Eseandre Mordi
February 2026 turned out to be a standout month for Claude. According to Similarweb, Anthropic's app recorded the strongest month-over-month growth in monthly active users among all major generative AI platforms - across both iPhone and Android devices worldwide.
Claude Outpaces ChatGPT by a Wide Margin
The numbers speak clearly: Claude posted a 42.86% increase in MAUs between January and February 2026 - the largest jump in the comparison. ChatGPT, the category leader, grew by just 1.78% over the same period.
The gap reflects how much momentum a single strong product cycle can generate. As ChatGPT rolls out new in-app ads features, user responses to such changes are increasingly visible in engagement metrics.
Gemini, Grok, and Perplexity All Declined in February
While Claude climbed, several rivals moved in the opposite direction. Gemini slipped by 2.57%, Grok dropped 3.05%, and DeepSeek fell 3.78%. Perplexity had the steepest decline at 11.66%. Legal headwinds likely played a role - Google is currently facing a lawsuit over Gemini's alleged Gmail data access, which may be dampening adoption.
One month of data rarely tells the full story - MAU swings can reflect anything from a viral moment to a major model release. But the February figures make one thing clear: the generative AI mobile market is anything but settled. Grok Code is already targeting Claude-level performance, suggesting the competitive pressure will only intensify in the months ahead.
Eseandre Mordi
