Claude vs ChatGPT for business: which protects company data better?

By Hugh Donatello, LAN Service Group · Reviewed October 20, 2026

Short answer

On their business plans, neither Anthropic nor OpenAI trains its models on your prompts and outputs by default, and both offer single sign-on and a data processing addendum. The differences are in the details: retention defaults, which plan gets SCIM and audit logs, where data can be stored, and which plans can sign a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement. For most small businesses the plan tier matters more than the vendor.

Which plans this page compares

This page compares the business plans only: Claude Team and Claude Enterprise from Anthropic, and ChatGPT Business and ChatGPT Enterprise from OpenAI. Personal accounts are a different matter. Claude Free, Pro and Max, and ChatGPT Free, Plus and Pro, run on consumer terms with different training and retention rules, which is why company work belongs on a business workspace. The page also does not cover the two vendors' developer APIs, or Claude and OpenAI models reached through Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud or Microsoft Azure, which have their own terms.

Claude vs ChatGPT: data protection side by side

Each row cites the vendor document it comes from, numbered as in the source list at the end of the page. Where a vendor's own page does not list a feature for a plan, the table says so rather than guessing.

Claude Team and Enterprise vs ChatGPT Business and Enterprise: data protection terms
Question	Claude Team	Claude Enterprise	ChatGPT Business	ChatGPT Enterprise	Source
Are your prompts and outputs used to train the vendor's models?	No, by default. Anthropic's Commercial Terms say it may not train models on customer content. Exceptions: chats a user submits as feedback or a bug report, or if your organization opts in.	No, by default, on the same Commercial Terms and with the same feedback, bug report and opt-in exceptions.	No, by default. OpenAI says it does not use Business data, including inputs and outputs, for training unless you explicitly opt in.	No, by default, on the same OpenAI commitment.	[1] [2] [9] [11] [14]
Can admins stop staff sending chats as feedback?	Yes. Owners can turn off the setting that lets members rate chats; Anthropic keeps feedback submissions for 5 years.	Yes, same setting and same 5-year feedback retention.	OpenAI says data shared through its opt-in feedback mechanisms may be used for training. An admin setting to turn feedback off is not listed on the OpenAI pages cited here.	Same as Business.	[2] [9]
How long are chats kept?	Chats stay in the product so users can see their history. Chats a user deletes are removed from Anthropic's back-end systems within 30 days. No custom retention setting on Team.	Indefinitely by default. Owners can set a custom retention period of 30 days or more for chats and projects; it does not cover some features, such as Claude Code in the cloud.	Admins control retention. Deleted or unsaved conversations are removed from OpenAI's systems within 30 days unless the law requires longer or OpenAI needs them to prevent harm.	Admins control retention. Deleted conversations are removed from OpenAI's systems within 30 days unless OpenAI is legally required to keep them.	[3] [4] [5] [9]
Exceptions to normal retention	Chats flagged for Usage Policy violations: inputs and outputs kept up to 2 years, classifier scores up to 7 years. Anthropic may also keep chats as required by law, and Covered Models carry their own retention and safety-review rules.	Same as Team.	Longer retention where required by law or needed to prevent harm.	Longer retention only where required by law.	[3] [9]
Single sign-on (SSO)	Yes, single sign-on, plus domain verification.	Yes, plus domain capture.	Yes, SAML SSO and MFA.	Yes, SAML SSO.	[6] [10]
Automatic user provisioning (SCIM)	No (Enterprise only).	Yes.	No (Enterprise only).	Yes.	[6] [10]
Admin roles and audit trail	Central admin controls, including controls for remote and local connectors. Audit logs, role-based permissions and the Compliance API are Enterprise only.	Audit logs, a Compliance API for monitoring, and role-based access with fine-grained permissions.	Admin console and admin roles. Admins can view, export and delete members' conversations.	Admin console, admin roles and role-based access controls. Admins get an audit log of conversations and GPTs through the Enterprise Compliance API.	[6] [9] [10]
Where data is stored and processed	Anthropic says data is stored in the US. By default, traffic may be routed to select countries in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia.	Stored in the US. Usage-based Enterprise plans can turn on US-only inference (billed at a premium on newer models). It does not cover connected third-party services, and it does not change where data is stored.	Data residency is not listed for Business.	Eligible customers can store content at rest in one of 10 regions, including the US and Europe, and can opt into in-region inference in the US or Europe.	[7] [8] [10] [11]
HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA)	No. Claude's plan comparison lists the HIPAA-ready offering as not available on Team.	Only after the organization's Primary Owner turns on HIPAA compliance and accepts the BAA. Covers that one organization, and excludes listed features such as beta features, Claude Console and connectors.	No. OpenAI says ChatGPT Business is not an eligible service.	Only on eligible services, such as ChatGPT Enterprise with the Regulated Workspace, after OpenAI's Healthcare Addendum and BAA are signed. Some features are switched off or not covered.	[6] [12] [13] [14] [15]
Who owns inputs and outputs	To the extent the law allows, you keep your rights in inputs and own the outputs.	Same as Team.	To the extent the law allows, you keep your rights in inputs and own the outputs.	Same as Business.	[1] [14]
Data processing addendum (DPA)	Incorporated into Anthropic's Commercial Terms by reference.	Same as Team.	Incorporated by OpenAI's Services Agreement when you process personal data.	Same as Business.	[1] [14]

Checked on October 20, 2026 against the vendor documents in the source list. Anthropic and OpenAI change plans and terms often, so confirm the current versions before you buy or sign. 'Not listed' means the vendor's own pages cited here do not describe the feature for that plan; ask the vendor before relying on it. Prices are left out on purpose: check each vendor's pricing page on the day you buy.

Where Claude and ChatGPT are effectively the same

On the question most owners ask first, whether the vendor trains its AI on our data, the two business offerings say the same thing. Anthropic's Commercial Terms say it may not train models on customer content from its services, and its privacy center says commercial inputs and outputs are not used for training by default. OpenAI says it does not use ChatGPT Business or Enterprise data for training by default. Both vendors also say you keep your rights in what you put in and own what comes out, and both attach a data processing addendum to their business terms.

Both also keep exceptions in the fine print. Anthropic can use a chat for training if a user sends it as feedback with the thumbs up or down buttons, and keeps feedback for 5 years. Team and Enterprise owners can switch that option off for everyone. OpenAI's exception is explicit opt-in, which its privacy page says can include its opt-in feedback mechanisms. Both vendors keep content longer when the law requires it. Anthropic and, on ChatGPT Business, OpenAI can also keep it longer to deal with misuse or harm. These are not reasons to avoid either product, but they belong in your AI policy so staff know what a feedback click does.

Where they differ

Retention starts in different places. On Claude Team, chats stay in the product until a user deletes them, and deleted chats leave Anthropic's back-end systems within 30 days. Claude Enterprise keeps data indefinitely by default, but owners can set a retention period of 30 days or more for chats and projects, and data past that period is permanently deleted. On ChatGPT Business and Enterprise, OpenAI says workspace admins control retention and deleted conversations are removed within 30 days. Whichever you choose, decide on a retention period that matches your records policy before rollout, not after.

The identity and audit features sit at different tiers in the same way on both sides. Claude Team and ChatGPT Business both include single sign-on, but neither includes SCIM provisioning or an audit log feed for compliance tools; those come with Claude Enterprise and ChatGPT Enterprise. If you need accounts created and removed automatically from your identity provider, or an audit trail your compliance tools can read, you are shopping for an Enterprise plan from either vendor. Tell staff that OpenAI says ChatGPT Business admins can view, export and delete members' conversations.

Data location is the clearest gap. Anthropic says Claude data is stored in the US, and traffic may by default be routed through select countries in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia. Usage-based Claude Enterprise plans can restrict inference to US servers, but storage is handled separately, and Anthropic's own pages do not offer a choice of storage region for Claude Enterprise. ChatGPT Enterprise offers eligible customers storage at rest in one of 10 regions, including the US and Europe. If a contract or regulator tells you where data must be stored, ChatGPT Enterprise currently gives you more choice, and, on Anthropic's published pages, Claude Enterprise fits only if US storage meets the requirement. Neither Claude Team nor ChatGPT Business lists any residency option.

Health data is restricted on both sides. Neither Claude Team nor ChatGPT Business can be covered by its vendor's BAA. Claude Enterprise can be covered once the Primary Owner turns on HIPAA compliance and accepts Anthropic's BAA. ChatGPT Enterprise can be covered for eligible services, such as the Regulated Workspace, after OpenAI's Healthcare Addendum and BAA are signed. Both BAAs exclude some features. Anthropic lists beta features, the Claude Console and connectors among the exclusions, and OpenAI excludes third-party GPTs, plugins and shared links. Read the feature list in the agreement before any protected health information goes in.

How to decide

For a small team that needs a governed workspace with single sign-on and no training on company data, Claude Team and ChatGPT Business are close on data protection. Pick on which assistant your staff find more useful, then set retention, turn off feedback sharing on Claude if your policy requires it, and write down what data may go in. Choose an Enterprise plan from either vendor when you need SCIM, an audit log for compliance tools, custom roles or a signed BAA. Choose ChatGPT Enterprise when you need data stored outside the US and OpenAI confirms you are eligible for data residency.

Whichever vendor you pick, the work that protects you is the same. Move staff off personal accounts and onto the business workspace. Connect it to company sign-on. Decide what connectors and integrations are allowed, because data sent to a third-party service is handled under that service's terms, not the AI vendor's. Keep regulated data out until the right agreement is signed and configured. If you run both tools, apply one policy to both, so staff are not guessing which rules apply where.

Common follow-up questions

Does Anthropic train Claude on my company's chats?

Not by default on Claude Team or Claude Enterprise. Anthropic's Commercial Terms say it may not train models on customer content from its services. The exceptions are chats a user submits as feedback or a bug report, and data your organization chooses to share. Team and Enterprise owners can turn off members' ability to submit feedback. Personal Claude Free, Pro and Max accounts run on consumer terms, which differ.

Does OpenAI train on ChatGPT Business data?

Not by default. OpenAI says it does not use inputs or outputs from ChatGPT Business or Enterprise to train its models unless the customer explicitly opts in. Personal ChatGPT accounts run on consumer terms, which is why company work belongs on a business workspace.

Do Claude Team and ChatGPT Business include single sign-on?

Yes. Anthropic lists single sign-on and domain verification for Claude Team, and OpenAI lists SAML SSO and MFA for ChatGPT Business. Automatic provisioning with SCIM and audit logs for compliance tools are Enterprise features on both sides.

Can I use Claude or ChatGPT with patient health information?

Not on Claude Team or ChatGPT Business, which neither vendor covers with a BAA. Claude Enterprise can be covered once the Primary Owner turns on HIPAA compliance and accepts Anthropic's BAA. ChatGPT Enterprise can be covered on eligible services, such as the Regulated Workspace, after OpenAI's Healthcare Addendum and BAA are signed. Both exclude some features, so check the list first.

Where is Claude business data stored?

Anthropic says data is stored in the US, and that by default traffic may be routed to select countries in the US, Europe, Asia and Australia. Usage-based Claude Enterprise plans can turn on US-only inference, which governs where processing runs, not where data is stored. ChatGPT Enterprise offers eligible customers storage at rest in one of 10 regions.

Need help with this?

LAN Service Group helps businesses choose between Claude and ChatGPT business plans, connect the workspace to company sign-on, set retention, feedback and connector controls, and write the policy that tells employees what data each assistant may see. We do this as your fully outsourced IT team or co-managed alongside your in-house IT staff.

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