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Anthropic vs SambaNova
SambaNova sells fast decode on large open models from its own dataflow chip. Anthropic sells closed Claude models. Speed on open weights against quality on a closed frontier model.
By The Subconscious Team · Updated
Anthropic vs SambaNova: key differences
SambaNova competes on hardware. Its Reconfigurable Dataflow Unit maps the model graph onto the chip, and a three-tier memory design lets one system host very large open models and hot swap between them in milliseconds. SambaCloud serves MiniMax M3, MiniMax M2.7, DeepSeek, Gemma 4 31B and GPT-OSS 120B, and SemiAnalysis measured its SN50 rack at about 800 tokens per second on MiniMax M2.7. Many of SambaNova's other headline numbers are vendor benchmarks on hardware still ramping. Anthropic has no speed pitch. Fable 5.1 is its slowest tier, and the case for Claude is coding quality and a 1M window with no surcharge.
Interactive coding copilots on big open models, and agents that bounce between models, suit SambaNova. Much of its business runs through hardware sales and neocloud partnerships rather than a large self-serve platform, so developers get a smaller public catalog. Anthropic's API and cloud listings are simpler to adopt. Choose Claude when the task is hard and correctness per step decides the outcome. Choose SambaNova when an open model is good enough and decode speed is what users feel.
What Anthropic and SambaNova do
Anthropic
Anthropic sells the Claude family of closed models through its own API, Amazon Bedrock, Google Vertex AI and Microsoft Foundry. The public lineup today runs from Claude Fable 5.1 at the top, released September 1, 2026, through Opus 5.5 ($4 in, $20 out) and Sonnet 5.5 ($2 in, $10 out) down to Haiku 5.5. List prices span a hundredfold range, from $10 in and $50 out on Fable to $0.10 in and $0.50 out on Haiku. All four tiers have a 1M token context window. The top three bill it at standard pricing, while Haiku 5.5 charges more past 100K.
Example models: Claude Fable 5.1, Claude Opus 5.5, Claude Haiku 5.5
Full Anthropic profileSambaNova
SambaNova designs its own inference chip, the Reconfigurable Dataflow Unit, and sells fast tokens on large open models through SambaCloud. The RDU maps the model graph onto the chip to cut trips to off-chip memory. A three-tier memory design of SRAM, HBM and bulk DRAM lets one system host very large models and hot swap between several of them in milliseconds. SambaCloud serves models like MiniMax M3 (in preview with a 1M context), MiniMax M2.7, DeepSeek, Gemma 4 31B and GPT-OSS 120B, with speeds reported by Artificial Analysis.
Example models: MiniMax M3, MiniMax M2.7, GPT-OSS 120B
Full SambaNova profileShould you choose Anthropic or SambaNova?
Anthropic
Choose Anthropic for
- Hard coding tasks judged on correctness
- Self-serve access through API and major clouds
- Long contexts on managed frontier models
SambaNova
Choose SambaNova for
- Interactive copilots on large open models
- Agents that switch between several models quickly
- Neoclouds adding a premium speed tier
Anthropic vs SambaNova at a glance
| Attribute | Anthropic | SambaNova |
|---|---|---|
| Model access | Closed | Open weights |
| Flagship models | Claude Fable 5.1, Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5.5, Haiku 5.5 | MiniMax M3, MiniMax M2.7, GPT-OSS 120B |
| Speed | Fable is the slowest tier | ~800 tok/s on MiniMax M2.7 (SN50, SemiAnalysis) |
| Price | $0.10–$10 in, $0.50–$50 out per 1M | $0.22 in, $0.59 out (GPT-OSS 120B) |
| Customization | N/A | Unknown |
| Deployment | API, Bedrock, Vertex AI, Microsoft Foundry | SambaCloud, racks for neoclouds |
| Long context | 1M; Haiku 5.5 costs more past 100K | Up to 1M (MiniMax M3, preview) |
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Anthropic and SambaNova?
SambaNova sells fast decode on large open models from its own dataflow chip. Anthropic sells closed Claude models. Speed on open weights against quality on a closed frontier model.
When should I choose Anthropic over SambaNova?
Hard coding tasks judged on correctness; Self-serve access through API and major clouds; Long contexts on managed frontier models.
When should I choose SambaNova over Anthropic?
Interactive copilots on large open models; Agents that switch between several models quickly; Neoclouds adding a premium speed tier.
Is Anthropic or SambaNova cheaper?
Anthropic: $0.10–$10 in, $0.50–$50 out per 1M. SambaNova: $0.22 in, $0.59 out (GPT-OSS 120B). The cheaper choice depends on the model and workload.
Which has more context, Anthropic or SambaNova?
Anthropic: 1M; Haiku 5.5 costs more past 100K. SambaNova: Up to 1M (MiniMax M3, preview).
Related comparisons
Running long-horizon agents?
If your agents run past 200K tokens, compare both against Subconscious. Our inference stack treats a long-horizon trace as the primary workload, so speed, cost, and accuracy hold up deep into the trace.