Turning Point in the AI Market: ChatGPT's Share Drops Below 50% for the First Time

In the world of AI technologies, OpenAI's ChatGPT bot has long been the absolute leader. However, according to a new report for 2026 released by the analytical firm Sensor Tower, this chatbot's global market share has fallen below 50% for the first time. This indicates that users are actively switching to alternative services, particularly products from Google and Anthropic. This was reported by Techcrunch.com news states.

ChatGPT remains the most popular AI assistant in the world, with over 1.1 billion monthly users. Nevertheless, the bot, which held more than half of the market share in January of this year, dropped to 46.4% by the end of May. This decline is attributed to the rapid growth of competitors.

Rise of Competitors and Market Dynamics

Gemini by Google and Claude by Anthropic have become the primary growth drivers. Currently, Gemini holds second place with a 27.7% share, while Claude rounds out the top three with 10.3%. Additionally, projects such as Grok by xAI, Perplexity, DeepSeek, and Meta AI are striving to establish their presence in the market, though each currently holds less than 5%.

According to Sensor Tower data, users are no longer tied to a single platform but are testing different assistants for various tasks. For example, Claude has gained a high reputation for productivity and handling complex texts, while Gemini is becoming popular due to its integration with the Google ecosystem. Interestingly, reports of OpenAI's cooperation with the US Department of Defense in February led to a sharp increase in ChatGPT app uninstalls, showing that brand trust is important for users.

Revenue and Monetization Strategies

The AI app market is commercializing rapidly. In the first half of 2026, users are expected to spend $4.2 billion on these apps, more than double the $1.83 billion from the same period last year. Claude stands out here: 13% of its users have a paid subscription, the highest conversion rate in the field.

OpenAI is also testing new ways to generate revenue. Since February, ads have begun appearing in the ChatGPT interface. By May, ads were being shown to an average of 17% of daily users. The leading sectors among advertisers are:

• Software and technologies;
• Online shopping;
• Media and entertainment;
• Food and general dining services.

From a regional perspective, while the Asian market leads in downloads, it lags behind North America and Europe in in-app purchases. This encourages AI developers to target premium features primarily at Western markets. Overall, the market is moving from a growth phase to a stage of maturity and stable revenue generation.