ChatGPT lost nearly a quarter of its web traffic dominance in twelve months, dropping from 77.6% to 53.7% of AI chatbot visits, according to web analytics firm Similarweb. Google Gemini captured the lion's share of that lost traffic, tripling its reach from 7.3% to 26.7% in the same period.
The shift reflects Google's aggressive push to integrate Gemini across its search engine, Gmail, and other consumer products. By bundling AI capabilities into existing platforms with billions of daily users, Google bypassed ChatGPT's standalone advantage. The company made Gemini available through free web access while also embedding it into search results and productivity tools.
The data carries a critical caveat: Similarweb tracks only web browser traffic to standalone sites. The figures exclude API usage through third-party applications, mobile apps, and enterprise deployments. ChatGPT's API remains widely used by developers building applications. OpenAI also distributes ChatGPT through native iOS and Android apps, which don't register in web traffic metrics.
OpenAI launched ChatGPT in November 2022 and built an enormous first-mover advantage. The service drew massive web traffic for over a year with minimal competition. Google delayed launching Gemini until December 2023 and initially kept it behind a waitlist, giving ChatGPT runway to establish user habits.
The traffic redistribution suggests consumer preference shifting toward integrated AI assistants embedded in familiar products rather than dedicated chatbot sites. Users may view Gemini within Gmail or search results as more convenient than opening a separate tab for ChatGPT.
Neither company has published recent public statements about market share, making third-party analytics critical for tracking the AI chatbot landscape. Similarweb's methodology depends on browser data collection and may miss significant user bases rel