ChatGPT’s dominance is eroding faster than anyone predicted. According to Similarweb data released in January 2026, ChatGPT’s share of AI chatbot traffic dropped from 86.7% in January 2025 to 64.5% in January 2026. Google’s Gemini quadrupled from 5.7% to 21.5% in the same period, while Grok tripled its share and overtook Perplexity.
This shift has major implications for AI search visibility strategies. A brand optimized only for ChatGPT now reaches a shrinking portion of AI search users, while ignoring fast-growing platforms means missing significant visibility opportunities.
Further reading (Superlines):
How has the AI chatbot market changed in 2026?
The AI assistant landscape looks dramatically different than it did 12 months ago:
| Platform | January 2025 Share | January 2026 Share | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | 86.7% | 64.5% | -22.2% |
| Gemini | 5.7% | 21.5% | +15.8% |
| Grok | ~1% | ~3% | +200% |
| Perplexity | ~2% | ~2% | Flat |
| Others | ~4.6% | ~9% | +96% |
Source: Similarweb AI chatbot market share data, January 2026.
The most striking shift is Google’s gain. Gemini grew nearly 4x in one year, likely driven by deep integration into Google Workspace, Android devices, and Chrome browser. ChatGPT remains the leader, but it now competes in a genuinely multi-platform market.
Why do market share shifts matter for AI visibility?
Market share determines where users ask questions. If a third of AI queries now happen outside ChatGPT, optimizing for only one platform leaves significant visibility on the table.
Our analysis of 454,847 AI responses across 10 LLM platforms reveals that each platform behaves differently:
| Platform | Citation Rate | Brand Mention Rate | Total Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grok | 23.45% | 24.07% | 9,243 |
| Mistral | 16.63% | 23.17% | 4,960 |
| Perplexity | 15.43% | 11.13% | 5,712 |
| DeepSeek | 12.81% | 15.95% | 3,520 |
| Google AI Mode | 9.50% | 15.42% | 5,831 |
| Copilot | 5.06% | 13.48% | 1,998 |
| Gemini | 4.68% | 16.02% | 1,869 |
| Google AI Overview | 4.03% | 16.96% | 2,396 |
| ChatGPT | 2.78% | 15.62% | 2,513 |
| Claude | 0.85% | 13.96% | 257 |
Source: Superlines analysis of 454,847 AI responses, all time data as of January 2026.
These numbers reveal a counterintuitive pattern: the platforms gaining market share (Gemini, Grok) behave very differently from ChatGPT. Grok cites sources at 23.45% compared to ChatGPT’s 2.78%, an 8x difference. This means citation-focused strategies become more valuable as market share shifts toward platforms that actually link to sources.
What does Gemini’s surge mean for citations?
Gemini’s growth to 21.5% market share matters because Google’s AI products have higher citation rates than ChatGPT:
- Google AI Mode: 9.50% citation rate
- Google AI Overview: 4.03% citation rate
- Gemini: 4.68% citation rate
- ChatGPT: 2.78% citation rate
Google AI Mode cites sources 3.4x more often than ChatGPT. As users migrate from ChatGPT to Google’s AI products, the overall opportunity for earning citations increases.
Google’s citation patterns also favor different source types. In our data, Google AI Mode heavily cites:
- Community platforms (reddit.com, linkedin.com)
- Official documentation (developers.google.com)
- Industry publications
A 2025 study from Princeton’s AI Alignment research found that AI systems increasingly rely on user-generated content for current information, explaining why community platforms dominate citations across platforms.
How should you adjust strategy for a multi-platform market?
The single-platform era is ending. Here’s how to adapt:
Diversify platform tracking
Track visibility across all major platforms, not just ChatGPT. Our data shows visibility varies dramatically by platform:
| Platform | Brand visibility |
|---|---|
| Grok | 6.58% |
| Gemini | 4.73% |
| Mistral | 4.05% |
| Google AI Mode | 3.65% |
| Copilot | 3.27% |
| Google AI Overview | 1.35% |
| ChatGPT | 1.20% |
| Claude | 1.00% |
| Perplexity | 0.96% |
| DeepSeek | 0% |
A brand visible on Grok at 6.58% but invisible on DeepSeek has a platform coverage gap. As market share fragments, these gaps matter more.
Prioritize citation-heavy platforms
Grok’s tripled market share combined with its 23.45% citation rate makes it increasingly important for referral traffic. In our dataset, Grok generates more total citations than any other platform despite having smaller overall market share.
The math is straightforward:
- ChatGPT: 64.5% market share × 2.78% citation rate = 1.79% effective citation opportunity
- Grok: ~3% market share × 23.45% citation rate = 0.70% effective citation opportunity
- Gemini (all products): ~21.5% market share × ~6% avg citation rate = 1.29% effective citation opportunity
As Gemini continues growing, its effective citation opportunity will surpass ChatGPT’s despite lower citation rates, simply due to volume.
Build presence on community platforms
Reddit appears in the top cited domains across multiple LLM platforms:
| Platform | Reddit Citations |
|---|---|
| Grok | 27,000+ |
| Google AI Mode | 16,800+ |
| Perplexity | 17,900+ |
As market share spreads across platforms that favor community content, Reddit and LinkedIn become more important citation sources. Creating authentic, helpful content on these platforms increases visibility across the fastest-growing AI assistants.
Structure content for extraction
Google’s AI products parse structured content differently than ChatGPT. Google’s developer documentation recommends:
- Clear heading hierarchies (H1, H2, H3)
- Data tables with labeled columns
- Bulleted lists with specific facts
- Schema markup for FAQ and HowTo content
These structures help Google’s AI products extract and cite your content. As Gemini grows, structured data becomes a competitive advantage.
What metrics should you track in a multi-platform world?
Single-platform tracking no longer tells the full story. Track these metrics across all platforms:
| Metric | Why It Matters | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Brand visibility by platform | Shows where you’re visible and where you have gaps | Superlines |
| Citation rate by platform | Reveals which platforms drive referral traffic | Superlines |
| Share of voice | Your brand mentions vs. competitors in AI responses | Superlines |
| Platform coverage | Percentage of major platforms where you appear | Manual tracking |
The brands that adapt fastest to multi-platform AI search will capture visibility while competitors remain focused on ChatGPT alone.
What does Grok’s growth mean for X (Twitter) content?
Grok tripled market share and overtook Perplexity in January 2026. Since Grok has real-time access to X posts, content shared on X has a direct path to Grok’s citations.
Our data confirms this pattern. Grok’s citation sources include:
- Real-time news and current events
- Community discussions (including X threads)
- Industry publications
- Official documentation
Brands active on X now have an additional reason to create informative, citable posts: Grok may surface and cite them in responses. This didn’t matter when Grok had 1% market share. At 3% and growing, it becomes worth considering.
Key takeaways
The AI search market is no longer a ChatGPT monopoly. Here’s what matters:
- ChatGPT dropped 22 percentage points in market share over 12 months (86.7% to 64.5%)
- Gemini quadrupled from 5.7% to 21.5%, making Google the clear second player
- Grok tripled and now has the highest citation rate (23.45%) among major platforms
- Citation opportunities are shifting toward platforms that cite more frequently
- Multi-platform tracking is now essential since no single platform dominates completely
The winners in 2026 AI search visibility will be brands that track, measure, and optimize across all major platforms rather than relying on ChatGPT alone.
Methodology
Market share data from Similarweb January 2026 release. Citation and visibility data from Superlines analysis of 454,847 AI responses across 10 LLM platforms tracking 51 brands. Citation rate equals responses with at least one citation divided by total responses. Brand visibility equals responses mentioning brand divided by total responses.
Frequently asked questions
Why did ChatGPT lose so much market share?
ChatGPT’s decline from 86.7% to 64.5% reflects increased competition rather than falling usage. Google integrated Gemini deeply into Chrome, Android, and Workspace products, giving it distribution advantages. Meanwhile, ChatGPT’s absolute user numbers continue growing, just more slowly than competitors.
Should I stop optimizing for ChatGPT?
No. ChatGPT still holds 64.5% market share. However, you should expand optimization efforts to include Gemini, Grok, and Perplexity rather than focusing exclusively on ChatGPT.
Which AI platform should I prioritize for citations?
If citations and referral traffic are your goal, prioritize Grok (23.45% citation rate) and Perplexity (15.43% citation rate). If brand awareness is the goal, focus on platforms with high mention rates like Grok (24.07%) and Mistral (23.17%).
How do I track my visibility across multiple AI platforms?
Use AI visibility tracking tools like Superlines that monitor citations and brand mentions across all major LLM platforms simultaneously. Manual tracking across 10+ platforms is impractical for ongoing measurement.
Will Gemini overtake ChatGPT?
Based on current growth trajectories, Gemini could reach 30-35% market share by late 2026 if trends continue. However, ChatGPT’s distribution through Microsoft products and its API ecosystem provide strong retention. A duopoly market seems more likely than Gemini overtaking completely.