OpenAI accelerates enterprise user growth, outperforming Anthropic in key metric
OpenAI is rapidly expanding its business customer base, outpacing its primary rival Anthropic in quarter-over-quarter spending growth. New data from corporate expense management company Ramp for July 2026 reveals a significant shift in the competitive landscape of enterprise artificial intelligence.
This momentum indicates that user acquisition speed may be a more critical factor than current market valuation in the long run, as OpenAI accelerates enterprise adoption.
While Anthropic still holds a larger share of the corporate AI market, OpenAI’s aggressive growth trajectory signals a robust recovery after briefly ceding its lead earlier this year. The battle for enterprise dominance among AI developers is heating up, with companies proving willing to switch providers based on performance and pricing.
Why OpenAI Accelerates Enterprise Adoption
The latest figures from Ramp show that business spending on OpenAI products surged by 82% quarter-over-quarter. This growth dramatically outpaced Anthropic’s still-strong 76% increase over the same period. The data, covering July 2026, marks a clear inflection point in the closely watched rivalry.
Ramp Business Corporation, founded in March 2019, provides corporate charge cards and expense management software. The company’s AI Index data reflects spending patterns from tens of thousands of U.S. businesses. This provides a real-world look at how companies are allocating their AI budgets.
Market share shifts among AI giants
Just two months prior, in May 2026, Anthropic had overtaken OpenAI for the first time among Ramp’s paying business customers. Anthropic then commanded 41% of the market share compared to OpenAI’s 39%. By July, Anthropic’s share had grown to nearly 44%, while OpenAI’s clawed its way back to almost 40%.
These numbers indicate a shift in momentum for OpenAI, even as Anthropic maintains a slight lead in overall market share for now. The rapid user growth could prove more influential than temporary market share figures. It often signals future revenue leadership and ecosystem dominance in the competitive tech sector.
Key factors fueling OpenAI’s enterprise surge
Several strategic moves and product enhancements are credited with OpenAI’s recent success in attracting OpenAI business users. A standout performer has been its GPT-5.6 Sol model, which has resonated strongly with developers and enterprises alike.
Ramp Lead Economist Ara Kharazian noted on X that GPT-5.6 Sol is “really good” and increasingly becoming the choice for developers. This endorsement from a key industry observer underscores the model’s impact on corporate adoption. The model’s perceived quality and utility appear to be a major draw for businesses seeking powerful AI tools.
Aggressive pricing adjustments for new models
OpenAI also aggressively cut prices for its two newest models, Luna and Terra, just weeks after their initial release. This tactical move made their advanced AI capabilities significantly more accessible and competitive. Luna’s price was slashed by an impressive 80%.
It now costs 20¢ for 1 million input tokens and $1.20 for 1 million output tokens. Terra also saw a substantial 20% price reduction, bringing its cost to $2 for 1 million input tokens and $12 for 1 million output tokens. These price cuts likely stimulated demand and encouraged businesses to experiment with or fully adopt OpenAI’s latest offerings.
Further driving its enterprise strategy, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Enterprise on August 28, 2023. This version offers enterprise-grade security and privacy, alongside unlimited higher-speed access to advanced GPT models. It also boasts longer context windows and robust data analysis capabilities, appealing directly to corporate needs.
ChatGPT Enterprise ensures customer prompts and company data are not used for training OpenAI models. Data is encrypted at rest using AES 256 and in transit with TLS 1.2+. The platform is also SOC 2 compliant, addressing critical security concerns for large organizations.
Anthropic’s strategic positioning and challenges
While OpenAI gains ground, Anthropic faces specific hurdles that have impacted its adoption rate among a broader audience. Its Claude Fable 5 model, despite high anticipation, reportedly underperformed in both uptake and real-world application, according to market observers.
Ara Kharazian pointed to factors like its pricing structure and data retention requirements imposed by regulators as potential deterrents for some businesses. These concerns highlight the complex balance AI companies must strike between performance, cost, and compliance, especially in sensitive industries.
Focus on regulated sectors and AI safety
Anthropic, a public benefit corporation, was founded in January 2021 by former OpenAI employees like Dario Amodei and Daniela Amodei. Its mission emphasizes AI safety, aiming to build reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. This has shaped its enterprise strategy.
The company specifically targets clients in heavily regulated sectors. Its Claude Enterprise offering includes robust security and compliance features like SAML single sign-on (SSO), audit logs, and admin controls. A contractual commitment ensures Anthropic does not train on customer data, making its services HIPAA-eligible.
On May 13, 2026, Anthropic further diversified its offerings with the launch of Claude for Small Business. This move aimed to broaden its appeal beyond large enterprises, targeting a wider range of commercial users. However, its core focus on stringent security often results in a more deliberate adoption cycle.
Volatility and long-term implications for investors
The fluctuating market shares and rapid shifts in preferred AI providers highlight a significant degree of volatility in the enterprise AI sector. Businesses appear willing to switch between leading AI labs as new models are released and pricing strategies evolve.
TechCrunch reported that this volatility should give investors pause about how “sticky” enterprise spending truly is. The rapid adoption and potential for swift transitions mean AI companies must continuously innovate and adapt their offerings to retain and attract customers.
Impact on company valuations and IPO plans
Both OpenAI and Anthropic are giants in the AI space, commanding impressive valuations and planning future public offerings. OpenAI closed a funding round in April 2026 with an $852 billion valuation and filed for an initial public offering in June 2026.
Anthropic was valued at $965 billion in May 2026 after a $65 billion Series H funding round and reportedly plans its IPO in fall 2026.
However, these new user growth figures suggest that operational metrics like customer acquisition may ultimately matter more than valuation multiples in the long term. OpenAI’s CFO, Sarah Friar, for instance, has confirmed that enterprise revenue is now surpassing consumer revenue for the company. This shows that attracting business users directly translates into significant financial gains.
The competitive nature of these valuations, as well as the need for continuous funding, means that attracting and retaining business users becomes paramount. Companies like OpenAI and Anthropic are not just selling a product; they are selling a vision for the future of enterprise operations. And that vision needs solid user adoption to back it up.
The continuing battle for enterprise AI dominance
The competition between OpenAI and Anthropic is far from settled; it’s a dynamic and ongoing struggle for technological leadership and market share. OpenAI’s recent surge in business user growth highlights its agility in responding to market demands, particularly through product innovation and aggressive pricing strategies. This approach directly challenges Anthropic’s strong foothold and specialized appeal to certain industry segments.
As both companies prepare for potential initial public offerings, their ability to demonstrate consistent, rapid customer acquisition will be under intense scrutiny from investors. The “stickiness” of their enterprise clients, alongside continuous advancements in their AI models, will define who ultimately leads this critical sector of the global economy.
The next few quarters will undoubtedly reveal more about the long-term staying power of these AI titans.
Founding visions shape current strategies
OpenAI was founded in December 2015 as a non-profit, aiming to ensure artificial general intelligence (AGI) benefits all humanity. Its subsequent evolution to a for-profit subsidiary and then OpenAI Group PBC in 2025 allowed it to attract capital and talent, fueling its commercial expansion.
Anthropic, on the other hand, was established with a mission to build reliable and steerable AI systems, prioritizing safety. This fundamental difference in founding ethos continues to influence their respective market approaches. It shapes their product development and target customer segments, leading to varied paces of market penetration and user acquisition.