ChatGPT sees explosive growth, doubling weekly users in less than six months

ChatGPT, OpenAI’s leading AI chatbot, has witnessed an unprecedented surge in user adoption, doubling its weekly active users in less than six months. A fresh analysis from venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) highlights how ChatGPT’s latest advancements have propelled its growth, marking a major milestone for AI adoption in everyday apps.

According to the report, ChatGPT took nine months to grow from 100 million to 200 million weekly active users between November 2023 and August 2024. However, in the latest phase of expansion, the AI chatbot has managed to double those figures again, reaching a remarkable 400 million weekly active users by February 2025. This resurgence follows a period of strategic updates and feature rollouts that have significantly boosted engagement.

ChatGPT initially gained traction as a novel AI experience, quickly becoming the fastest-growing app in history by reaching 100 million monthly active users within just two months of its launch in November 2022. By November 2023, it had already amassed 100 million weekly active users. However, a key turning point came with the release of enhanced AI models and capabilities, which drove its expansion from 300 million users in December 2024 to 400 million by early 2025.

While early adoption was fueled by sheer curiosity, the recent growth has been powered by practical applications. The introduction of the GPT-4o model, with its advanced multimodal capabilities, triggered a surge in usage between April and May 2024. Further engagement spikes were observed following the rollout of Advanced Voice Mode in July and the o1 model series in September.

Mobile adoption has played a critical role in sustaining ChatGPT’s growth. Over the past year, the ChatGPT mobile app has consistently gained traction, with monthly user growth ranging between 5% and 15%. As of February 2025, 175 million of the total 400 million weekly active users are accessing ChatGPT on mobile, reinforcing the shift toward AI-powered interactions on smartphones and tablets.

However, the AI chatbot market is witnessing increasing competition. A notable contender, DeepSeek, rapidly climbed to the No. 2 position globally in just 10 days and claimed 15% of ChatGPT’s mobile user base by February 2025. Market data from Sensor Tower suggests that DeepSeek’s mobile users exhibit slightly higher engagement levels than those using competing AI models like Perplexity and Claude, though ChatGPT remains the dominant player.