Which AI model is best? The answer depends on who is asking. For software engineers, the case favors Anthropic and its Claude models, and for consumers, OpenAI and ChatGPT. Each company builds software around its models. The model produces the answers, but the software is what people open and use, so the model is only one piece of the choice. The software decides the rest.
Anthropic’s case rests on Claude Code, a coding tool for developers. It plans its own steps and uses tools to finish a task, which makes it an agent. Anthropic says the tool asks clarifying questions and handles work that runs for hours or days. A developer can hand it a bug fix, a test or a migration, then direct and review the work from their coding tools, Slack or the web. Claude Code works alongside the tools engineers already use, so they do not have to change how they work. Anthropic also gives developers the same tools and planning steps behind Claude Code, so they can build agents of their own.
OpenAI makes its case with consumers, through ChatGPT, which comes in Free, Go, Plus and Pro plans for individuals and separate plans for businesses. OpenAI says ChatGPT helps people learn, create and get things done. The company describes it as one place to chat, work and code, with chat for questions and everyday help, work for finishing tasks and Codex for coding.
Other companies keep releasing models, and no settled winner has emerged. The Chinese company DeepSeek released new models on August 13 and September 10. In October 2026, Google’s Gemini lineup listed its next Pro model, 3.5 Pro, as coming soon. With this many models on offer, the deciding factors are how deeply a company connects with businesses and whether its tools help people finish work and build agents.
Coding is where the two companies’ products meet. Codex works across ChatGPT and a programmer’s own coding tools, all connected by one ChatGPT account. It completes tasks from start to finish, the company says, including building features and migrations. OpenAI calls it the best way to build with agents.
