Why Many Users Are Moving From ChatGPT to Claude — And How to Switch Easily

A growing number of users are moving from ChatGPT to Claude following a series of controversies involving ChatGPT and its parent company, OpenAI.

The turning point came after Anthropic, the company behind Claude, refused to allow the Department of Defence to use its AI models for mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons. In response, President Trump directed all federal agencies to stop using Anthropic’s products, while Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans to classify the company as a supply-chain threat.

Just hours later, OpenAI announced it had reached an agreement with the Pentagon, stating that the deal included safeguards. Even so, the arrangement has triggered widespread debate over privacy and the ethical use of artificial intelligence.

As a result, Claude has climbed to the top of the free app rankings in Apple’s U.S. App Store, surpassing ChatGPT. According to Anthropic, daily sign-ups have reached record levels, free users have risen by more than 60% since January, and paid subscribers have more than doubled this year.

For many people, the recent controversy has made Claude look like an increasingly attractive alternative to ChatGPT. For users considering the change, this guide explains how to migrate your data and close your ChatGPT account.

How to export your data from ChatGPT

Leaving ChatGPT does not have to mean giving up years of digital Memory. Rather than starting from scratch with a new AI assistant, users can migrate their information to Claude so it can quickly understand their preferences.

There are several ways to begin. One option is to go into Settings. From there, head to Personalisation and find the Memory section. Select “Manage” to review the stored information and edit anything that no longer accurately reflects your preferences. Once everything looks current, copy the content you want to keep.

Another option is to export your entire chat history. Go to Settings, select Data Controls, and then choose “Export Data.” ChatGPT will prepare your conversation records in text or JSON format and email them to you. If you have a large history, this process may take some time.

Users can also take a more manual approach by copying key conversations from their chat history or asking ChatGPT to summarise their main preferences, commonly discussed topics, and any custom instructions they typically use.

Could you import your data into Claude?

Once you have gathered your information, moving it into Claude is fairly simple.

Open Claude, go to Settings, then Capabilities, and confirm that Memory isturned on. From there, start a new conversation and use a prompt such as, “Here’s some important context I’d like you to remember. Update your Memory about me.” Then paste in your information or summaries directly into the chat.

If you are using exported chat files, it is better not to paste raw logs directly. Instead, you can ask Claude: “Review this and summarise my key preferences.”

It is also a good idea to confirm that Claude has stored the information correctly. Preferences can always be updated later as they change.

Permanently delete your ChatGPT account.

For users who want to make a full break from ChatGPT, simply cancelling a subscription is not enough to remove personal data.

Here is what to do:

Go to Settings > Personalisation, then select Memory.

Delete Memoryved memory or personalisation settings.

For additional reassurance, type “Delete all my memory and personalised data” as a final command in chat.

Then you can access your account management settings and permanently delete the account.