Why did Lindy switch from Claude to Deepseek?

CEO Flo Crivello said AI costs had become unsustainable, exceeding personnel costs for the 25-person startup. The cost curve for Deepseek "crashed to the ground," saving millions.

Would Lindy switch back to Claude?

Crivello said he would switch back if Anthropic cut prices, describing price competition as "a matter of survival for the business."

How does Deepseek compare to Claude?

A recent Snowflake analysis showed that affordable Chinese models like GLM-5.2 don't quite match Claude but are competitive and easily win on the price-performance ratio depending on the task.

Large Language ModelsAI Business & IndustryTHE DECODERJun 26, 2026Jun 27, 2026, 01:01 JST

Lindy ditches Claude for Deepseek, citing millions in cost savings

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3 Key Points

What happened
AI startup Lindy switched entirely from Anthropic's Claude to Deepseek (hosted by a US company on US soil). CEO Flo Crivello told CNBC the cost curve "crashed to the ground," saving millions, because AI costs had been exceeding the 25-person startup's personnel costs and were "unsustainable."
Why it matters
As companies tighten AI spending, cheaper alternatives like Deepseek are drawing customers away from premium providers like Anthropic. Crivello said he would return to Claude only if Anthropic cut prices—a sign that cost is becoming a survival issue for businesses relying on AI APIs. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently flagged that AI cost has become a "huge issue" for companies adopting agentic systems that consume tokens rapidly.
What to watch
Crivello's willingness to switch suggests price pressure on Anthropic is real. A recent Snowflake analysis showed Chinese models like GLM-5.2 don't match Claude's quality but win on price-performance for certain tasks, signaling that affordability may outweigh capability for cost-sensitive teams.

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FAQ

Why did Lindy switch from Claude to Deepseek?: CEO Flo Crivello said AI costs had become unsustainable, exceeding personnel costs for the 25-person startup. The cost curve for Deepseek "crashed to the ground," saving millions.
Would Lindy switch back to Claude?: Crivello said he would switch back if Anthropic cut prices, describing price competition as "a matter of survival for the business."
How does Deepseek compare to Claude?: A recent Snowflake analysis showed that affordable Chinese models like GLM-5.2 don't quite match Claude but are competitive and easily win on the price-performance ratio depending on the task.

THE DECODERRead Original Article

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