ChatGPT Dominates the AI Chatbot Race – But Can It Last?
▼ Summary
– ChatGPT is the dominant AI chatbot with approximately 80-86% market share according to multiple analytics firms.
– AI search services like Perplexity are gaining traction by combining conversational AI with live internet search capabilities.
– Mobile usage of AI assistants is growing rapidly, with Copilot and Gemini showing particularly strong mobile adoption.
– Google’s search dominance remains largely unchallenged despite AI chatbots seeing 80% year-over-year traffic growth.
– The AI chatbot market remains highly dynamic with no guaranteed long-term winner, as history shows early technology leaders often get displaced.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT currently holds a dominant position in the AI chatbot market, but emerging competitors and shifting user habits suggest this leadership is far from guaranteed. A detailed analysis of data from multiple tracking firms reveals a dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape where user preferences and platform integrations are reshaping the competitive field.
Data from Comscore, which gathers information through desktop and mobile meters alongside its Total Home panel, indicates a significant migration in how people use AI assistants. There has been a pronounced shift in chatbot use from desktop to mobile platforms. Over a recent three-month period, mobile reach for these tools grew by 5.3%, reaching 73.4 million unique users, while desktop usage fell by 11.1%. This trend is even more striking over a longer timeframe, with mobile adoption surging 82% from late 2024 to mid-2025. Major brands have capitalized on this shift, with Microsoft Copilot’s mobile usage skyrocketing by 175%, Google Gemini’s by 68%, and ChatGPT’s by 17.9%.
According to Comscore’s Smriti Sharma, this mobile growth is fueled by ecosystem integration and a focus on productivity. Companies are successfully positioning their AI as personal, always-available companions embedded within operating systems and popular applications. Comscore also highlights that the AI market extends beyond pure chatbots, with design assistant Canva, writing tool Grammarly, marketing platform Octane AI, and voice changer Voicemod also ranking among the most popular AI programs.
Statcounter’s analysis, derived from tracking code on over 1.5 million websites, focuses exclusively on chatbots and confirms ChatGPT’s extraordinary dominance with 80.92% of global market share. Perplexity has secured a notable 8.08% share by blending AI conversation with live internet search, appealing to users who need current information. Microsoft Copilot holds 5.19%, benefiting from its deep integration with Office 365. DeepSeek and Google Gemini, with 2.75% and 2.19% respectively, demonstrate how differentiated strategies can help newer entrants gain a foothold. Claude, though smaller, has built its reputation on conversational safety and trust.
The research firm OneLittleWeb, which compiles data from sources like Semrush and app stores, examined the relationship between AI chatbots and traditional search. Their findings show that people are beginning to move away from the automatic “Google it” reflex, with AI chatbot traffic experiencing a massive 80.92% year-over-year growth. Despite this, Google remains the overwhelming leader in search with an 87.57% market share, while AI-first search currently accounts for just 2.69%. In the specific AI search chatbot space, ChatGPT leads with 86.32%, followed by DeepSeek, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, and Copilot. Smaller players such as DeepSeek, Gemini, and Perplexity are experiencing notable growth, with DeepSeek in particular showing an astronomical 113,007% increase in traffic.
TechGaged’s analysis, which uses data from firms like Statcounter and Similarweb, also points to market consolidation around ChatGPT, comparing its current position to Google’s early dominance in search. However, the competitive field remains active. Perplexity holds a strong second place due to its real-time data approach, Microsoft Copilot is third because of its productivity integrations, and DeepSeek has used innovation to carve out a niche. Gemini leverages its connection to the Google and Android ecosystems. These alternatives prove that demand exists for varied AI experiences, and their unique strengths provide platforms for potential market disruption.
While ChatGPT’s lead is commanding, the AI revolution is still in its infancy. The major release that sparked widespread adoption occurred less than three years ago. Looking back at other technological shifts provides crucial context. Three years after the web took off, Netscape Navigator dominated the browser market. Friendster and then MySpace led the social networking wave, with MySpace boasting 100 million users at its peak. None of those platforms maintain their former prominence today. Three years is not enough time to declare a popular technology winner. The ultimate leader in the AI chatbot space may already exist, but it is far too early to crown a permanent victor. The AI chatbot revolution is just getting started.
(Source: ZDNET)
