There appears to be a decline in consumer interest for mobile AI chatbot applications other than ChatGPT. Earlier this month, Anthropic introduced its inaugural mobile application on iOS, offering access to its Claude 3 model for both complimentary and subscription-based users. Despite integrating features similar to its web version, along with history synchronization and photo upload capabilities, the app garnered only 157,000 global downloads in its first week. This contrasts starkly with ChatGPT, which amassed 480,000 installations within the first five days of its U.S. iOS launch.
In comparison, Claude has not achieved the same level of success on the App Store. ChatGPT rapidly ascended to the top, becoming one of the highest-performing new releases of both 2023 and the previous year. Conversely, Claude’s reception has been notably subdued.
Data provided by app analytics firm Appfigures reveals that the highest rank Claude attained among Apple’s top free iPhone apps in the U.S. was No. 55 on May 4, shortly after its release at the beginning of the month. By Friday, the app had fallen out of the top free iPhone apps in the U.S. altogether. Currently, it holds the No. 51 position in the top free Productivity apps category in the U.S., a significant drop from its No. 5 position on May 4.
Upon release, Claude secured the No. 50 position on the Productivity chart within a week. In stark contrast, ChatGPT soared to the No. 3 spot across all categories and clinched the No. 1 rank in the Productivity chart in the same timeframe.
Claude’s downloads were primarily driven by three major markets: the United States, which accounted for 50% of its total installs, followed by Japan and the United Kingdom, with shares of 11% and 8%, respectively. Despite the initial interest, data shows a rapid decline in downloads, dropping from five digits to four digits within a week post-launch. This sharp decline suggests that consumer demand and brand recognition for this ChatGPT competitor may not be as robust.
ChatGPT’s arrival coincided with a market that was already well-prepared for the introduction of an official AI companion.
Prior to its launch, several third-party applications had taken advantage of the growing interest in AI tools by adopting names like “ChatGPT” or “AI chatbot,” thereby deceiving users into believing they were sanctioned OpenAI offerings. While the majority of these applications were essentially fleeceware, requiring pricey subscriptions for access to their AI features, the most successful among them still managed to generate millions in consumer spending prior to ChatGPT’s official debut on the App Store. Notably, the existence of these apps also played a significant role in enhancing the brand recognition of ChatGPT — an advantage that remains elusive for Anthropic’s Claude.
Claude faces increased competition in the AI landscape compared to when ChatGPT was first launched on iOS. Since that time, Google has integrated AI into a wide array of its products, including Google Assistant and its iOS search application. The company also rebranded and enhanced its AI chatbot, formerly known as Bard, to Gemini. Additionally, platforms like Quora’s Poe now allow users to experiment with various AI models, including ChatGPT, Claude, and others, all in one centralized location.
