ChatGPT down, and Gemini up! Recent data from web analytics company, Similarweb’s Global AI Tracker, reports a significant drop in ChatGPT’s market share.
ChatGPT accounted for 64% worldwide traffic share in January 2026, down sharply from 86% last year, meaning 20% lower than in January 2025. On the other hand, Gemini is gaining high momentum, climbing from around 5% to over 21% in the same period.
Even though ChatGPT is the dominant AI chatbot globally, the year-over-year numbers indicate its growth curve on the web is levelling off. Similarweb data shows other players such as DeepSeek (3.7%), Grok (3.4%), Perplexity (2.0%), and Claude (2.0%) with small market shares compared to other AI players.
It is worth noting that Similarweb’s data captures only direct web visits, excluding API usage, embedded assistants, mobile apps, or locations where AI engagement primarily takes place.
Distribution is Driving Gemini’s Rise
Gemini is moving towards the growth stats of the new year. It’s gaining attention and preference from users due to its new features, smooth interface, and, most importantly, its integration across Google Search, Workspace, Android, and, in short, the Google ecosystem. This differs from ChatGPT, which lacks a distribution infrastructure.
Alongside, Similarweb reports also show that Gemini users spend more time per visit and view more pages per session than ChatGPT users, indicating deeper interactions.
Now, the holiday season clearly depicts a drop in seasonal traffic. AI tool usage during the December holiday period dropped. “Driven by winter break, the average daily visits across all tools dropped in August and September, “ Similarweb wrote on X. The numbers will rise as people return to work.
Here’s the data for your reference:
Source: Similarweb
Writing and content generation sites were down 10% over the most recent 12-week window in Similarweb’s category view.
Alongside, a drop was seen in content generation sites, moving down to 10% in the recent 12-week window, whereas traditional search did not show a sharp drop.
There’s increased competition in the AI space, with new models introducing standout features and functionalities that surpass each other.
What Lies Ahead for the AI Chatbot Market?
Looking ahead, experts say that user behavior is changing. Alongside this, AI assistants are integrated into productivity tools and operating systems, making distribution a center stage of innovation.
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