ChatGPT’s user growth has slowed, report finds

ChatGPT’s growth is beginning to taper off, according to new findings from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower. The OpenAI-owned AI chatbot still leads the global market, accounting for 50% of worldwide mobile downloads and 55% of global monthly active users. However, Google’s Gemini is now outpacing ChatGPT in download growth, monthly active user growth, and time spent in the app, according to the report.

Over time, Gemini’s rapid adoption could help narrow the gap with ChatGPT — a concern highlighted in OpenAI’s recent “code red” memo. In the note, CEO Sam Altman urged employees to concentrate on improving product areas such as personalisation, reliability, image generation, and more.

Despite the slowdown, both ChatGPT and Gemini continue to report substantial overall gains.

ChatGPT’s global monthly active users have increased 180% year-over-year as of November 2025, while Gemini’s monthly active users are up 170%.

Image Credits: Sensor Tower

Yet Sensor Tower’s data shows that ChatGPT’s global monthly active users grew by only about 6% between August and November, reaching approximately 810 million. (Figures in the chart are rounded.) This hints that ChatGPT may be approaching market saturation, the firm says.

Meanwhile, Gemini’s global monthly active users surged by about 30% during the same period — growth fueled mainly by its new image generation model, Nano Banana.

The report also points out that twice as many U.S. Android users now interact with Gemini directly via the Android OS compared to the standalone Gemini app. This gives Google a clear strategic advantage in global markets dominated by Android devices, as the chatbot isn’t limited to a single app or web environment.

Gemini is also increasing its share of the broader AI chatbot ecosystem, which includes rivals such as Copilot, Claude, Perplexity, a nd Grok. Between May and November 2025, Gemini grew its share of global monthly active users by three percentage points. In contrast, ChatGPT’s share fell by 3 points over the last four months.

Competition from Perplexity and Claude is also placing pressure on ChatGPT. Both competitors saw triple-digit growth in 2025: Perplexity surged 370% year over year, while Claude grew 190%.

Image Credits: Sensor Tower

ChatGPT’s global downloads rose 85% year-over-year as of November, but that growth rate lagged behind the category’s average of 110%.

Perplexity and Gemini led in download acceleration, rising 215% and 190% year-over-year, respectively.

Gemini users are also spending significantly more time in the app. Average daily use doubled in recent months, reaching 11 minutes per day in November — a 120% increase since March — driven by interest in Nano Banana’s image generation capabilities.

In comparison, ChatGPT’s user time increased only 6% during the same period, and its daily engagement dipped 10% in November compared to July.

While the data shows Google gaining ground, much of its momentum stems from Nano Banana’s breakout popularity. OpenAI may be able to accelerate growth again with the release of new features or products that generate similar user excitement.