ChatGPT mobile app crosses $3 billion in consumer spending worldwide

ChatGPT has crossed a new milestone of $3 billion in worldwide consumer spending on mobile platforms, according to estimates from app intelligence firm Appfigures, as cited by TechCrunch. The figure reflects cumulative spending on iOS and Android devices since the app’s launch in May 2023, when it initially debuted exclusively on Apple’s iOS platform.

A significant share of this spending was recorded in 2025. Appfigures estimates that consumers globally spent around $2.48 billion on the ChatGPT mobile app this year alone, marking a 408 per cent year-on-year increase from the $487 million spent in 2024. In its first year of availability in 2023, ChatGPT generated $42.9 million in consumer spending before seeing a 1,036 per cent jump the following year.

The data highlights the pace at which ChatGPT has scaled compared with other major consumer apps. According to Appfigures, it took ChatGPT 31 months to reach $3 billion in mobile consumer spending, while TikTok, the highest-grossing app to date, took 58 months to reach the same milestone. The app also surpassed leading streaming platforms, with Disney+ reaching $3 billion in 42 months and HBO Max taking 46 months to do so.

Among AI competitors, xAI’s Grok has shown a broadly comparable revenue trajectory. Grok was launched in late 2023 for X Premium Plus subscribers before becoming more widely available in 2024, and Appfigures noted that its cumulative consumer spending curve comes closest to ChatGPT’s among AI apps once monetisation began.

While the $3 billion milestone underlines strong consumer uptake, it represents only one measure of adoption and future revenue potential. Mobile users primarily contribute through paid subscriptions such as the $20-per-month ChatGPT Plus and the $200-per-month ChatGPT Pro aimed at advanced users. However, AI apps also generate revenue through developer services and potentially advertising.

ChatGPT has also expanded its monetisation avenues. On Wednesday, the company launched an in-app marketplace described as an app store, which it said could be monetised in the future, according to a company blog post cited by TechCrunch.

At the same time, Google is exploring ways to integrate advertising into AI-driven products, including AI Mode, AI Overviews, AI-powered shopping experiences and a more AI-led Discover feed, as it looks to evolve its search advertising business in response to growing competition from generative AI tools.