The Great Consolidation: Why 2026 Is Eating AI Tools Alive
One in five tools we track has changed hands or shut down in the last twelve months. The economics behind the wave — and how to read what comes next.
-
-
Anatomy of a Shutdown: Warning Signs to Watch
Shutdowns rarely arrive unannounced. We back-tested our ledger against every closure since 2024 and found the same five tremors, in the same order.
-
Acquisition Isn’t Always a Graveyard
The word “acquired” makes users reach for the export button. Our data says the story is more complicated — and the first 180 days tell you which story you’re in.
-
How the Archive Verifies a Tool’s Pulse
Every record carries a “last verified” date. Here is the checklist behind it — and why we re-verify dead tools too.
-
Open-Source Lifeboats: Where Users Swim When a Tool Sinks
Every shutdown triggers the same migration pattern. The beneficiaries are rarely the dead tool’s commercial rivals — they’re the open projects.