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Frameworks, core principles and top case studies for SaaS pricing, learnt and refined over 28+ years of SaaS-monetization experience.
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In the rapidly evolving AI agent ecosystem, two major players have released new tools that could reshape how developers build and monetize AI agents: Anthropic's Claude Agent SDK and OpenAI's AgentKit. Both platforms offer pay-as-you-go monetization options, but they differ in significant ways that matter to SaaS executives and AI product leaders.
If you're deciding which platform to build on, this comparison will help you understand the key differences between these two approaches to agent development and monetization.
What Are These New Agent Development Platforms?
Anthropic's Claude Agent SDK is a toolkit designed to help developers create and deploy agents powered by Claude, Anthropic's family of AI models. Released in April 2024, it emphasizes a structured approach to agent development with built-in capabilities for memory, tools, and conversation management.
OpenAI's AgentKit, also released in 2024, provides a framework for developing agents on top of OpenAI's models, particularly GPT-4. It focuses on offering developers a modular system to create customized agents with strong reasoning capabilities.
Both platforms aim to simplify the agent development process while providing mechanisms for builders to generate revenue.
Monetization Models: How Each Platform Enables Developer Revenue
Anthropic's Claude Agent SDK Monetization
Anthropic's approach centers around:
- Revenue sharing model: Developers can earn a portion of the API usage fees when their agents are used
- Pay-as-you-go pricing: End users pay based on actual usage, with no upfront subscription costs
- Developer dashboard: Tracking usage, revenue, and performance metrics
- Claude Marketplace integration: A central location where users can discover and use agents (though this is still developing)
According to Anthropic's documentation, developers receive 50% of the API revenue generated by their agents, making the revenue split straightforward and transparent.
OpenAI's AgentKit Monetization
OpenAI's AgentKit takes a different approach:
- GPT Store integration: Agents can be published to the GPT Store, providing visibility and distribution
- Usage-based revenue sharing: Similar to Anthropic, developers earn based on how much their agents are used
- Custom pricing flexibility: More options for developers to set their own pricing models
- Existing ecosystem advantage: Building on OpenAI's established user base and platform
OpenAI pays developers based on user engagement metrics, though the exact revenue split percentages aren't as clearly defined as Anthropic's 50/50 model.
Technical Capabilities: What Can You Build?
Claude Agent SDK Strengths
- Structured memory framework: Better handling of complex, multi-turn conversations
- Tool use integration: Simplified API for connecting to external systems and databases
- Focus on factuality: Claude models tend to hallucinate less, which is crucial for business applications
- Conversation tracing: Built-in capabilities for debugging agent performance
- Explicit safety guardrails: More transparent safety systems
The SDK is designed with enterprise use cases in mind, with strong documentation and emphasis on reliability.
AgentKit Strengths
- Advanced reasoning: GPT-4's strong reasoning capabilities shine in complex decision-making scenarios
- Robust function calling: More mature system for tool integration
- Vision capabilities: Built-in support for image analysis
- Larger ecosystem: More third-party integrations and community resources
- Familiar developer experience: Similar patterns to existing OpenAI development
OpenAI's platform benefits from being more established, with a larger developer community and more examples to draw from.
Developer Experience Comparison
When evaluating these platforms for your team, consider these experience factors:
Claude Agent SDK
# Example Claude Agent SDK codefrom anthropic import Anthropicfrom anthropic.tools import Toolclient = Anthropic()tools = [Tool.from_object("calculator", calculator)]message = client.messages.create( model="claude-3-opus-20240229", max_tokens=1024, tools=tools, system="You are a helpful assistant that can use tools.", messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "What is 1337 * 42?"}])The Claude SDK provides a clean, Pythonic approach with strong typing and structured components.
OpenAI AgentKit
# Example AgentKit codefrom agentkit import Agent, Toolagent = Agent( model="gpt-4o", tools=[calculator_tool])response = agent.run("What is 1337 * 42?")AgentKit offers a similarly clean interface but with more options for customization and control.
Market Positioning and Strategic Considerations
For SaaS executives, the choice between these platforms isn't just technical—it's strategic:
- Audience reach: OpenAI currently has a larger user base through ChatGPT and the GPT Store
- Enterprise focus: Anthropic has positioned Claude more explicitly for enterprise use cases
- Differentiation: Building on Claude may help your product stand out in a market dominated by OpenAI-based solutions
- Future-proofing: Consider both companies' trajectories and business models
- Compliance requirements: Anthropic emphasizes safety and transparency, which may matter for regulated industries
According to recent data from Similarweb, ChatGPT receives approximately 200 million visits monthly, while Claude's standalone website sees a fraction of that traffic—suggesting OpenAI's distribution advantage remains significant.
Which Platform Should You Choose?
The right choice depends on your specific needs:
Choose Claude Agent SDK if:
- Factuality and reduced hallucinations are critical for your use case
- You prefer a clear 50/50 revenue split model
- Your agent requires sophisticated conversation memory
- Transparent safety systems are important to your users
Choose OpenAI AgentKit if:
- Maximum distribution through the established GPT Store is important
- Your agent relies on strong reasoning capabilities
- Vision features are essential to your product
- You want to leverage the larger OpenAI developer ecosystem
Many developers are actually building with both platforms to hedge their bets and maximize potential revenue streams.
Conclusion: The Agent Economy is Just Beginning
Both Anthropic's Claude Agent SDK and OpenAI's AgentKit represent significant steps forward in democratizing AI agent development and monetization. The pay-as-you-go models both platforms offer mean that developers can create valuable agents without worrying about complex billing systems or subscription management.
As the AI agent ecosystem matures, we'll likely see more sophisticated monetization options emerge. For now, SaaS executives should consider experimenting with both platforms to understand their relative strengths and which aligns better with their specific product vision and business model.
The agent economy is just getting started, and early builders have an opportunity to establish leadership positions by mastering these new development and monetization tools.