ChatGPT approaches 1 billion weekly users, albeit seven months behind schedule.
ChatGPT is on the verge of reaching 1 billion weekly active users. OpenAI aimed to achieve this milestone seven months ago. According to internal data shared by OpenAI, as reported by The Information, the chatbot is nearing this figure. The company's goal was to attain a billion weekly users by the end of last year, but it will now reach this mark in mid-2026.
Despite the delay, it still represents an impressive achievement. ChatGPT is one of the fastest internet products to reach such a scale, accomplishing it in under four years. Currently, approximately one in eight internet users interacts with the chatbot weekly for varied purposes, from coding assistance to medical inquiries.
The growth has been significant. ChatGPT recorded around 400 million weekly users in February 2025. By October of the same year, Sam Altman reported the number had risen to 800 million, and it surpassed 900 million in February 2026. In June, it achieved the record as the fastest app to reach a billion monthly users.
However, the seven-month delay is telling. It is the first indicator that even the leading player in consumer AI is facing challenges in meeting its projections. Achieving growth at a billion users is considerably more challenging than at a hundred million.
Competition is intensifying, with Google’s Gemini and a variety of more affordable Chinese models gradually encroaching on the market. Competitors are now closer than they were a year ago. While OpenAI still maintains a significant lead, it is now in a position of defending its status rather than expanding it.
The user count holds significant importance beyond mere bragging rights. It supports the valuation of OpenAI as it approaches an IPO, underscoring the idea that consumer engagement, not just enterprise contracts, will fund the necessary computing resources. Critics like Gary Marcus argue that expectations may have surpassed the realities of the business. A billion users weekly is certainly a compelling figure, even if it arrives later than anticipated.
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ChatGPT approaches 1 billion weekly users, albeit seven months behind schedule.
ChatGPT is on the verge of achieving 1 billion weekly active users, making it one of the quickest apps to do so, although this milestone comes seven months later than OpenAI had initially anticipated.