While OpenAI’s ChatGPT is widely regarded as the leading chatbot in the market, it faces escalating competition from emerging rivals that are significantly expanding their user bases. Recent data from analytics firms indicates a notable surge in popularity among alternative chatbot services, highlighting a fragmenting landscape in artificial intelligence interactions.
Notably, Google’s Gemini chatbot has seen a remarkable gain, attracting an estimated 10.9 million average daily visits globally in March, which marks a 7.4% increase from the previous month. Microsoft’s AI-driven Copilot is also making strides, posting 2.4 million daily visits, reflecting a month-over-month growth of 2.1%. Such figures underscore the blossoming interest in a diverse range of AI chatbots beyond the flagship ChatGPT.
According to SimilarWeb, the chatbot Anthropic’s Claude has recorded an impressive 3.3 million daily visits. Additionally, the Chinese chatbot developed by DeepSeek has eclipsed Gemini’s numbers, tracking an astonishing 16.5 million visits. Interestingly, xAI’s Grok, which launched its web app only recently, matches DeepSeek’s success, indicating robust engagement with new platforms and services.
Despite these impressive numbers, they barely begin to compare with ChatGPT’s explosive growth, which soared past 500 million weekly active users by late March. Yet, analysts from SimilarWeb suggest that the race for the second-largest chatbot is heating up, especially in light of DeepSeek’s recent drop in traffic amid increasing rivalry.
David Carr, an editor at Similarweb, noted, “While DeepSeek is still commanding a significant share of the market, the rapid rise of Grok, with an impressive 800% surge in web traffic month-over-month, points to a competitive environment.” This dynamic could lead to innovative developments as these companies vie for market position.
Mobile versions of these AI chatbot apps have also experienced remarkable growth, largely driven by the release of new AI models and features. The Claude app reportedly achieved a 21% increase in weekly active users in late February, coinciding with the rollout of Anthropic’s latest AI model, Claude 3.7 Sonnet. Furthermore, Google’s recent introduction of its Gemini 2.0 Flash model has resulted in a 42% leap in weekly active users for the Gemini app.
Abraham Yousef from Sensor Tower emphasizes that these surges aren’t purely linked to new models but also to the introduction of new capabilities that engage users. Google’s latest update that allows users to preview coding projects through a newly introduced “canvas” feature is one example of how functionality enhancements contribute to sustained user interest.
“The increase in user engagement for AI chatbots can be attributed to the rollout of compelling new AI models, growing consumer interest, and innovative features,” states Yousef, indicating a trend that continues to evolve rapidly.
Despite the growing competition, it appears that OpenAI remains in a dominant position with ChatGPT retaining a formidable lead in mobile app weekly active users—currently ten times that of Gemini and Claude combined. As the AI landscape continues to shift, it will be interesting to observe which chatbot will secure or challenge the second place in this burgeoning market.