ChatGPT passes 1 billion monthly users: Claude leads in revenue per user

ChatGPT crossed 1 billion monthly active users in May 2026, Sensor Tower says, making OpenAI’s chatbot app the fastest app ever to hit that mark.

Sensor Tower’s latest data on mobile chatbot apps points to two things at once. ChatGPT still has the biggest reach by far. Claude, though, is doing a better job turning users into paying subscribers.

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In the US mobile market, Claude brought in $2.76 in revenue per user, compared with $1.74 for ChatGPT, per Sensor Tower. That’s a big jump from September 2025, when Claude was still under $0.50. About 13% of Claude users now subscribe, while ChatGPT sits closer to 8% across iOS and mobile, Sensor Tower says.

ChatGPT’s share of the market also slipped below 50% in March 2026 and was down to 46.4% by late May, according to Sensor Tower. Two years earlier, it was at 81%. Over that same stretch, Google’s Gemini reached 27.7%, and Claude climbed to 10.3%, Sensor Tower says.

Claude’s $20 starting price seems to help, per Sensor Tower, while cheaper ChatGPT and Gemini plans pull their average revenue down. Sensor Tower also says OpenAI’s US Department of Defense deal lined up with a rise in ChatGPT uninstalls. Claude, meanwhile, picked up share after Anthropic passed on a similar deal.

ChatGPT still has the edge on retention, at 86% versus 73.7% for Claude, according to Sensor Tower. Consumer spending is also on track to hit $4.25 billion in H1 2026, up from $1.83 billion a year earlier, Sensor Tower says. That’s happening as OpenAI weighs price cuts, Google drops Gemini to $5, and Apple gets ready for bigger on-device Siri upgrades.

If you follow AI apps, keep an eye on this one. ChatGPT is ahead on scale, but Claude is showing that a smaller user base can bring in more money.

You can download ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini on iOS and Android.