ChatGPT slips below half the AI market
Sensor Tower's State of AI 2026 report puts ChatGPT below 50% audience share for the first time, with Gemini and Claude gaining ground fast.
ChatGPT’s share of audience among AI assistants fell below 50% for the first time, landing at 46.4% in May, down from more than 50% in January, according to Sensor Tower’s State of AI 2026 report as read by TechCrunch. Google Gemini climbed to about 28% and Anthropic’s Claude to about 10%. On raw reach ChatGPT is still far ahead, passing 1.1 billion monthly users against 662 million for Gemini and 245 million for Claude.
The more useful number for operators is money. Sensor Tower says Claude’s average revenue per user on US mobile rose from under $0.50 in September 2025 to $2.76 in May, and its US market share more than tripled over the period. Industry-wide, in-app purchase revenue for AI apps is expected to pass $4 billion in the first half of 2026, up 36% on the prior half.
Why this matters
Reach and revenue are diverging. The tool with the most users is not the one earning the most per user, and the gap between the leaders is narrowing every quarter. If you picked a default assistant a year ago, the case for it may have shifted.
Treat the assistant layer as contestable. Weigh switching cost when you choose a tool, keep an exit ramp ready, and read this alongside the leaked OpenAI losses: the economics under these products are still being written.