Last updated: August 8, 2025
Our research team conducted a comparative study on the U.S. and global market penetration of the two dominant online search platforms, Google and ChatGPT. Utilizing a blend of client analytics, third-party usage datasets, and anonymized user behavior logs, we developed a model to estimate monthly active users (MAUs), engagement time, and share of total digital query volume.
While Google remains the longstanding leader in information retrieval, the meteoric rise of ChatGPT has introduced new use cases for search, particularly around long-form conversational queries and creative tasks.
This report provides a side-by-side quantitative analysis of the two platforms, beginning with a high-level market share comparison. In the sections below, we further segment usage by device type, demographic groups, and user intent.
Google vs ChatGPT Market Share
In the table below, we break down the total estimated digital query market share held by Google and ChatGPT at the end of Q2 2025.
Google vs ChatGPT Market Share – Q2 2025
| Platform | Monthly Active Users (Global) | Share of Total Digital Queries | Avg. Session Duration |
| Google Search | 4.9 billion | 81.6% | 5m 12s |
| ChatGPT | 542 million | 9.0% | 14m 09s |
| Other (e.g., Bing, Perplexity) | 560 million | 7.4% | 4m 33s |
Key Insights:
- Google still dominates with over 80% of all digital queries globally.
- ChatGPT commands 9.0% of queries, a significant share for a platform that emerged only recently.
- Despite fewer users, ChatGPT has a substantially longer session duration, indicating deep user engagement.
Google vs ChatGPT Market Share Over Time
In the following graph, you can see the trend lines for Google and ChatGPT’s market share.
Google vs ChatGPT Market Share, Q1 2023 – Q2 2025
However, when you break out the data by transactional searches only, which are by far the most valuable to businesses, Google is less vulnerable to ChatGPT.
Google vs ChatGPT Market Share, Transactional Queries Only
Q1 2023 – Q2 2025
Market Share by Device Type
In the table below, we compare usage of Google and ChatGPT across mobile and desktop platforms, revealing device-based user behavior trends.
Google vs ChatGPT Market Share by Device Type – 2025
| Platform | Desktop Usage Share | Mobile Usage Share |
| Google Search | 37% | 63% |
| ChatGPT | 62% | 38% |
Research Notes:
- ChatGPT sees stronger engagement on desktops, suggesting preference among professionals and researchers.
- Google’s mobile-first design solidifies its dominance among casual and on-the-go users.
Market Share by Age Group
In the table below, we detail market share trends segmented by user age group.
Google vs ChatGPT Market Share by Age Group – 2025
| Age Group | Google Share | ChatGPT Share |
| 13–24 | 74% | 17% |
| 25–44 | 80% | 13% |
| 45–64 | 86% | 8% |
| 65+ | 89% | 5% |
Key Takeaways:
- Younger demographics are more likely to use ChatGPT, particularly in academic and creative tasks.
- Google’s dominance increases with age, aligning with traditional search behavior norms.
Market Share by User Intent
In the table below, we classify digital queries into four primary intent categories, showing how Google and ChatGPT are utilized differently.
Google vs ChatGPT Market Share by User Intent – 2025
| Intent Category | Google Share | ChatGPT Share |
| Navigational | 93% | 3% |
| Informational | 71% | 23% |
| Transactional | 90% | 5% |
| Generative/Creative | 29% | 64% |
Analysis:
- Google leads in transactional intents due to (a) rich ecommerce and map results on the B2C side; and (b) greater trust for the format of browsing multiple viewpoints / websites vs the “single source of truth” ChatGPT format in higher-stakes purchasing scenarios
- ChatGPT dominates in generative/creative queries such as ideation, storytelling, and academic drafting.
Requesting a Copy of This Report
If you’d like to request a PDF copy of this report or learn more about our agency, you can reach out here.
