Gemini AI doubles traffic share to 12.9% as ChatGPT dominance slips

Google’s Gemini AI chatbot has more than doubled its web traffic over the past year, capturing 12.9% of total generative AI tool visits compared to 6.4% in 2024, according to new data from Similarweb, a web analytics company. While ChatGPT still dominates with 74% of chatbot web traffic, this represents a decline from its previous 87% market share, suggesting competitors are successfully chipping away at OpenAI’s grip on the conversational AI market.

What you should know: The traffic surge positions Gemini as the fastest-growing major AI chatbot platform, even as competitors struggle to gain momentum.

• ChatGPT’s market share dropped from 87% to 74% over the past year, indicating a loosening grip on the market.
• xAI’s Grok saw marginal decline from 3.1% to 2% over six months, while Microsoft Copilot remained steady at 1.2%.
• The growth comes as more conversational AI chatbots enter the market and established competitors expand their offerings.

Why users prefer Gemini: Industry professionals highlight the chatbot’s strength in routine tasks and seamless integration with Google’s ecosystem of services.

• “Compared to Gemini, ChatGPT and Claude are more helpful with in-depth writing and ideation, but for fast and everyday tasks, Gemini is unparalleled,” says Baruch Labunski, founder of SEO company Rank Secure.
• Users particularly value Gemini’s ability to draw from personal data across Gmail, Google Docs, and Drive without switching between multiple applications.
• “The fact that [Gemini] integrates with tools such as Gmail or Google Docs means that my workflow from research through to content creation is much more fluid,” says Michael Pedrotti, cofounder of GhostCap, a video game server hosting company.

The bigger picture: The data reveals important limitations in measuring true AI chatbot usage across different platforms and integration points.

• Similarweb acknowledges its methodology only captures visits to gemini.google.com, not broader usage through Google’s AI Overviews or search integration.
• “Comparing Gemini on this standalone basis with ChatGPT is misleading because it doesn’t take into account Google’s much broader AI initiatives,” Similarweb spokesman David Carr told ZDNET.
• A complete usage picture would require analyzing app downloads, active user numbers, and embedded integrations across Google’s services.

What they’re saying: Users emphasize that different AI models excel in distinct areas, with Gemini finding its niche in integrated, multimodal work.

• “Each foundation model has its strengths,” Jenny Kay Pollock, cofounder of Women X AI, told ZDNET. “ChatGPT for creativity, Claude for depth, and Gemini for integrated, multimodal work.”
• Labunski noted: “Gemini is seamless within my ecosystem of Google services. The ability to integrate seamlessly with Gmail, Drive, and Docs means I don’t have to juggle multiple apps to get work done.”