ChatGPT reached 3.7 billion visits in October 2024

• Usage Milestone: ChatGPT reached 3.7 billion visits in October 2024, representing a 115.9% year-over-year (YoY) increase in traffic, according to Similarweb metrics. For comparison, Google Chrome had approximately 3.45 billion unique monthly users in the same period. While these figures both indicate high engagement, they differ: Chrome’s data reflects distinct users, whereas ChatGPT’s includes multiple visits per user.
• Traffic Growth: ChatGPT saw a 17.2% month-over-month (MoM) increase in October, fueled by new features and user interest. A major milestone occurred in May 2024, when ChatGPT reached 2.2 billion visits, with steady growth following OpenAI’s shift from a subdomain to its main site, chatgpt.com.
• Feature Development: ChatGPT’s popularity has been driven by recent upgrades, including ChatGPT Search, which provides real-time answers on current events, sports, and stock prices—features typically associated with traditional search engines like Google.
• Strategic Expansion: OpenAI’s recent acquisition of the domain Chat.com hints at possible future products or expansions, although the company has not disclosed specific plans.
• Traffic Comparisons with AI Competitors: Other generative AI tools have seen notable traffic growth:
  • Perplexity AI: 90.8 million visits in October, with a 199.2% YoY growth.
  • Google Gemini: 291.6 million visits in October, following new AI-enhanced features in ChromeOS.
  • Anthropic’s Claude: 84.1 million visits in October, with a 394.9% YoY increase driven by a new desktop app.
  • Microsoft Copilot: 69.4 million visits, marking an 87.6% MoM growth.
  • NotebookLM: Over 200% MoM growth, reaching 31.5 million visits, fueled by new document summarization features.

Understanding the Metrics: It’s crucial to distinguish between ChatGPT’s total visit count and Chrome’s unique user base. ChatGPT’s 3.7 billion reflects all visits—including repeat users—while Chrome’s 3.45 billion represents individual users. These metrics, though not directly comparable, indicate significant engagement for both platforms.

Why This Matters: ChatGPT reached 3.7 billion visits in October 2024 and its surging traffic shows a shift in user behavior toward AI-based information tools, potentially impacting traditional search engine usage. As ChatGPT continues to incorporate real-time search capabilities, it may reshape how people approach information retrieval.