Sensor Tower data shows ChatGPT app users cross 1 billion mark in May, even as Claude posted faster year-on-year growth.
The milestone came in May 2026, around three years after ChatGPT’s public launch. Reuters reported that ChatGPT app users reached the 1 billion mark faster than Google Maps, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, based on Sensor Tower’s estimates.
The number shows how quickly ChatGPT has moved from a workplace tool into a mainstream consumer app. ChatGPT app users now include students, developers, writers, office workers and casual users who use the app for search, drafting, coding help, image generation and daily tasks.
OpenAI still faces stronger competition than it did in 2023 and 2024. Reuters said the record comes as OpenAI and Anthropic compete for share in the fast-growing artificial intelligence market. Sensor Tower data also showed that U.S. ChatGPT app users who installed Anthropic’s Claude app in the first quarter of 2026 spent 5% less time on ChatGPT one month later, compared with their earlier average usage.
Claude remains much smaller in absolute app usage, but its growth rate is sharp. Reuters reported that Claude had 56 million global monthly active app users in the second quarter to date, while its year-on-year monthly active user growth was about 640%, compared with 62% for ChatGPT.
That gives OpenAI two different signals. The first is scale. ChatGPT app users are now far ahead of rival AI apps by total monthly activity. The second is pressure. Claude’s faster growth suggests some users are willing to test alternatives when they offer better coding, research or workplace features.
The AI Decode has also covered how ChatGPT app integrations are turning AI into an all-in-one digital assistant. The 1 billion user figure makes that shift more important. If ChatGPT app users keep growing, OpenAI will need to show that the app can move beyond chat and become a reliable daily software layer.
For now, ChatGPT app users have given OpenAI a clear consumer lead. The question is whether that lead holds as Claude, Google Gemini and other AI apps compete harder for time, trust and paid users.
