ChatGPT User Growth: Doubling in Under 6 Months

ChatGPT Experiences Accelerated Growth in User Base

According to a recent report released by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) on Thursday, OpenAI’s ChatGPT is demonstrating renewed and substantial growth. The chatbot’s user base has expanded rapidly in the latter portion of 2024.

Previously, it required nine months for ChatGPT to progress from 100 million to 200 million weekly active users, a milestone achieved between November 2023 and August 2024. However, the latest doubling of this number occurred in under six months, as the report indicates.

Rapid Initial Adoption and Subsequent Expansion

Following its initial release as a research preview in November 2022, ChatGPT quickly became the fastest application to reach 100 million monthly active users. This benchmark was attained in a remarkably short timeframe of just two months.

By November 2023, the platform had reached 100 million weekly active users. This figure continued to climb, reaching 300 million by December 2024, and subsequently 400 million by February 2025.

Drivers of Growth: Novelty and New Features

a16z suggests that the initial surge in ChatGPT’s popularity was largely fueled by curiosity. Many consumers were eager to experiment with the application, though its long-term integration into their daily routines remained uncertain.

However, the recent acceleration in growth is directly linked to the introduction of new models and enhanced functionalities. The launch of GPT-4o, with its multimodal capabilities, played a significant role in this trend.

A noticeable increase in usage followed the GPT-4o launch, spanning from April through May 2024.

Further growth occurred from July to August 2024 with the introduction of Advanced Voice Mode. The o1 model series also contributed to increased usage between September and October 2024.

Mobile Usage and Competitive Landscape

Growth on mobile platforms has been particularly consistent, according to the firm’s analysis.

Over the past year, monthly increases in ChatGPT mobile app users have ranged from 5% to 15%. Currently, 175 million of the total 400 million weekly active users access the application via mobile devices.

The report also assesses the impact of competing platforms, such as DeepSeek, on the market.

DeepSeek rapidly ascended to the No. 2 position globally within ten days and secured the No. 2 spot on mobile in February, capturing 15% of ChatGPT’s mobile user base.

Data from Sensor Tower, a mobile intelligence provider, indicates that DeepSeek users exhibit slightly higher engagement levels compared to users of Perplexity and Claude. Nevertheless, it still trails behind ChatGPT in overall engagement.

Additional Market Insights

The market analysis also provides recommendations for AI developers and coders. It includes rankings of leading AI applications by category and revenue, as well as rankings of top Generative AI applications across both mobile and web platforms.

According to data from Similarweb, a market intelligence provider, ChatGPT currently holds the No. 1 position in terms of unique monthly web visits and monthly active mobile users, as highlighted in the report.