OpenAI Challenges Anthropic with €103 ChatGPT Pro Subscription

OpenAI Challenges Anthropic with a ChatGPT Pro Subscription at €103

OpenAI recently unveiled a new monthly subscription for its ChatGPT Pro service, priced at €103. This pricing is strategically aligned with Anthropic's Max offering, which is particularly favored by developers using Claude Code. This pricing strategy is not coincidental, as confirmed by an OpenAI representative, and clearly aims to compete with Anthropic on its own turf.

An Offer Tailored for Developers and "Vibe Coding"

OpenAI's new Pro subscription offers five times more Codex quotas than the Plus plan, which costs €23. To attract more developers, OpenAI has decided to temporarily double these quotas until May 31. This offer primarily targets "vibe coders," developers who create software using natural language AI agents. Codex, OpenAI's flagship tool, currently boasts 3 million weekly users, with an impressive growth rate of 70% each month.

This initiative from OpenAI goes beyond a simple pricing revision. On April 4, Anthropic restricted access to its Claude subscriptions for third-party tools such as OpenClaw. Peter Steinberger, the creator of OpenClaw, joined OpenAI in February to lead its strategy focused on personal agents. Since his arrival, he has openly criticized the limitations imposed by Anthropic and praised the flexibility of Codex. Thus, OpenAI hopes to attract developers frustrated by Anthropic's restrictions.

Goal: Narrow the Revenue Gap Before Going Public

The financial context plays a crucial role in this strategy. Anthropic recently surpassed $30 billion in annual revenue, while OpenAI is between $24 billion and $25 billion. Claude Code, a product of Anthropic, alone generates revenue exceeding $2.5 billion. Anthropic's growth is largely fueled by developers, a particularly lucrative and loyal market segment.

For OpenAI, it is imperative to reverse this trend before its planned IPO at the end of 2026. Capturing the developer market not only translates into increased subscriptions but also strengthens the platform's credibility with investors and businesses. The technological choices of development teams often influence companies' strategic decisions. The recruitment of Steinberger fits into this approach, aiming to transform the OpenClaw community into fervent advocates of Codex.

An Expanded Pricing Structure to Cover All Segments

OpenAI's new pricing structure now includes seven tiers:

• Free
• Go (€8)
• Plus (€23)
• Pro (€103)
• Pro (€229)
• Business (€21/user)
• Enterprise

Although two plans share the same name but at different prices, which may hinder the clarity of the offering, OpenAI seems to favor extensive market coverage over simplifying its pricing options.

The perception of a decline in the quality of Claude, combined with increased usage restrictions and the blocking of third-party tools, has created an opportunity that OpenAI is eager to seize, euro by euro.