Topline
Web traffic for Claude is on a major upswing, apparently siphoning some traffic from competitor AI chatbots, as Anthropic prepares an initial public offering and releases a version of its powerful Mythos model to the public, albeit with safeguards.
Claude’s web traffic has surged this year. (Photo by Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
NurPhoto via Getty Images
Key Facts
Data from digital intelligence platform Similarweb shows Claude’s worldwide internet traffic surged nearly 16% in May over the month prior, reaching its highest-ever level of traffic and marking its fifth straight month of growth.
The Claude website was visited more than 952 million times in May, Similarweb reported, up a staggering 855.6% year-over-year from the 99.7 million views it logged in May 2025.
Much of Claude’s rapid growth has occurred in 2026 so far: web visits are up more than 360% between January and May.
Claude’s share of web visits among competitor AI chatbots is also increasing, according to Similarweb, which found Claude accounted for about 9% of all AI web chatbot visits in May, only behind ChatGPT and Gemini.
One year ago, Similarweb found Claude accounted for only 1.6% of web visits to all AI chatbots, placing seventh among major competitors.
Over the past year, ChatGPT’s dominance has eroded, sliding from 76.4% of all AI chatbot web visits last year to just 52.7% as of May.
Claude’s web traffic has surged so far this year.
Similarweb
claude grows as anthropic readies ipo?
Anthropic, which announced in late May it is worth nearly $1 trillion after a $65 billion funding round—surpassing chief rival OpenAI as the most valuable AI startup—confidentially filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission to go public last week. Anthropic’s debut on the stock market could reportedly come as soon as this fall. Anthropic is one of three major tech companies—alongside Elon Musk’s SpaceX and OpenAI—planning an initial public offering this year. Anthropic’s massive growth and impending IPO also come on the heels of the company releasing its highly anticipated Mythos technology earlier this week, unveiling a model called Claude Fable 5. Fable 5 is a version of Mythos that comes with safeguards after the company warned months ago its Mythos technology could be too powerful for public use and could pose serious cybersecurity threats.
ChatGPT’s web traffic has plateaued as competitors Claude and Gemini rise.
Similarweb
is chatgpt plateauing?
OpenAI’s ChatGPT, though still the clear leader among all AI chatbots, appears to be losing some ground to rivals. A report by market intelligence firm Sensor Tower shared with Forbes in May found ChatGPT accounted for 47% of downloads of all AI apps in the second quarter of 2026 so far, below the 67% of all AI chatbot app downloads it represented one year prior. The report, authored by Sensor Tower insights analyst Kara Lee, found Claude represented the largest growth over the past year, rising from 1% of all AI chatbot app downloads in the second quarter of 2025 to 14% in the second quarter of 2026. ChatGPT’s web visits have also apparently plateaued, according to Similarweb data. The chatbot has fallen from a peak of 6.2 billion web visits achieved in October 2025 to 5.6 billion web visits in May.
what’s behind claude’s surge?
Claude suddenly captured national attention and surged to the top of the iOS App Store earlier this year when it engaged in a high-profile spat with the Department of Defense over a contract dispute. Anthropic’s CEO Dario Amodei objected to the administration’s use of Anthropic technology for mass domestic surveillance and to power autonomous weapons in a February blog post, prompting a rebuke from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who designated Anthropic a supply chain risk to national security. President Donald Trump also called Anthropic a “radical left, woke” company. Claude app downloads subsequently surged 55% over the following week, Similarweb told Forbes at the time. Amid the clash, OpenAI struck its own deal with the Pentagon, sparking some backlash and boycott calls, and over the same time period, Similarweb reported downloads of ChatGPT declined 5.6%. Claude has apparently sought to siphon users discontented with ChatGPT, unveiling an update in February that allows users to import their data from competitor AI chatbots. Comscore, which also measures website traffic, said in an analysis of Claude’s growth in May the chatbot has benefitted from Anthropic positioning the technology as a “more thoughtful, safety-forward chatbot.”
tangent
Gemini, Google’s AI technology, has also grown rapidly this year so far. Web visits to Gemini are up 5% month-over-month and 450% year-over-year, Similarweb data shows. Similarweb noted the visits to Gemini are strictly to Gemini’s website and do not account for Gemini’s integrated functions in Google search, including Google’s AI summaries or AI mode.
further reading
Anthropic Releases First Public Version Of Claude Mythos—With Major Safeguards (Forbes)
ChatGPT—The Fastest-Growing App Ever—Is Losing Downloads As Claude Surges (Forbes)