SimilarWeb data shows ChatGPT’s average visitors fell from around 203 million to 158 million since Gemini 3 launched.
Google’s Gemini has maintained stable traffic and now attracts nearly 40% of ChatGPT’s audience size.
The dip has sparked fresh debate over shifting user preferences as competition in generative AI intensifies.
OpenAI’s ChatGPT seems to be under pressure in the ongoing AI race ever since Google introduced its Gemini 3 Pro model. The new web traffic data has suggested a dramatic drop in user visits in the past few days. As per the figures from analytics firm SimilarWeb, highlighted by Menlo Ventures partner Deedy Das on X, ChatGPT’s seven-day average traffic has fallen by around 22 per cent over the past six weeks.
SurveyIt further added that the average number of visitors reportedly declined from around 203 million to nearly 158 million during this period. While the dip coincides with the holiday season, typically a slower phase for online activity, the timing has drawn attention because the rival platforms have not seen a similar slowdown.
🚨 ChatGPT traffic has fallen -22% in the last 6 weeks, since the Gemini 3 launch.
— Deedy (@deedydas) January 6, 2026
7-day avg visitors has gone from ~203M to ~158M. Might be the holiday slump, but Gemini, their biggest consumer competitor, has remained flat and is now ~40% of ChatGPT.
Source: SimilarWeb. pic.twitter.com/lud3N6pRzK
Das also stated that Google’s Gemini, currently ChatGPT’s biggest consumer-facing competitor, has maintained stable traffic over the same timeframe and now commands close to 40 percent of ChatGPT’s audience size. The contrast has fuelled speculation that users may be actively testing alternatives as competition in generative AI heats up.
Data from SimilarWeb indicates that ChatGPT’s dominance has been gradually eroding over the past year as more players gain visibility. Platforms such as Gemini and xAI’s Grok have steadily expanded their user bases, while newer entrants and open-source models have further fragmented attention. It could be a possible reason why OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has declared a code situation in an internal memo to employees. In the internal memo, he also paused multiple projects and asked the teams to focus on improving the products.
Neither OpenAI nor Google has publicly commented on the latest traffic data. However, with multiple major AI releases packed into a short span, we expect user engagement figures to remain volatile.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
