A notable shift in the AI chatbot space is underway as Anthropic expands access to several premium Claude features for users on its free plan.
The AI startup announced that users on the free tier of Claude can now access 4 features that were earlier limited to Pro and Max subscribers. Anyone logged into Claude can now use File Creation, Skills, Connectors, and Compaction. These additions arrive at a time when OpenAI is testing advertisements in ChatGPT.
In a post on X, the official Claude account confirmed that these features are now available to all registered users on the free plan. However, the tools will run only on the AI models included in the free tier.
File Creation allows users to generate and download standalone files directly within the chat interface. These include spreadsheets, documents, and code scripts. Instead of sharing plain text, Claude structures outputs into formats such as .csv, .pdf, or .py. This helps users quickly create ready-to-use files and export them without extra steps.
Connectors is enabled through Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol. This feature allows Claude to connect with external data platforms and third-party applications such as Google Drive, Notion, and Slack. Once connected, the chatbot can retrieve data and perform select tasks inside these applications. With this update, free users can also experience Claude’s agentic capabilities.
Skills act as custom instructions paired with a specific knowledge base. Users can create new skills or reuse existing ones across the platform. This helps Claude understand the role it needs to perform without repeated prompts, making interactions more consistent across chats and projects.
Compaction helps users quickly catch up on long conversations. When returning to an older chat, users can view a concise summary of earlier discussions. This provides context and allows them to continue work without reviewing the full conversation history.
With these updates, Anthropic is widening access to advanced Claude features while reshaping expectations for free AI tools.
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