ChatGPT mobile app makes $2 billion, one $2.91 install at a time
The chatbot has racked up an estimated 690 million downloads globally, per new data, which also showed a gulf between OpenAI and its rivals
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OpenAI's ChatGPT mobile app makes $2.91 per install, far outstripping its rivals and reaching $2 billion in consumer spending since its 2023 launch, according to new third-party data.
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So far this year, the AI titan’s app has made $1.35 billion, according to mobile analytics company Appfigures, up some 673% compared to the January-to-July period last year. The app is generating nearly $193 million per month on average, up from $25 million in 2024.
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ChatGPT's year-to-date app revenue far exceeds Grok’s, its next-closest competitor on Apple's and Google's app stores by revenue, according to Appfigures estimates. The firm pinned Grok’s January-to-July app revenue at roughly $25.6 million.
The numbers do not paint a full picture of AI companies’ total revenue. Consumers and companies can subscribe to AI services online, and the major players also bring in cash through their APIs — mostly by charging developers and businesses by usage, similar to how cloud providers charge for storage or computing.
Still, generative AI is quickly gaining traction with mobile users, and the scale of ChatGPT’s lead is evident in its app-store performance. Appfigures estimated that ChatGPT’s $2.91 per install is followed by $2.55 for Claude, $0.75 for Grok, and $0.28 for Copilot. Since launching in May 2023, the app has been downloaded approximately 690 million times globally, it said.
The figures also shed fresh color on recent claims by Elon Musk that Apple’s App Store ranking practices favor OpenAI. Musk has threatened legal action on behalf of his AI company xAI, alleging that Apple’s management of app rankings breaches antitrust rules. His remarks sparked a public exchange with OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, a former business partner, and revived scrutiny of Apple’s commercial ties to OpenAI.
Average monthly downloads for ChatGPT now stand at about 45 million, an increase of 180% from the 16 million average seen in the January-to-July period last year. Total downloads so far in 2025 hit approximately 318 million, up from 113 million during the same period in 2024, Appfigures said.
The latest data comes after OpenAI unveiled GPT-5 last week, with Altman promising "PhD-level expert" capabilities across any field. The company characterized the launch as its biggest model upgrade since ChatGPT debuted in November 2022.