ChatGPT’s flexibility has weakened: Gemini and Perplexity are rapidly gaining popularity

Market State of AI Chatbots (April 2026)

Service Share of Referral Links in April 2026 Change Over the Month
ChatGPT 76.85 % – Google Gemini 9.00 % (historical high) +0.5 % Perplexity 7.73 % +0.66 % Microsoft Copilot 3.76 % +0.57 % Anthropic Claude 2.66 % –0.25 %

Key Takeaways
1. ChatGPT Still Dominates
Despite the decline, ChatGPT holds almost 77 % of all AI chatbot referral links—three times more than any competitor combined.

2. Share Decline
Last year ChatGPT’s share exceeded 84 %. It has fallen for three consecutive months and is now at its lowest level in a year.

3. Google Gemini Gaining Momentum
- Share rose to 9 %—a historical peak.
- Holds second place for two consecutive months.
- Integration into the search engine, Android, Workspace, and Chrome could push it toward 10 %.

4. Perplexity and Copilot Rebounding
- Perplexity climbed from 7.07 % to 7.73 %.
- Microsoft Copilot rose from 3.19 % to 3.76 %, still below its 2025 peak.

5. Claude Is Retracting
The drop from 2.91 % to 2.66 % is linked to a sharp audience surge in March (due to the Pentagon conflict). In January, the share was only 0.92 %.

What This Means for Site Owners
- Traffic is gradually shifting: users increasingly move to alternatives to ChatGPT.
- Market fragmentation: no single player can maintain absolute dominance for long.
- Resource Optimization: sites that rely on traffic via ChatGPT should diversify their sources—add Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, and Claude.

Conclusion
The AI chatbot market is becoming more competitive. While ChatGPT remains the leader, its share is declining, and competitors are actively growing. Site owners must adapt to this new reality by expanding their partner networks and offering content across multiple generative‑AI platforms.