Is this a Project or a CustomGPT?

Written by Bastion | Mar 24, 2025 5:11:11 PM

Nicole (Nikki) Finnemann asked a great question on another post this week: when to use Claude projects, ChatGPT customGPTs, and ChatGPT projects.

All three have some shared features:

  • The ability to add instructions, files, and knowledge.
  • The ability to reuse material over time.

There are some critical differences, though:

  • Claude Projects and CustomGPTs don't retain context between sessions. ChatGPT projects have a persistent memory across sessions within a project.
  • CustomGPTs are sharable with other users, publicly and privately. Claude projects can be shared within a team/enterprise. ChatGPT projects are not sharable, currently.
  • CustomGPTs are easy to develop custom personalities and behavior, while ChatGPT projects are not. (Claude's custom styles helps achieve some of the same effect).

So what should you use? It depends. The table below gives you a richer breakdown of the features of each.

CustomGPT vs. ChatGPT Projects vs. Claude Projects

Feature ChatGPT customGPT ChatGPT Projects Claude Projects
Purpose Create a reusable, personalized AI assistant A workspace for iterative, persistent work Workspace for in-depth, long-term work
Customization Full personality & behavior control via instructions, tools, APIs No personality changes, but context persists No personality customization; context does not persist across sessions
Memory & Context No memory across chats; context comes from setup Persistent memory across sessions within project No persistent memory across sessions without third-party tools
Files Upload as "knowledge" for reference (static) Upload, edit, view, and interact with live files Upload, edit, view, and interact with live files
Interactivity with Files Limited (retrieves facts, no editing) Full interactivity (code, text, data, etc.) Full interactivity (code, text, data, etc.)
Use Case Build specialized bots (e.g., tutor, editor, coach) Multi-step work (e.g., writing, analysis, development) Complex writing, coding, or data tasks
Coding Tools Can include Python, browser, etc., if enabled Includes code interpreter & notebook-style tools Built-in code execution with Claude 3 models
Sharing/Collaboration Shareable as a link (public or private) Not currently collaborative (single user) Not collaborative yet; single-user focus
Best For Reusable workflows or assistants Individual long-term projects or research Thoughtful, evolving work over time (e.g., writing, strategy)
User Control High (you build behavior & instructions) Moderate (you guide, but GPT adapts) Moderate (Claude adapts from your writing & uploads)
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