The AI race is heating up, and the latest data shows a shift in the leaderboard. Just days after OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared a ‘code red’ following Google’s Gemini 3 launch, new data reveals that ChatGPT is lagging behind Gemini across crucial metrics, including global downloads, monthly active users (MAUs), and average time spent in the app, signaling a shift in the competitive landscape.
Although the widely-used AI chatbot remains at the forefront with 50% of worldwide mobile downloads and 55% of global monthly active users, ChatGPT experienced only about a six percent increase in global monthly active users (approximately 810 million) from August to November this year, according to data from the market research company Sensor Tower.
In 2025, the AI chatbot landscape saw significant shifts in user engagement and growth. While OpenAI’s ChatGPT continues to lead in overall global MAUs, Google’s Gemini has been rapidly closing the gap, driven by its new AI image-generation model, Nano Banana. The latest data from Sensor Tower highlights trends in downloads, monthly active users, and in-app engagement, showing that Gemini is gaining traction across multiple metrics.
Key highlights (Nov 2025):
ChatGPT global Monthly Active Users (MAU): +180% YoY
Gemini global MAU: +170% YoY, with MAU share up 3 percentage points (May–Nov 2025)
ChatGPT MAU share: Down 3 percentage points (Aug–Nov 2025)
Other AI chatbots: Perplexity +370% YoY, Claude +190% YoY
Global downloads: Gemini +190% YoY, ChatGPT +85% YoY, Perplexity +215% YoY
User engagement: Gemini users spent 11 minutes/day (+120% since March); ChatGPT +6%
Growth driver: Popularity of Gemini’s Nano Banana AI image-generation model
Meanwhile, Gemini saw a 30 percent surge in global monthly active users over the same period, fueled largely by the growing popularity of its AI image generation model, Nano Banana, the company reported. Sensor Tower’s usage data suggests that Google is steadily closing the gap on OpenAI, the market leader.
OpenAI, in turn, has reportedly delayed its advertising efforts to focus on developing a new AI model, codenamed ‘Garlic’, which is expected to outperform Gemini 3 in complex coding and reasoning tasks.
In an internal memo labeled a ‘code red’, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman directed employees to prioritise improvements across the company’s AI products, with a focus on personalisation, reliability, image generation, and other core features, according to a report by The Information.
While OpenAI has enjoyed a first-mover edge since launching ChatGPT in 2022, Google’s strength in the AI market stems from its expansive distribution ecosystem. With Gemini 3 integrated into both its dominant web browser and search engine from day one, the app benefits from seamless reach. Sensor Tower data shows that in the US, twice as many users access Gemini via Google’s Android OS than through the standalone app, a major advantage in markets like India, where Android dominates smartphones.
