ChatGPT User Growth Slows Down - Latest Report

ChatGPT's User Growth is Showing Signs of Deceleration

Recent data from Sensor Tower, a firm specializing in market intelligence, suggests that the rate of growth for ChatGPT is beginning to slow. Despite remaining the dominant AI chatbot, currently holding 50% of global mobile downloads and 55% of global monthly active users, a shift is occurring.

Gemini's Rising Momentum

Google’s Gemini is demonstrating increased momentum, surpassing ChatGPT in several key metrics. These include the rate of download growth, expansion of monthly active users, and the amount of time users spend within the application, according to Sensor Tower’s findings.

This accelerated adoption rate positions Gemini to potentially close the gap with ChatGPT. This development has prompted concern within OpenAI, as evidenced by a recent internal “code red” memo.

OpenAI's Strategic Response

The memo, authored by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, directed employees to prioritize enhancements to the company’s AI offerings. Specific areas of focus include improved personalization, increased reliability, and advancements in image generation capabilities.

Current Growth Trends

Despite the changing dynamics, both ChatGPT and Gemini continue to experience substantial growth. ChatGPT’s global monthly active users have increased by 180% year-over-year as of November 2025.

Gemini’s monthly active users have also seen a significant rise, increasing by 170% over the same period.

Signs of Market Saturation

However, the data reveals that ChatGPT’s global monthly active users grew by approximately 6% between August and November, reaching around 810 million. Sensor Tower suggests this could indicate the chatbot is approaching market saturation.

Conversely, Google Gemini’s global monthly active users experienced a 30% jump during the same timeframe, largely driven by the release of its new image generation model, Nano Banana.

Android Integration as a Competitive Advantage

The report also highlights that twice as many U.S. Android users currently interact with Gemini directly through the Android operating system compared to those using the standalone mobile app.

This integration provides Google with a potential advantage in the global market, where Android holds a dominant position, as it expands Gemini’s accessibility beyond app and web interfaces.

Shifting Market Share

Gemini is also gaining share within the broader AI chatbot market, when compared to competitors like ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, Perplexity, and Grok.

Over the seven months from May to November 2025, Gemini increased its share of global monthly active users by three percentage points.

In contrast, ChatGPT’s share of global monthly active users decreased by three percentage points over the four months from August to November 2025.

Competition from Emerging Players

Challenges from rivals like Perplexity and Claude are also impacting ChatGPT. Both companies have demonstrated triple-digit growth in 2025, with Perplexity up 370% year-over-year and Claude up 190%.

Download Growth Comparison

ChatGPT’s global downloads increased by 85% year-over-year as of November, but this was below the overall cohort’s average growth rate of 110%.

Perplexity and Gemini experienced the most significant growth in downloads, increasing by 215% and 190% year-over-year, respectively.

User Engagement and Time Spent in App

The time spent by Gemini app users has more than doubled in recent months. By November, Gemini users were spending an average of 11 minutes per day in the app, a 120% increase from March.

This surge in engagement is likely attributable to the popularity of its image generation model, Nano Banana, launched in September.

In comparison, the daily time spent by ChatGPT users increased by only 6% during the same period, and even decreased by 10% in November compared to July.

Looking Ahead

While the current data suggests Google is gaining ground on the market leader, much of its recent success is linked to the impact of Nano Banana. OpenAI could potentially revitalize growth with the introduction of innovative new products that resonate with users in a similar way.