A report reveals that Claude outperforms ChatGPT in terms of revenue generated per user.

      OpenAI continues to dominate the AI landscape due to its large size, but it's not advancing as significantly as before. ChatGPT's applications surpassed 1 billion monthly users in May, marking the fastest achievement of this milestone for any app, according to Sensor Tower’s State of AI 2026 report.

      However, in terms of revenue generation per user, Anthropic's Claude is leading the pack, now generating more income per user than ChatGPT. Claude's average revenue per user on mobile in the US surged from less than $0.50 last September to $2.76 in May. As reported by Forbes, this figure is approximately 1.5 times ChatGPT’s $1.74. Furthermore, Claude boasts the highest conversion rate among major assistants, with 13 percent of its users now opting for a subscription.

      Meanwhile, ChatGPT's dominance in user numbers is diminishing. Its market share fell below 50 percent for the first time in March, down from 81 percent just two years ago, and it stood at 46.4 percent by the end of May as Google’s Gemini (27.7 percent) and Claude (10.3 percent) made gains.

      One factor contributing to this is pricing strategies. Claude does not offer a low-cost tier; its plans begin at $20 a month, attracting users who are more likely to be consistent and higher-paying. In contrast, ChatGPT and Gemini pursue a larger user base by providing more affordable options, which increases users but lowers the average revenue. Political factors are also at play.

      OpenAI's partnership with the US Department of Defense in February resulted in a noticeable increase in ChatGPT uninstalls, indicating that users consider a company's values in addition to its features. Claude benefitted from this shift, as its audience share in the US has more than tripled.

      However, this data does not necessarily mean that Anthropic is earning more than OpenAI. This consumer app information from Sensor Tower focuses solely on revenue generated through mobile apps, rather than enterprise and API contracts, where both companies earn most of their income.

      ChatGPT still has a better retention rate for new sign-ups compared to Claude, although the report indicates that Claude is narrowing that gap.

      A price war appears to be on the horizon as the expenses associated with running AI weigh heavily. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that OpenAI is considering significant price reductions to remain competitive with Anthropic, while Google has already reduced its cheapest Gemini plan to $5 a month. The situation may worsen, as Apple plans to release a new Siri that utilizes some AI capabilities directly on the device without requiring a subscription.

      Nevertheless, the market continues to grow rapidly. Sensor Tower anticipates that consumers will spend over $4 billion on AI apps in the first half of 2026, representing a 36 percent increase from the previous six months and well above the $1.83 billion spent a year earlier.