Data from web analytics firm Similarweb indicates that Gemini users spend more average time per conversation than ChatGPT users. Usage has moved beyond simple trials or brief queries, establishing Gemini as the AI chatbot platform where users "stay longer," surpassing ChatGPT.
Although OpenAI's ChatGPT still boasts a larger user base—around 800 million weekly users—and remains the top AI app in many markets, analysts view "time spent" as a more powerful metric than total user numbers. This reflects a critical moment for Google, which has accelerated AI development to overtake OpenAI within a year.
. . . “Average minutes spent per visit” or the average duration a user engages with the chatbot per session. This metric shows Gemini's average user time on both desktop and mobile has steadily increased since April 2025, surging dramatically from August to October 2025 to nearly eight minutes per visit. Conversely, ChatGPT's average session time has declined after leading this metric for a long time.
This shift became evident from late 2024 onward, when Google substantially enhanced Gemini's capabilities, including more effective long-form reasoning and improved coding and complex task accuracy. Users began extended interactions rather than brief queries, reflected in increased usage time.
Particularly after the launch of Gemini 3.0, which received widespread acclaim for response quality, reasoning abilities, and coding skills. Some users and researchers believe this new model surpasses OpenAI's GPT-5 on several key criteria.
Beyond this, Google's structural advantages—including access to billions via Android OS, Search, and YouTube, as well as proprietary TPU chip infrastructure—accelerate Gemini's integration into users' daily lives faster than market expectations.
Gemini's rising popularity also stems from continuously introduced new features, foremost among them Nano Banana, an image generation model that propelled Gemini to become the top free app, overtaking ChatGPT in September. Additionally, Google is rapidly integrating Gemini into its ecosystem, linking it with Drive, Gmail, Sheets, Docs, and YouTube, enabling users to request Gemini to retrieve, analyze, and generate outputs within a single platform, thereby increasing user engagement with Gemini during work.
Three years ago, Google CEO Sundar Pichai declared a “Code Red” after ChatGPT's arrival threatened the future of search business. Now, the roles have reversed: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently declared a “Code Red” internally, halting all projects to reallocate resources to accelerate ChatGPT development. This signals Google's comeback following Gemini 3.0's market launch.
This clearly indicates Google has stopped playing defense and chosen to aggressively compete in AI, unlike after ChatGPT's 2022 debut when Google admitted it was not ready. Gemini 3.0 demonstrates Google's renewed confidence through strong test results, rapid deployment, and unrivaled access to billions of users via its ecosystem.
User behavior data further reflects a shift in dominance, with Gemini users spending longer on the platform, indicating that Google has successfully fostered user engagement. Meanwhile, ChatGPT shows signs of behavioral saturation, as users become more precise and purposeful in queries, statistically reducing average session times despite a large user base.
Analysts believe that if this trend of longer engagement continues, Google may not just catch up to OpenAI but change the competitive game from user quantity to quality of engagement—a key factor for revenue generation and long-term advantage in the AI era ahead.
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Source data Financial Times , Fortune