These Users Now Prefer Gemini Over Chatgpt - Here's Why

Elyse Betters Picaro/ZDNET

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source on Google.

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Visits to gemini.google.com person doubled complete nan past year.
• Web postulation to different chatbots has declined aliases remained steady.
• Users opportunity Gemini excels successful regular tasks and app integration.

Visits to gemini.google.com -- nan web domain for Google's flagship AI chatbot -- person much than doubled complete nan past year, according to new data from information aggregation institution Similarweb.

The Gemini webpage now constitutes 12.9% of full web postulation to online generative AI tools, Similarweb found, up from 6.4% successful 2024. 

Also: ChatGPT was down Thursday - what we cognize astir nan outage

The information besides shows that ChatGPT web usage overwhelmingly dominates that of different starring chatbots, representing astir 74% of full chatbot web traffic. But that number is down from a twelvemonth ago, erstwhile it stood astatine astir 87% -- indicating a perchance loosening grip connected nan marketplace arsenic much conversational AI chatbots subordinate nan market, and arsenic competitors for illustration Google and Anthropic grow their AI offerings.

Traffic to xAI's Grok has seen marginal diminution complete nan past six months (from 3.1% to 2%), while Microsoft Copilot's has remained astir dependable (currently representing 1.2% of full traffic), according to Similarweb.

Methodological limitations

Similarweb acknowledges that its measuring methodology is imperfect, however, since visits to a chatbot's superior web reside don't needfully bespeak usage crossed nan board. 

In Google's case, Gemini has been embedded crossed a number of nan company's AI tools, including AI Overviews, which has go a halfway characteristic wrong its hunt engine. Measuring visits to gemini.google.com truthful only reflects 1 mini portion of a astir apt overmuch larger pie.

Also: 5 reasons I usage section AI connected my desktop - alternatively of ChatGPT, Gemini, aliases Claude

"Comparing Gemini connected this standalone ground pinch ChatGPT is misleading because it doesn't return into relationship Google's overmuch broader AI initiatives," Similarweb spokesperson David Carr told ZDNET via email. "We've been moving connected segmenting retired [Gemini's] publication to Google search, but that's much challenging, pinch some AI Overviews and AI Mode to relationship for."

To find a much complete image of nan astir celebrated AI chatbot, you'd besides request to look astatine app downloads and active personification numbers. 

What Gemini has complete different chatbots 

Still, nan spike successful web postulation to Gemini's website is impressive, particularly compared to nan diminution aliases plateauing of akin tools. What accounts for specified melodramatic growth?

When ZDNET asked users astir nan peculiar strengths of Gemini complete different chatbots, a number of users highlighted its usefulness crossed a wide scope of tasks -- moreover if its competitors excel successful much specialized domains.

Also: Spend excessively overmuch clip scheduling meetings? This Gemini characteristic could prevention you nan hassle

"Compared to Gemini, ChatGPT and Claude are much adjuvant pinch in-depth penning and ideation, but for accelerated and mundane tasks, Gemini is unparalleled," says Baruch Labunski, laminitis of SEO institution Rank Secure. "It's existent Gemini is not perfect…Nevertheless, for mundane organisation and regular tasks, it is Gemini I find myself relying connected nan most."

Similarly, Jenny Kay Pollock, cofounder of Women X AI, a level designed to link women moving crossed nan AI sector, said that Gemini-based devices for illustration NotebookLM and Gemini 2.5 Flash Image (aka Nano Banana) springiness Google an separator complete its competitors. 

"Each instauration exemplary has its strengths," she told ZDNET. "ChatGPT for creativity, Claude for depth, and Gemini for integrated, multimodal work." (Note: Gemini 2.5 Flash Image is accessible via nan Gemini website, but NotebookLM is simply a abstracted platform, truthful nan latter's fame can't beryllium straight linked to nan website's jump successful postulation complete nan past year.)

Also: Beware of promptware: How researchers collapsed into Google Home via Gemini

Other users besides mentioned nan integration factor, noting that Gemini's awesome spot is nan truth that it tin seamlessly tie from their individual information crossed Google's suite of different apps.

"The truth that [Gemini] integrates pinch devices specified arsenic Gmail aliases Google Docs intends that my workflow from investigation done to contented creation is overmuch much fluid," says Michael Pedrotti, cofounder of GhostCap, a institution that offers video crippled server hosting and supports an online gaming community. 

Labunski echoed that point: "Gemini is seamless wrong my ecosystem of Google services," he says. "The expertise to merge seamlessly pinch Gmail, Drive, and Docs intends I don't person to juggle aggregate apps to get activity done." 

Also: Google's caller Jules Tools is very cool - really I'm utilizing it and different Gemini AI CLIs

Other tech developers person besides been leaning much heavy into integrating their flagship AI chatbots pinch celebrated individual and workplace productivity services. Earlier this month, for example, Microsoft announced that its Copilot AI adjunct could link pinch and retrieve accusation from users' individual accounts crossed Outlook, Google Drive, Gmail, and different apps.

Want much stories astir AI? Sign up for our AI Leaderboard newsletter.