ChatGPT User Growth Slowdown, Report Finds - New Data Shows Gemini Closing In

ChatGPT User Growth Slowdown, Report Finds – New Data Shows Gemini Closing In

New market data reveals a ChatGPT user growth slowdown, signaling a major shift in the AI chatbot landscape. While ChatGPT remains the global leader, fresh numbers suggest that competitors, particularly Google Gemini, are rapidly gaining ground and narrowing the gap faster than expected.

ChatGPT Still Leads, but Growth Momentum Is Slowing

According to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower, ChatGPT continues to dominate the AI chatbot market:

50% of global mobile downloads
55% of global monthly active users (MAUs)

However, despite this strong lead, the platform’s user growth is clearly tapering off.

From August to November 2025, ChatGPT’s global MAUs rose only 6%, reaching an estimated 810 million users. Sensor Tower suggests this sluggish growth may signal early signs of market saturation.

By contrast, Gemini is growing significantly faster.

Gemini’s Surge: Faster Downloads, Faster MAU Growth, More Engagement

Sensor Tower reports that Google’s Gemini is now outpacing ChatGPT in several key metrics:

1. Downloads

ChatGPT downloads grew 85% YoY
Gemini downloads grew 190% YoY
Perplexity saw the biggest spike at 215% YoY

2. Monthly Active Users

ChatGPT MAUs: +180% YoY
Gemini MAUs: +170% YoY, but +30% between Aug–Nov, far outpacing ChatGPT’s 6%

ChatGPT user growth slowdown — Image Credit – Sensor Tower

3. Market Share

Over the past months:

Gemini gained 3 percentage points of global MAU share
ChatGPT lost 3 percentage points

4. Time Spent in App

Gemini users’ engagement has surged:

11 minutes/day, up 120% since March
Driven largely by Nano Banana, Gemini’s viral image-generation model

Meanwhile:

ChatGPT’s daily time spent rose only 6%
Time spent fell 10% between July and November

Related:

Why Gemini Is Gaining Ground

Several structural advantages are accelerating Gemini’s adoption:

Deep OS-Level Integration
Sensor Tower notes that twice as many U.S. Android users access Gemini directly through the OS than through the standalone app.
Because Android dominates global markets, this gives Gemini:
- Automatic visibility
- Built-in entry points
- A lower barrier to engagement

Nano Banana Driving Viral Growth
The launch of Gemini’s Nano Banana image generator dramatically increased app usage, downloads, and retention.

Shifts in AI Market Dynamics
Platforms like Perplexity and Claude are also accelerating, with explosive YoY growth:
- Perplexity: +370%
- Claude: +190%
  This widening competition is fragmenting the AI user base.

OpenAI Responds With “Code Red”

In response to Gemini’s rising momentum, OpenAI internally issued a “code red” memo urging teams to focus on:

Personalization
Reliability
Better image generation
More powerful AI capabilities

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly stressed that the company must accelerate development to maintain leadership.

Is ChatGPT Losing Its Lead? Not Yet – but the Gap Is Narrowing

Despite slowing growth, ChatGPT remains the largest AI app by far. Its global footprint, brand recognition, and cross-platform accessibility keep it ahead.

However, the data suggests:

ChatGPT is entering a maturity phase
Gemini is in rapid expansion mode
Market share competition is tightening

Future growth may depend heavily on upcoming releases from OpenAI. Just as Gemini’s Nano Banana boosted adoption, a similarly disruptive ChatGPT feature could trigger another surge.

The latest Sensor Tower report signals a major shift: the ChatGPT user growth slowdown marks the first time a challenger, particularly Gemini, has shown the potential to truly compete at scale.

Whether this trend continues depends on: