Comparing OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google for an MVP
The original comparison is outdated. Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google have all changed their model lineups.
| Provider | Current models relevant to this comparison | Important production note |
|---|---|---|
| OpenAI | GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra, and Luna | Sol is the flagship tier; Terra balances capability and cost; Luna targets high-volume workloads |
| Anthropic | Claude Fable 5, Claude Opus 5, Claude Sonnet 5, and Claude Haiku 4.5 | Use the current model overview because Anthropic's lineup changed after Opus 4.7 |
| Gemini 3.6 Flash and Gemini 3.5 Flash-Lite are stable; Gemini 3.1 Pro Preview remains preview | Preview models can have different lifecycle and migration risk from stable models |
There is no universal winner
Choose with an evaluation set taken from the real product. Measure task success, unsupported claims, structured-output validity, tool-call behavior, latency, token use, and total cost. A model that wins a public benchmark may lose on your documents, workflow, language, or error tolerance.
A practical selection process
- Define the task and unacceptable failures.
- Build a representative test set with expected outcomes.
- Test at least one high-capability model and one lower-cost model.
- Record quality, latency, retries, and human-review time.
- Pin model versions where the provider supports it.
- Re-run the tests before changing models or prompts.
Provider-specific considerations
OpenAI's current GPT-5.6 family offers several price-capability tiers under one generation. Anthropic's current lineup separates maximum capability, agentic coding, balanced workloads, and fast workloads. Google's current catalog includes stable Flash options and a Pro preview, so lifecycle status should be part of the decision.
The correct answer is not “use the latest model.” It is “use the least expensive model that meets the measured quality and risk requirements, with a tested fallback for critical failures.”
Fact-check sources
- OpenAI API models and pricing
- Anthropic current model overview
- Google Gemini model catalog
- Google Gemini API pricing
Sources and product documentation can change. Recheck time-sensitive pages on the publication date.