ChatGPT Isn’t the Only Star in the AI Chatbot Game: Meet the Rising Contenders
The Rising Stars of AI Chatbots
When it comes to AI chatbots, OpenAI’s ChatGPT is undeniably the reigning champion, boasting a staggering 500 million weekly active users as of late March 2025. But don’t let ChatGPT’s dominance fool you into thinking it’s the only player in town. A new wave of AI chatbots is gaining traction, and some of them are making serious moves. Let’s dive into the data and explore how competitors like Google’s Gemini, Anthropic’s Claude, Elon Musk’s xAI Grok, and others are shaking up the chatbot landscape.
While ChatGPT Enjoys Unparalleled Popularity
Analytics from Similarweb and Sensor Tower reveal that other chatbot platforms are steadily growing their user bases. Here’s a breakdown of the key players making waves:
- Google’s Gemini: This AI chatbot saw its web traffic jump to 10.9 million average daily visits in March, marking a 7.4% increase month-over-month. Google has been actively enhancing Gemini with features like a “canvas” tool that allows users to preview coding project outputs, which likely contributed to its growth.
- Microsoft’s Copilot: Integrated with OpenAI technology, Copilot recorded 2.4 million daily visits in March, up 2.1% from February. Its seamless integration across Microsoft products makes it a strong contender for professionals and businesses.
- Anthropic’s Claude: With 3.3 million average daily visits in March, Claude is steadily climbing the ranks. The release of its flagship model, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, in February triggered a 21% week-over-week increase in active users. Anthropic has also been adding new tools to enhance its client experience.
- DeepSeek: This Chinese AI lab’s chatbot hit 16.5 million daily visits in March, making it the second most popular chatbot by web traffic despite a 25% drop from February levels. DeepSeek has emerged as a major player since its launch earlier this year.
- xAI’s Grok: Backed by Elon Musk, Grok is the dark horse of the AI chatbot race. In just a few months since launching its web app, Grok matched DeepSeek’s traffic at 16.5 million daily visits and achieved an eye-popping 800% month-over-month growth.
- Yours Truly, ChadGPT: We’re small, playing distant catch-up to to the biggest players but, we do things differently. Offering our customers unlimited access to 10+ different AI models for one low price. Forget who has the greatest model this week, ChadGPT let’s you focus on your business.
What’s Driving This Growth?
Several factors are fueling the rise of these ChatGPT competitors:
- New AI Models: The rollout of advanced models like Gemini 2.0 Flash and Claude 3.7 Sonnet has attracted more users by offering cutting-edge capabilities.
- Innovative Features: Companies are racing to differentiate their chatbots with unique functionalities. For instance, Google’s “canvas” feature for Gemini and Anthropic’s steady addition of tools to Claude have been well-received.
- Expanding Use Cases: From coding assistance to creative writing and customer service, chatbots are finding applications across diverse industries, driving consumer interest.
- Mobile App Growth: Mobile versions of these chatbots are also seeing significant adoption rates. For example, Gemini experienced a 42% spike in weekly active users two weeks after its latest model became generally available.
The Battle for Second Place
While none of these contenders come close to dethroning ChatGPT yet—its mobile app alone has ten times more weekly active users than Gemini and Claude combined—the competition for the No. 2 spot is heating up.
DeepSeek currently holds second place in terms of web traffic but faces challenges like declining growth rates. Meanwhile, Grok is gaining momentum at an unprecedented pace, positioning itself as a serious challenger.
David Carr from Similarweb aptly summarized the situation: “There’s fierce competition for the No. 2 chatbot spot.” And with companies like Google and xAI investing heavily in innovation, this competition is only going to intensify.
What Does This Mean for ChatGPT?
Despite the rising competition, OpenAI doesn’t appear to be losing sleep over it—yet. With its massive user base and established reputation, ChatGPT remains far ahead of its rivals in both web and mobile app metrics.
However, as competitors continue to innovate and capture niche markets, OpenAI will need to stay on its toes to maintain its lead. The introduction of new features or models by rivals could quickly shift user preferences.
Final Thoughts
The AI chatbot market is evolving rapidly, with new players entering the fray and established ones stepping up their game. While ChatGPT reigns supreme for now, challengers like Gemini, Claude, DeepSeek, and Grok are proving that there’s plenty of room for innovation—and competition—in this space.
As someone who loves keeping an eye on tech trends (and maybe even testing out these bots myself), I can’t wait to see how this battle unfolds. Who knows? By this time next year, we might be talking about a new king—or queen—of AI chatbots.
A full-featured AI interface for small-business (and teams of one). We combined over 10 cutting-edge AI models into one interface, so you can focus on your business, not the ever-changing AI landscape.
Learn More>>
