What is Anthropic?
Quick answer
Anthropic is the American AI company that makes Claude, the chat assistant, and the Claude family of models that developers reach through its API. It was founded in 2021 by former OpenAI researchers and puts AI safety research at the center of how it presents itself.
Last updated
Updated · By Robert Breen
Why it matters for a small business
Anthropic's product for office work is Claude. As of October 2026, its pricing page lists Free, Pro at $20 a month or $17 a month billed annually, Max from $100 a month, Team with a Standard seat at $25 a month or $20 billed annually and a Premium seat at $125 or $100 billed annually, and Enterprise. Its developer docs list the current models from most to least capable as Claude Fable 5.1, Claude Opus 5.5, Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Claude Haiku 5.5, all with context windows of up to 1 million tokens. Names change with each release, so treat them as a snapshot.
Who it suits: people who read and write long documents, such as contracts, reports and policies, and who want an assistant that explains its reasoning and flags what it is unsure of. Paid plans add Claude inside Excel, Word and PowerPoint, Claude in Chrome and connectors to tools like Google Drive and Microsoft 365. On data, Anthropic's privacy center says Free, Pro and Max users choose in a Help improve Claude setting whether chats can be used for training, and that Team, Enterprise and API data are not used for training by default.
In a real lesson: Your First Chat with Claude: Models, Files and a Great First Prompt
The first thing the Your first chat with Claude lesson does is open the model picker at the bottom right of the message box. The lesson explains Anthropic's lineup in one line: the top models are for the hardest work, Sonnet is for everyday tasks, and Haiku is the fastest. It also warns that names change with new versions and that the Free plan shows fewer.
You keep Medium effort, attach a customer's complaint as a PDF and write a four-part prompt for Bright Path Landscaping, a made-up company. Claude drafts the reply and flags the refund request for you instead of promising one, which is the habit Anthropic's models are known for.
Try this lesson free or read the step-by-step guide.
Common confusions
Anthropic vs Claude
Anthropic is the company. Claude is both its assistant app and the name of its model family: Fable, Opus, Sonnet and Haiku are the tiers.
Anthropic vs OpenAI
They are separate, competing companies. OpenAI makes ChatGPT and GPT models; Anthropic makes Claude. Many businesses use both.
Tips
- Start on Sonnet with Medium effort; move up only when a job is genuinely hard.
- Check Settings › Privacy on a personal account before uploading client files.
- Use a Team or Enterprise plan your company approves for confidential work.
Related terms
More AI assistants terms
Where you use it: free lessons
- Your First Chat with Claude: Models, Files and a Great First Prompt (Claude, 7 min)
- Claude Projects for Your Business: Instructions, Knowledge and Quotes (Claude, 8 min)
- Check a Contract for Red Flags with Claude (Claude, 11 min)
- What Are Claude Skills? Turn One On and Watch It Work (Claude, 7 min)
More free tutorials
Frequently asked questions
- Is Anthropic owned by Google or Amazon?
- No. Both have invested in Anthropic and offer Claude models on their cloud platforms, but Anthropic is an independent company.
- How do I try Claude?
- Go to claude.ai or download the Claude desktop or mobile app and sign up for the Free plan. Developers can use Claude models through Anthropic's API, billed by tokens.
- What are Fable, Opus, Sonnet and Haiku?
- They are Claude model tiers, as of October 2026: Fable and Opus for the hardest work, Sonnet for everyday tasks and Haiku for speed and low cost. The version numbers change as Anthropic releases new models.