Anthropic's Claude is having a breakout moment. The AI company's paid subscriber base has more than doubled in 2026, with data pointing to record-breaking growth among paying consumers driven by a combination of cultural moments, product launches, and a very public clash with the US Department of Defense.
The findings are based on an analysis of billions of anonymised credit card transactions from approximately 28 million US consumers, conducted by consumer transaction analysis firm Indagari for TechCrunch. The data shows Claude gaining paid subscribers in record numbers, with the surge particularly pronounced between January and February 2026. Notably, previous users also returned to Claude in record numbers in February, with data through early March confirming that growth is continuing.
What drove the spike?
Anthropic's Super Bowl commercials, which took direct aim at ChatGPT's decision to introduce ads to its users, with a promise that Claude would never do the same, were credited as funny and effective, pushing the Claude app into the top 10. The bigger driver, however, was a high-profile dispute with the Pentagon. Anthropic refused to allow the DoD to use its AI models for lethal autonomous operations or mass surveillance of American citizens, a stand that turned increasingly public and generated significant media coverage from late January through February 26, when CEO Dario Amodei issued a firm public statement amid threats to label the company a supply risk. New user growth climbed sharply throughout this period.
Which products of Anthropic worked in its favour?
Claude Code and Claude Cowork – developer and productivity tools released in January – have also been key drivers of subscriptions, alongside the newly released Computer Use feature, which allows Claude to independently navigate a computer, click, scroll, and take actions on its own. These premium features are not available to free-tier users.
The majority of new subscribers are signing up at the lowest tier, Claude Pro at $20 per month, rather than the higher $100 or $200 monthly plans.
Despite the momentum, Claude remains a long way behind ChatGPT, which continues to gain new paid subscribers at a rapid rate and remains the biggest consumer AI platform. ChatGPT did see uninstalls spike immediately after OpenAI announced its own DoD deal, a move that stood in contrast to Anthropic's safety-first stance, but the impact has not been enough to unseat it from the top.
