What is the difference between Anthropic (Claude) and OpenAI (ChatGPT)?

The main difference lies in the philosophy of safety. Anthropic uses Constitutional AI and focuses on enterprise reliability, working with long documents, and programming (via the Claude Code tool). OpenAI often positions ChatGPT more as a universal creative assistant with multimodal features (voice, video). In 2026, Claude moved significantly toward autonomous agents that can control a computer for you.

Is Claude by Anthropic free?

Anthropic offers a Freemium model. The basic version (often based on the Haiku model or older Sonnet) is available for free with daily limits. To access the most powerful models currently available – Claude Opus 4.6 and Claude Sonnet 4.6 – a monthly subscription (Claude Pro) or the use of an API for businesses is required.

Who owns Anthropic? Does it belong to Amazon?

Anthropic is an independent company (Public Benefit Corporation), but it has strong strategic investors. Although Amazon has invested over $8 billion in the company over the years and is its primary cloud partner, it does not own it. Other key stakeholders include Google, the GIC and Coatue funds, and the original founders, the Amodei siblings.

What can the latest Claude Opus 4.6 model do?

The Opus 4.6 model, released in February 2026, is the flagship for the most demanding tasks. It features a 1 million token context window, can write complex software applications, perform in-depth real-time research, and exhibits the lowest rate of "hallucinations" (errors) on the market.

When will Anthropic go public (IPO)?

An official date has not yet been set. However, following the investment round in early 2026 that valued the company at $380 billion and the hiring of legal advisors, analysts expect an IPO likely in the second half of 2026 or in 2027.

Anthropic: The $380 Billion Giant Defining AI Safety

Just a few years ago, Anthropic was the "smaller" competitor to OpenAI. Today, following a Series G investment round with a valuation of $380 billion, Anthropic is a titan of modern business.

Just a few years ago, Anthropic was the "smaller and more cautious" competitor to OpenAI Today, in February 2026, the situation is different. Following the recent closing of a Series G investment round that catapulted the company to a valuation of $380 billion, Anthropic is a titan without which modern business is unimaginable.

While global media still focuses on ChatGPT, Claude is quietly but surely taking the reins in corporate headquarters and developer teams. Who is behind the company that just secured a historic $30 billion for further development, and why is their new Opus 4.6 model considered the new king of AI?

Who is Anthropic? (And why is it worth billions)

Anthropic is an American research lab and technology company based in San Francisco, founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei. Former key figures at OpenAI, they left with a vision that AI safety must not be just a marketing slogan, but a fundamental architecture.

The company is structured as a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC). This isn't just a detail for lawyers – it means Anthropic has a legal obligation to prioritize the safety of humanity over pure profit maximization.

Paradoxically, this ethical stance has attracted the largest capital in history. In February 2026, the GIC and Coatue funds led an investment round that secured the company $30 billion in cash. The reason? Businesses don't just want "smart" AI; they want AI that is predictable, safe, and won't cause them embarrassment.

Secret Weapon: Constitutional AI and Agentic Workflow

While the competition focuses on making AI talk like a human, Anthropic focuses on making AI work like a reliable employee.

Their training method, Constitutional AI, provides models with a set of fixed rules (inspired by the Declaration of Human Rights) by which they monitor themselves. In 2026, however, the emphasis shifted from mere "chatting" to so-called Agentic Workflow – the ability of AI to independently plan, use a computer, and perform complex tasks without constant supervision.

Product Portfolio: The Era of the 4.6 Series

Forget the old versions. In February 2026, Anthropic completely overhauled its flagship lineup and introduced models that redefine what is possible. The Claude family is now divided as follows:

Model	Status (2026)	Purpose
Claude Opus 4.6	The absolute pinnacle. Released in February 2026.	The smartest model on the market. Features a 1M token context window (beta) and excels in long-term planning, scientific research, and writing entire software applications.
Claude Sonnet 4.6	The enterprise standard. Released in February 2026.	The most popular model for companies. A balanced ratio of price and extreme performance. Now fully integrated into tools like Excel and PowerPoint.
Claude Haiku 4.5	The speed demon. Released in Autumn 2025.	A model for instant responses, content moderation, and customer support. Cheap, efficient, lightning-fast.

New Release: Claude Code

In 2025, the company launched a standalone product called Claude Code, which became an instant hit. It's not just a code suggester, but an "autonomous colleague" that can navigate repositories, design architecture, and fix bugs on its own. This tool is the primary driver behind the massive surge in corporate subscriptions.

Strategic Partnerships and Geopolitics

Anthropic is not alone in this fight. Its infrastructure is powered by a massive alliance:

Amazon (AWS): Primary cloud partner. Claude is the backbone of the Amazon Bedrock platform, and Anthropic makes massive use of AWS Trainium chips.
Google: Significant investor and technology partner via Google Cloud.
Palantir & US Gov: In 2025/2026, Anthropic broke a taboo and began collaborating more closely with the US defense sector (through partners like Palantir), sparking internal community debates but solidifying its position as a strategic US asset.

What's Next? IPO on the Horizon?

With a valuation of $380 billion and revenues increasing tenfold year-over-year, there is only one rumor: an IPO. Reports from late 2025 suggest that Anthropic has already hired the law firm Wilson Sonsini to pave the way for a public listing, likely in late 2026 or 2027.

If you are looking for technology that is currently powering Fortune 500 companies and doesn't just promise sci-fi but delivers results, Anthropic is currently the horse Wall Street is betting on.

Official link: https://www.anthropic.com

Claude and Claude Code: https://claude.ai

Anthropic: The $380 Billion Giant Teaching AI to Think (Safely)