Anthropic Challenges ChatGPT: Claude's Core Tools Now Free for All Users

• Anthropic opens Claude's core tools, previously for paying customers, to free users, intensifying competition with ChatGPT.
• Free users can now create, edit, and work with files like Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and PDFs directly within Claude using the Sonnet 4.5 model.
• Connectors are now free, allowing Claude to integrate with third-party services such as Slack, Asana, Zapier, Canva, and Notion.
• Access to 'skills' is also free, providing Claude with domain-specific expertise and enabling users to build custom skills.
• Anthropic adds conversation compaction to the free plan, summarizing earlier parts of discussions, though usage caps remain.