OpenAI slashes prices to lure big customers away from Anthropic

OpenAI is offering steep discounts to pull major customers away from rival Anthropic, and it appears to be working. The Information reports that Rippling, Replit and DataCamp are moving more of their AI spending to OpenAI. DataCamp's CEO says the new pricing cut his costs by 80 to 90 percent.

What changed

Rippling CEO Parker Conrad said his company raised OpenAI's share of its coding work from 16 to 52 percent. Anthropic's share of that work fell from 57 to 18 percent. Replit switched after OpenAI offered more than 30 percent off a contract worth over $100 million a year.

• Rippling: OpenAI's share of coding work rose from 16 to 52 percent.
• Replit: more than 30 percent off a contract worth over $100 million a year.
• DataCamp: costs cut by 80 to 90 percent, according to CEO Jonathan Cornelissen.
• A US bank with over $7 billion in assets: 500 ChatGPT seats at under $7 each, versus the usual $20 or more.

Why OpenAI can do this

OpenAI is partly buying market share at the expense of its own margins. In plain terms, it is giving up some profit to win customers. But not all of the drop is a giveaway. OpenAI has also made real price cuts through its Sol and Luna model lines, thanks to more efficient models and infrastructure.

Pressure from every side

Anthropic is feeling the shift. Its growth slowed from the second quarter to the third, according to an investor memo. Both companies also face price pressure from China, where new models from Deepseek and Kimi deliver comparable performance for a fraction of the cost.

What to do

If your business pays for AI tools, now is a good time to ask your vendor for a better price or to compare offers. The bank example shows that a big buyer may pay far less than the usual rate. The report does not say how long these discounts will last, so check the length of any deal before you sign.