Replit Switches to OpenAI's ChatGPT as Default, Drops Anthropic

Replit, a website that lets you build apps by typing instructions, has switched its default AI from Anthropic's Claude to OpenAI's ChatGPT. The CEO announced this at a tech conference, citing better performance and lower cost. Since most people never change default settings, this is a big win for OpenAI and a loss for Anthropic, which used to power Replit.

For users, this means that when you use Replit's AI assistant, you'll now be working with ChatGPT by default. The CEO says internal tests show ChatGPT is better at building apps from scratch. But you can still choose Claude if you want—Replit remains 'model agnostic.' This matters because the AI you use can affect how well your app turns out, and how much you pay.

The switch also reflects Replit's growing focus on business customers. Enterprise and government contracts now make up 15% of revenue, up from 2% last year. The CEO expects that to exceed 50% by 2027. So while Replit started as a tool for hobbyists and startups, it's increasingly serving big organizations—which means the AI it defaults to needs to be reliable and secure.

Anthropic insiders dispute the claim that the partnership is over, saying it's still in place. But the writing is on the wall: Replit's public materials recently promoted Claude, but now OpenAI is the preferred partner. For everyday users, the takeaway is simple: the AI tools you use are constantly being swapped and upgraded, often behind the scenes. Your best bet is to stay flexible and try different models if you're not happy with results.