ChatGPT’s mobile app has generated $2B to date, earns $2.91 per install

Since its debut in May 2023, the ChatGPT mobile application has taken the market by storm, accumulating a staggering $2 billion in consumer spending worldwide, as reported by app analytics firm Appfigures. This achievement dwarfs the combined lifetime earnings of its competitors, including Claude, Copilot, and Grok, by nearly thirtyfold. In the current year alone, the app has generated $1.35 billion, marking a remarkable 673% increase from the $174 million earned during the same January to July timeframe in 2024. On average, ChatGPT brings in nearly $193 million monthly—up from $25 million last year—demonstrating its immense growth. When compared to Grok, its closest rival, ChatGPT’s financial performance is unparalleled. Grok has so far amassed around $25.6 million this year, with monthly consumer spending averaging approximately $3.6 million—only about 1.9% of ChatGPT's figures. This data reinforces ChatGPT's overwhelming presence in the mobile AI assistant market, although it doesn't fully reflect the total revenue streams of these companies, which also include web subscriptions and API services. The competitive landscape highlights Grok's initial lack of a standalone mobile app after its launch in November 2023, as users initially accessed it through the X platform (formerly Twitter). It wasn't until early January 2025 that Grok became available on iOS, with its Google Play app launching in March of the same year. Analysis of spending reveals that ChatGPT leads with a lifetime revenue per download of $2.91, surpassing Claude's $2.55, Grok's $0.75, and Copilot's $0.28. In the United States, this figure jumps to $10, representing a significant 38% of the app's total revenue, while Germany follows as the second-largest market, contributing 5.3%. In terms of downloads, ChatGPT's app has been installed approximately 690 million times globally, a stark contrast to Grok’s 39.5 million. This disparity provides context to recent criticisms from Elon Musk regarding perceived favoritism of ChatGPT in the App Store's rankings. Currently, ChatGPT sees an average of 45 million downloads each month, a 180% increase from about 16 million during the same period last year. In 2025 alone, the app has achieved 318 million downloads, significantly outpacing the 113 million from the previous year. Notably, India ranks as the leading market for downloads, accounting for 13.7%, closely followed by the U.S. at 10.3%.