OpenAI’s ChatGPT Hits 400 Million Users by Doubling Its User Base in Six Months
When OpenAI first introduced ChatGPT to the world in November 2022, it took the tech circle around the world by storm and was considered the fastest-ever consumer application in history. While the chatbot’s early success stemmed from people’s curiosity and novelty, it was widely discussed whether that initial buzz would continue or fade like the many other trends. All the indications throughout the past year that concern has been relieved, as ChatGPT is now certain to stay and continues to grow at an exceptional speed.
With immense progress being made in what AI can do and an upgrade to a more user-friendly interface, the chatbot has bounced back and doubled its active users in just under six months, solidifying its position on the top in the AI chatbot game. According to a report published by American VC firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), the AI chatbot ChatGPT has proved its worth, doubling its weekly active users in less than six months, where the report has pointed to the very impressive revival of the chatbot in the second semester of 2024 along with strategic updates and releases.
Speedy User Growth:
ChatGPT was originally famous for being the fastest app to cross the 100 million mark in monthly active users, a triumph it achieved within just 2 months of its debut in November 2022. The number had already increased to 100 million weekly active users by November 2023, rising to 200 million by August 2024. Even that increase has been outdone by this most recent surge in February 2025, when ChatGPT had achieved an incredible 400 million weekly active users.
Key Growth Drivers:
Major product releases in 2024 were key drivers for the increase in demand for ChatGPT which are;
- Release of GPT-4o (April-May 2024): The launch of this AI model drew a sharp rise in user engagement since ChatGPT was able to handle text, image, and audio input with a greater level of accuracy and efficiency.
- Advanced Voice Mode (July-August 2024): Launching a more natural, conversational voice feature contributed significantly to user interest and retention.
- o1 Model Series (September-October 2024): These enhancements were like the cherry on the icing on the cake, creating an extra spike in usage, especially among enterprise and professional users.
ChatGPT’s user base continues to demonstrate a steady growth trend on mobile. There has been an approximately 5% to 15% increase in mobile users every month. Out of the 400 million weekly active users, about 175 million are accessing ChatGPT from mobile devices.
Competitive Landscape:
The industry has become quite competitive in developing AI chatbots, with emerging players like DeepSeek coming out strong from the launch pad. For instance, within ten days, DeepSeek ascended to the second position globally and attained 15% of the ChatGPT mobile users by February 2025. ChatGPT, nevertheless, maintains a strong lead in both web and mobile categories.
According to data from the market intelligence provider Similarweb, ChatGPT is ranked No. 1 as far as unique visits per month on the web and mobile active visitors are concerned. On the other hand, DeepSeek usage was measured to involve per user, slightly more than other competitors like Perplexity and Claude; however, ChatGPT remains dominant.
Future of ChatGPT:
ChatGPT isn’t just a superb thing, but it is also an omen of how AI is playing an increasingly important role in life today, whether it is for professional work, learning, education purposes or simply personal needs day to day, the millions of users who tap from the chatbot’s ongoing capabilities find value within its beneficial features, when these options become more popularized.
It will create the next round of interactions, primarily personal, real-time, and ever-developing into different digital ecosystems that match the level of the technology revolution. With AI adoption trending across industries, ChatGPT’s unparalleled growth suggests we have entered the age of generative AI, where fast paced technology development continues to redefine the way we interact and be productive worldwide.
