A beginner's guide for anyone using Claude for the first time. Covers everything from signing up to your first conversation, choosing a model, and free vs. paid plans. (As of May 2026. Pricing and plans may change — check claude.ai for the latest.)
What is Claude?
Claude is an AI assistant built by Anthropic. It handles a wide range of tasks through natural-language conversation — writing, coding, analysis, summarizing, translation, brainstorming, and more. The models come in three tiers; pick one based on your needs.
- Opus — The most capable top-tier model. Best for complex reasoning and coding (currently Opus 4.7)
- Sonnet — Balanced performance and cost. A solid default for most tasks (currently Sonnet 4.6)
- Haiku — Fastest and cheapest. Good for simple, high-volume tasks (currently Haiku 4.5)
If you're just starting out, don't worry about picking a model. When you start on the free plan, an appropriate model is used automatically.
Step 1: Sign up
Go to claude.ai in your browser and sign up with an email address, Google account, or Apple ID. On mobile, install the "Claude" app from the App Store or Play Store.
Good to know when signing up:
- No payment information is required for a free account.
- There is no anonymous or guest mode. You need an account to use it.
- Availability follows Anthropic's regional policies (supported regions only).
Step 2: Start your first conversation
Once you log in, a chat window appears. Type your question or request in plain language. Examples:
- "Rewrite the following email in a more polite tone: …"
- "Find the bug in this Python code"
- "Summarize the key points of this PDF report in 5 lines" (with a file attached)
The vaguer your prompt, the fuzzier the result. The more specific you are (context, goal, desired format, length), the better the answer. If you don't like the response, just follow up — "make it shorter," "put it in a table," and so on.
Step 3: What you can do on the free plan
The free plan isn't a stripped-down demo — it's a genuinely usable version. It includes the following (as of May 2026):
- General conversation with Claude
- File uploads (document and image analysis)
- Projects — a workspace that bundles custom instructions and reference files
- Artifacts — create code and documents in a separate panel to view/edit directly
- Memory — remembers context across conversations (manageable in settings)
- Web search
That said, the free plan has usage limits (a cap on messages per time window), and the top-tier Opus model is not available on the free plan. Also note that conversations on the free plan may be used for model training (you can review data-usage options in settings).
Step 4: When you need a paid plan
Consider a paid plan if any of these apply:
- You frequently hit the free usage limit
- You do demanding work that needs a top-tier model like Opus
- You need priority access during peak hours
The personal paid plans are Pro and Max. Pro is $20/month in the US, and the displayed price may vary by region depending on local currency and tax rules (annual billing offers a discount). Max is a higher tier for users who need more usage, with usage-multiplier tiers (5x / 20x). Check the current price at claude.ai/upgrade or in your app store.
Note: Pro/Max plans are subscriptions for the chat product; API usage is billed separately. Set up the API separately at platform.claude.com.
Next steps
Once you've got the basics down, move on to these topics:
- Make the most of Claude's key features (Projects, Artifacts, Memory)
- Compare plans in detail — which one fits you
- For developers, get started with the Claude API
This article is for general guidance only. Pricing, features, and plan structures may change per Anthropic's policies. Please verify the latest information on official pages before making important decisions. (As of May 2026)