OpenAI is closing the gap on Anthropic among US business customers
New spending data from 70,000 American companies shows Anthropic still leads, but OpenAI is growing faster right now. The real story is how quickly businesses are willing to switch.
Key points
- Anthropic held nearly 44% market share among Ramp's business customers in July 2025, versus OpenAI's nearly 40%.
- OpenAI lost its lead among business users in May 2025, when Anthropic first hit 41% market share.
- More than 56% of companies on Ramp's platform paid for AI tools by July 2025, up from just over 50% in March 2025.
- OpenAI is currently growing faster than Anthropic in the third quarter of 2025 so far, according to Ramp economist Ara Kharazian.
For a long time, OpenAI looked unbeatable. Then businesses started switching.
Ramp, a corporate credit card and expense-management company used by more than 70,000 American businesses, tracks which AI services those companies actually pay for. Its latest data, first reported by TechCrunch AI, shows Anthropic still ahead but OpenAI pulling closer.
Who is winning right now?
Anthropic leads, but the gap is narrowing. As of July 2025, Anthropic holds nearly 44% of AI spending among Ramp's customers, against OpenAI's nearly 40%. OpenAI had been the clear front-runner until May 2025, when Anthropic overtook it and has not given the lead back since.
The more interesting number: OpenAI is growing faster than Anthropic in the third quarter of 2025 so far. Ramp economist Ara Kharazian points to GPT-5.6 Sol, the latest OpenAI model, as a reason developers are choosing OpenAI again. He also notes that Anthropic's higher-end model tier, called Fable, disappointed some customers on price and because regulators now require Anthropic to hold Fable users' data for 30 days. That data-retention rule frustrated a number of businesses.
| Date | Anthropic share | OpenAI share | Companies paying for AI |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2025 | 41% | 39% | approx. 52% |
| July 2025 | ~44% | ~40% | ~56% |
A few caveats matter here. Ramp's customer base skews toward technology companies, because the card is popular in Silicon Valley. Large enterprises often use expense tools from providers like American Express instead, so they are not counted. Ramp also shared only percentages, not actual dollars spent.
What does this mean for ordinary businesses?
The headline fact is switching is easy and companies are doing it freely. A business that paid for Claude last quarter might pay for ChatGPT next quarter, then switch back. That kind of restless behaviour tells you that no single AI provider has yet made itself truly essential, the way, say, a payroll system becomes embedded in daily operations and painful to leave.
Kharazian called this a quarter still in progress, and he is right to hedge. A month remains in Q3 2025, and a major new model release from either lab could flip the numbers again.
There is a broader piece of good news buried in all this. The overall market is still growing fast. The share of Ramp's customers paying for any AI tools at all crossed 50% in March 2025 and reached nearly 56% by July 2025. Both companies can grow revenue even while fighting each other for share.
What should businesses watch for?
If your company is locking into a long AI contract, read the data-retention terms before you sign. Anthropic's 30-day retention requirement on Fable caught some customers off guard. Check what your chosen provider does with your data, how long they keep it, and whether that fits your industry's rules.
Pricing models change quickly too. What looks cheap today may not be cheap when the next model tier lands. Keep your contracts flexible where you can.
