Anthropic overtakes OpenAI: the battle for corporate subscriptions heats up
May 2026 became a landmark month for the corporate AI market. According to data from the fintech platform Ramp, which analyzes the spending of over 70,000 companies, Anthropic's share of paid corporate subscriptions rose by 2.5 percentage points, reaching 41%. At the same time, OpenAI's indicator remained virtually stagnant at 39.5%. This shift is not just a statistical fluctuation but a clear signal of a redistribution of preferences in the B2B segment.
The Paradox of Growth Amid Conflict with the Administration
Notably, the surge in Anthropic subscriptions coincided with a sharp conflict between the startup and the administration of Donald Trump. The White House demanded that foreigners be denied access to the Mythos 5 and Fable 5 models, effectively forcing the company to withdraw its latest developments from the market. At first glance, such a move should have undermined customer trust, but the reality turned out differently.
Companies that had already integrated Anthropic's solutions did not rush to migrate. On the contrary, businesses continue to actively use the available models, primarily the Claude Opus family. This indicates a high level of loyalty and depth of integration: corporate clients value the stability and quality of current products, rather than the race for the latest versions.
My Analysis of the Situation
From my perspective, this case demonstrates a fundamental shift in the market. Anthropic is building its strategy not on marketing promises, but on the real reliability and safety of its models. While OpenAI continues to dominate the media space, Anthropic is quietly but confidently carving out a share in the most profitable segment—corporate contracts. If this trend persists, we will witness the formation of a full-fledged duopoly, where the choice will be determined not by loud announcements, but by practical effectiveness and resilience to regulatory risks.