OpenAI to buy Python toolmaker Astral to take on Anthropic

2026-03-19 - 20:50

OpenAI said on Thursday it will acquire Python toolmaker Astral, as the ChatGPT ​owner looks to strengthen its portfolio against ‌rival Anthropic and gain more share in the artificial intelligence coding tools market. The companies did not ​disclose the financial terms of the ​deal, but said the acquisition will bring ⁠Astral’s suite of developer tools into the ​Microsoft-backed startup’s AI coding system, Codex. Read Also: OpenAI Robotics head resigns after deal with Pentagon Sam Altman-led OpenAI, ​which launched its Codex platform last year, is stepping up competition, as Anthropic has gained traction with ​its Claude Code tool among software developers. OpenAI ​launched a desktop app for its coding tools earlier this ‌year. The ⁠company said on Thursday that Codex has more than 2 million weekly active users, marking a three-fold increase in users and a ​five-fold jump ​in usage ⁠since the beginning of the year. Astral has become a major player ​in the Python community. Its tools ​are ⁠designed to improve speed and reliability in Python development. “OpenAI will continue supporting our open-source tools ⁠after ​the deal closes,” Astral ​founder and CEO Charlie Marsh said in a statement.