Claude?

On Team, Enterprise and the API, Anthropic does not train on your data by default.

On personal plans (Free, Pro and Max), each person chooses in their privacy settings whether their chats help improve Claude. Incognito chats are not used.

Who can see it?

On Team and Enterprise plans, your admins may be able to access member conversations.

Anthropic may review conversations flagged for breaching its usage policy.

How long is it kept?

On business plans, deleted chats are removed from Anthropic’s systems within 30 days. Enterprise can set its own retention period, and zero-retention agreements are available for some uses.

On personal plans, retention depends on the training setting: 30 days if it is off, up to five years if it is on.

Where is it stored and processed?

Anthropic stores data in the US. Processing may happen in the US, Europe, Asia or Australia.

Using Claude through a cloud provider such as Amazon Bedrock can offer Australian processing options, but only with the right service, model and configuration. Global options may still route elsewhere, and the provider’s terms apply.

“Not used for training” is not a complete answer to whether you should upload client information. Also check your client agreements and consent, who in your business can see the chats, how long they are kept, and your privacy obligations.

Where Claude may fit

  • Work involving long documents, such as tenders, contracts and reports.
  • Drafting and editing content your team reviews before it goes out.
  • Teams already working in Excel, Word and PowerPoint who want AI inside those apps.
  • Businesses with developers, or a software supplier, building with AI.

What to compare before choosing

Test Claude and alternatives on the same real work. Compare:

  • Your actual business tasks.
  • The software you already use.
  • Your staff’s experience with AI tools.
  • The integrations you need.
  • Your data and privacy requirements.
  • The total cost, including extra usage and setup.

Questions businesses ask.

What is the difference between Claude chat, Cowork and Claude Code?

Chat is for questions, documents and drafts. Cowork is for handing Claude a task with several steps across your files and connected tools. Claude Code is for software development. They are ways of using the same Claude, not separate products you must each buy.

Do I need a developer?

Not for most everyday use. Ready-made connectors and supported Cowork features can be set up without coding. Custom integrations, the API and Claude Code usually need technical help.

Can it work with our existing files and systems?

Often, yes. You can upload files, use the Microsoft 365 add-ins, and add connectors for supported tools such as SharePoint, Google Drive and Slack. What Claude can see and do depends on the connectors available and the permissions you give them.

Can our team share Projects?

On Team and Enterprise plans, yes. You choose who in your organisation can view or edit a Project. Personal plans can’t share Projects with a team.

Can it run recurring tasks?

Yes, on paid plans. Cowork’s scheduled tasks can repeat a task, such as a weekly report. They run in the cloud even when your computer is asleep, but can’t use a folder on your computer.

What should we check before uploading client information?

Check your client agreements and privacy obligations, which plan you are on and whether its data is used for training, who in your business can see the chats, and how long data is kept. Use a business plan for client work.

What does it cost?

There is a free plan, personal plans billed per person and business plans billed per seat. Paid plans include a usage allowance, and you can buy extra usage. The API is billed separately. See the Plans and costs table and Anthropic’s pricing page for current prices.

Where is our data stored and processed?

Anthropic stores data in the US, and processing may happen in the US, Europe, Asia or Australia. Some cloud providers, such as Amazon Bedrock, offer Australian processing options. What applies depends on the service, model, configuration and your contract.

Could Claude help with your day-to-day work?

We can help you choose a useful first task, organise the right information and set up Claude for your team.

Discuss your business