ChatGPT is still the biggest AI chatbot, but fresh app data shows its user growth has slowed sharply just as Google Gemini accelerates.
📌 Key Takeaways
- ChatGPT’s monthly active users grew about 6% from August to November, vs 30% for Gemini.
- ChatGPT still holds roughly 55% of global MAUs, but it has lost about 3 points of share.
- Gemini’s users now spend around 11 minutes a day in-app, more than double earlier this year.
- A widely reported “code red” memo shows OpenAI is refocusing on core ChatGPT quality.
- Rivals like Perplexity and Claude are posting triple-digit growth, tightening the whole AI race.
Sensor Tower Numbers Show ChatGPT Hitting A Ceiling
New data from an app analytics firm suggests ChatGPT may be brushing up against early saturation. The service’s global monthly active users grew only about 6% between August and November, reaching roughly 810 million.
Over the same window, Gemini’s monthly active users jumped 30%, helped by viral interest in its Nano Banana image generator. Year over year, both products still look strong, with ChatGPT MAUs up around 180% and Gemini close behind at 170%.
Despite the slowdown, ChatGPT remains the category leader, accounting for about 50% of global downloads and 55% of global MAUs across major AI chat apps. The concern is the direction: that share has slipped roughly three percentage points in recent months.
Gemini’s 30% Surge And The Android Advantage
The same datasets show Gemini steadily converting momentum into shares. Since late spring, its slice of global MAUs across top chatbots has grown by around three percentage points, mirroring ChatGPT’s decline over the last few months.
A key driver is distribution. On Android phones in the United States, roughly twice as many users now talk to Gemini through system-level entry points as through the standalone app. With Android dominant globally, that deep integration gives Gemini reach that ChatGPT cannot easily match.
Engagement is tilting too. As of November, Gemini users spend around 11 minutes per day in the app, up about 120% from March, while ChatGPT’s daily time rose just 6% and actually fell about 10% between July and November.
What Slower Growth Really Means For ChatGPT
One widely cited analysis describes ChatGPT as still “the world’s most popular chatbot,” yet notes that its mobile usage has plateaued since summer as competitors catch up on benchmarks and features.
Internally, there are signs of unease. A now-famous “code red” memo from leadership instructed teams to pause side projects and double down on personalization, reliability, and image generation, reflecting concern that the first-mover advantage is eroding.
“We are going to see a situation where ChatGPT was the early winner but appears on track to ultimately lose out to others.” — Ross Hendricks, Equity Analyst
Financially, the stakes are high. One major newspaper reports ChatGPT helped drive more than 13 billion dollars in revenue this year, yet external estimates suggest enormous ongoing losses and heavy long-term commitments to chips and data centers.
How The AI Race Is Shifting For Everyone Else
The slowdown does not mean users are fleeing ChatGPT, it means the growth curve is flattening while others accelerate. Smaller rivals like Perplexity and Claude have logged triple-digit annual growth, in some cases above 190% or even 370% on key metrics.
At the ecosystem level, traffic reports show the “general AI tools” category growing more modestly than last year, with usage consolidating around a handful of large assistants instead of dozens of niche bots. Gemini’s surge, combined with strong regional showings from other tools, points to a more plural market.
“The AI chatbot race just got a lot tighter.” — The Tech Buzz
For developers, brands, and SEO teams, the message is straightforward: optimising only for ChatGPT is no longer enough. AI visibility strategies now have to account for Gemini’s rise, plus fast-growing assistants that are carving out their own loyal bases.
Conclusion
Taken together, the latest app and traffic data show an inflection point rather than a collapse. ChatGPT is still far ahead on absolute users, but its grip on growth is weaker, and fresh share is increasingly flowing to Gemini and a cluster of hungry rivals.
How quickly OpenAI can translate its internal “code red” into better everyday experiences will decide whether this is a brief plateau or the start of a true power shift in consumer AI. For now, the race that ChatGPT started is very much alive.
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8th December 2025
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