Anthropic vs. OpenAI vs. Google: Who Holds the Top 20?
Two labs now hold 15 of the Arena's top 20 spots. OpenAI, which held the most in Apr 2025, holds none.
The signal
- LaunchesGPT-6 Astra (3 Sept 2026). On the 11 Sept 2026 snapshot its best variant, gpt-6-astra-max, ranks #61 on 2,059 votes.
- LaunchesClaude Fable 5.1 (1 Sept 2026): claude-fable-5.1-max is #1 overall on 11 Sept 2026.
- LaunchesGemini 3.8 Flash (2 Sept 2026) enters the overall board at #6, Google's highest entry.
Anthropic holds 8 of the Arena top 20, Google 7 and OpenAI 0. In Apr 2025 OpenAI held 9 and Anthropic 0.
Number of models from each lab in the top 20 of the Arena text board (overall), last snapshot of each month, Jan 2024 – 11 Sept 2026.
Seats count model entries, so variants of one model (thinking, high, max) each take a seat; a lab that lists many variants can hold several seats with one model family. Month-end snapshots only. Snapshots include the models published in the Arena dataset that day; some preview models are missing in early 2025 (no Gemini 2.5 Pro entry appears until mid-2025), so the spring 2025 counts likely overstate OpenAI's share. The other 5 seats on 11 Sept 2026 belong to other labs.
Show the data (99 rows)
| Series | Date | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthropic | 2024-01-25 | 0 | 0 of 20 (snapshot 25 Jan 2024) |
| Anthropic | 2024-02-15 | 0 | 0 of 20 (snapshot 15 Feb 2024) |
| Anthropic | 2024-03-27 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 27 Mar 2024) |
| Anthropic | 2024-04-26 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 26 Apr 2024) |
| Anthropic | 2024-05-27 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 27 May 2024) |
| Anthropic | 2024-06-29 | 4 | 4 of 20 (snapshot 29 Jun 2024) |
| Anthropic | 2024-07-31 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 31 Jul 2024) |
| Anthropic | 2024-08-28 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 28 Aug 2024) |
| Anthropic | 2024-09-27 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 27 Sept 2024) |
| Anthropic | 2024-10-28 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 28 Oct 2024) |
| Anthropic | 2024-11-22 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 22 Nov 2024) |
| Anthropic | 2024-12-30 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 30 Dec 2024) |
| Anthropic | 2025-01-28 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 28 Jan 2025) |
| Anthropic | 2025-02-27 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 27 Feb 2025) |
| Anthropic | 2025-03-30 | 1 | 1 of 20 (snapshot 30 Mar 2025) |
| Anthropic | 2025-04-23 | 0 | 0 of 20 (snapshot 23 Apr 2025) |
| Anthropic | 2025-05-22 | 0 | 0 of 20 (snapshot 22 May 2025) |
| Anthropic | 2025-06-24 | 1 | 1 of 20 (snapshot 24 Jun 2025) |
| Anthropic | 2025-07-28 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 28 Jul 2025) |
| Anthropic | 2025-08-28 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 28 Aug 2025) |
| Anthropic | 2025-09-30 | 1 | 1 of 20 (snapshot 30 Sept 2025) |
| Anthropic | 2025-10-17 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 17 Oct 2025) |
| Anthropic | 2025-11-26 | 4 | 4 of 20 (snapshot 26 Nov 2025) |
| Anthropic | 2025-12-30 | 4 | 4 of 20 (snapshot 30 Dec 2025) |
| Anthropic | 2026-01-29 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 29 Jan 2026) |
| Anthropic | 2026-02-26 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 26 Feb 2026) |
| Anthropic | 2026-03-31 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 31 Mar 2026) |
| Anthropic | 2026-04-30 | 4 | 4 of 20 (snapshot 30 Apr 2026) |
| Anthropic | 2026-05-27 | 4 | 4 of 20 (snapshot 27 May 2026) |
| Anthropic | 2026-06-25 | 6 | 6 of 20 (snapshot 25 Jun 2026) |
| Anthropic | 2026-07-30 | 7 | 7 of 20 (snapshot 30 Jul 2026) |
| Anthropic | 2026-08-27 | 7 | 7 of 20 (snapshot 27 Aug 2026) |
| Anthropic | 2026-09-11 | 8 | 8 of 20 (snapshot 11 Sept 2026) |
| OpenAI | 2024-01-25 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 25 Jan 2024) |
| OpenAI | 2024-02-15 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 15 Feb 2024) |
| OpenAI | 2024-03-27 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 27 Mar 2024) |
| OpenAI | 2024-04-26 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 26 Apr 2024) |
| OpenAI | 2024-05-27 | 6 | 6 of 20 (snapshot 27 May 2024) |
| OpenAI | 2024-06-29 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 29 Jun 2024) |
| OpenAI | 2024-07-31 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 31 Jul 2024) |
| OpenAI | 2024-08-28 | 7 | 7 of 20 (snapshot 28 Aug 2024) |
| OpenAI | 2024-09-27 | 7 | 7 of 20 (snapshot 27 Sept 2024) |
| OpenAI | 2024-10-28 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 28 Oct 2024) |
| OpenAI | 2024-11-22 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 22 Nov 2024) |
| OpenAI | 2024-12-30 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 30 Dec 2024) |
| OpenAI | 2025-01-28 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 28 Jan 2025) |
| OpenAI | 2025-02-27 | 6 | 6 of 20 (snapshot 27 Feb 2025) |
| OpenAI | 2025-03-30 | 6 | 6 of 20 (snapshot 30 Mar 2025) |
| OpenAI | 2025-04-23 | 9 | 9 of 20 (snapshot 23 Apr 2025) |
| OpenAI | 2025-05-22 | 9 | 9 of 20 (snapshot 22 May 2025) |
| OpenAI | 2025-06-24 | 6 | 6 of 20 (snapshot 24 Jun 2025) |
| OpenAI | 2025-07-28 | 4 | 4 of 20 (snapshot 28 Jul 2025) |
| OpenAI | 2025-08-28 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 28 Aug 2025) |
| OpenAI | 2025-09-30 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 30 Sept 2025) |
| OpenAI | 2025-10-17 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 17 Oct 2025) |
| OpenAI | 2025-11-26 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 26 Nov 2025) |
| OpenAI | 2025-12-30 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 30 Dec 2025) |
| OpenAI | 2026-01-29 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 29 Jan 2026) |
| OpenAI | 2026-02-26 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 26 Feb 2026) |
| OpenAI | 2026-03-31 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 31 Mar 2026) |
| OpenAI | 2026-04-30 | 4 | 4 of 20 (snapshot 30 Apr 2026) |
| OpenAI | 2026-05-27 | 4 | 4 of 20 (snapshot 27 May 2026) |
| OpenAI | 2026-06-25 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 25 Jun 2026) |
| OpenAI | 2026-07-30 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 30 Jul 2026) |
| OpenAI | 2026-08-27 | 0 | 0 of 20 (snapshot 27 Aug 2026) |
| OpenAI | 2026-09-11 | 0 | 0 of 20 (snapshot 11 Sept 2026) |
| 2024-01-25 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 25 Jan 2024) | |
| 2024-02-15 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 15 Feb 2024) | |
| 2024-03-27 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 27 Mar 2024) | |
| 2024-04-26 | 1 | 1 of 20 (snapshot 26 Apr 2024) | |
| 2024-05-27 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 27 May 2024) | |
| 2024-06-29 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 29 Jun 2024) | |
| 2024-07-31 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 31 Jul 2024) | |
| 2024-08-28 | 4 | 4 of 20 (snapshot 28 Aug 2024) | |
| 2024-09-27 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 27 Sept 2024) | |
| 2024-10-28 | 4 | 4 of 20 (snapshot 28 Oct 2024) | |
| 2024-11-22 | 4 | 4 of 20 (snapshot 22 Nov 2024) | |
| 2024-12-30 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 30 Dec 2024) | |
| 2025-01-28 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 28 Jan 2025) | |
| 2025-02-27 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 27 Feb 2025) | |
| 2025-03-30 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 30 Mar 2025) | |
| 2025-04-23 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 23 Apr 2025) | |
| 2025-05-22 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 22 May 2025) | |
| 2025-06-24 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 24 Jun 2025) | |
| 2025-07-28 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 28 Jul 2025) | |
| 2025-08-28 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 28 Aug 2025) | |
| 2025-09-30 | 1 | 1 of 20 (snapshot 30 Sept 2025) | |
| 2025-10-17 | 1 | 1 of 20 (snapshot 17 Oct 2025) | |
| 2025-11-26 | 2 | 2 of 20 (snapshot 26 Nov 2025) | |
| 2025-12-30 | 3 | 3 of 20 (snapshot 30 Dec 2025) | |
| 2026-01-29 | 4 | 4 of 20 (snapshot 29 Jan 2026) | |
| 2026-02-26 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 26 Feb 2026) | |
| 2026-03-31 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 31 Mar 2026) | |
| 2026-04-30 | 4 | 4 of 20 (snapshot 30 Apr 2026) | |
| 2026-05-27 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 27 May 2026) | |
| 2026-06-25 | 4 | 4 of 20 (snapshot 25 Jun 2026) | |
| 2026-07-30 | 5 | 5 of 20 (snapshot 30 Jul 2026) | |
| 2026-08-27 | 6 | 6 of 20 (snapshot 27 Aug 2026) | |
| 2026-09-11 | 7 | 7 of 20 (snapshot 11 Sept 2026) |
The Mode read
Each of the three big US labs shipped a new model in the first days of September: Claude Fable 5.1, Gemini 3.8 Flash and GPT-6 Astra. A week later, the Arena gives a clear count of who holds the top tier.
Anthropic holds 8 of the top 20 seats and Google holds 7. OpenAI holds 0; its last top-20 model dropped out after the 12 Aug 2026 snapshot, and its best model is now #24. In Apr 2025 it was the reverse: OpenAI held 9 seats and Anthropic 0. The three labs together hold 15 seats, up from 5 in Sept 2025, when Chinese labs held 11 of the 20.
The top tier is now a market with two main suppliers, and the order flipped in 17 months. For a startup, a concentrated supplier market is a pricing risk. The suppliers set the price of the best model, and they can change it. A startup protects its margin with what the suppliers do not have: its own customers and the data from their work.
When two suppliers hold the top tier, your customers are your bargaining power.
What we would back: Companies whose customer data and contracts let them negotiate with any model supplier, or switch.