How do I avoid getting locked into one AI vendor?

What it is

AI vendors change prices and models often. Lock-in happens when prompts, data and integrations only work with one vendor.

How it works

1. Store system prompts, SOPs and context in your own docs, not only inside one app.
2. Use OpenAI-compatible endpoints or an aggregator such as OpenRouter where suitable.
3. Keep an eval so you can compare models quickly.
4. Prefer open standards such as MCP for tool connections.
5. Use import tools when you switch. Claude can import memories from another assistant under Settings > Memory, on all plans (checked 2026-10-17). See switching assistants without losing context.
6. Ask about the vendor, too: for tools that hold your workflows, ask what happens to your data and exports if the product is shut down or acquired.

Compatible APIs (checked 2026-10-17). Google says Gemini models work with OpenAI’s libraries after changing three lines of code. DeepSeek accepts OpenAI-format and Anthropic-format requests (see DeepSeek). Meta says its Model API works with OpenAI-compatible SDKs. That makes a basic switch a change of base URL, key and model name.

Benefits

• Negotiating leverage and resilience when a vendor changes prices or retires a model.
• Freedom to use the right model per task.
• Practitioners argue for separating the harness, context and memory from any one model. Satya Nadella has described Microsoft’s approach in those terms and cited business continuity (view: Nadella).

Limits and risks

• Partial compatibility. Compatibility layers don’t cover every feature, such as vendor-specific tools or caching.
• Another party. Aggregators add another party to your data flow, with its own terms.
• Switching still needs testing. The same prompt can behave differently on another model. Re-run your evals.