OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT application has achieved an unprecedented milestone by becoming the first app to reach 1 billion monthly active users at record speed, new data from market research company Sensor Tower reveals.
This achievement occurs as competition intensifies between OpenAI and Anthropic in the fast-growing artificial intelligence sector.
Key findings from the data include:
• ChatGPT achieved the 1 billion user mark in May, approximately three years following its initial release, beating the timeline previously established by major platforms such as Google Maps, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, according to Sensor Tower’s analysis.
• Research indicates that American ChatGPT users who downloaded Anthropic’s Claude application during the first quarter of 2026 reduced their ChatGPT usage by 5% within one month of installing Claude, compared to their typical usage over the previous eight months.
• Anthropic submitted confidential paperwork for a U.S. initial public offering on Monday, while Reuters has indicated that OpenAI is similarly preparing to file IPO documents in the near future.
• Current second quarter data shows Claude has accumulated 56 million monthly active users worldwide, with its annual user growth rate of approximately 640% far exceeding ChatGPT’s 62% growth rate, Sensor Tower reported.
