Microsoft Copilot Launch Fails to Steal Spotlight From OpenAI’s ChatGPT
Microsoft’s recently launched AI chatbot, Copilot, built with OpenAI technologies, is struggling to gain traction and draw users away from OpenAI’s own ChatGPT, according to an analysis of app store data. Despite offering access to OpenAI’s newer GPT-4 technology for free, which is a feature that ChatGPT charges for, Copilot’s launch doesn’t seem to have affected ChatGPT’s installations or revenue. However, this could be due to a lack of promotion.
App store intelligence provider Appfigures suggests that Copilot’s launch went largely unnoticed by potential consumers, possibly because there was no promotion on the Play Store during its initial release on Google Play. Additionally, when the app launched on the App Store, it didn’t utilize Apple’s Search Ads to attract iOS users. Appfigures proposes that if Copilot had taken advantage of Search Ads, it could have appeared as a top search result for terms like AI chatbot and ChatGPT. Unfortunately, Microsoft didn’t leverage this advertising opportunity.
As of January 5, 2024, Copilot has been downloaded approximately 2.1 million times across iOS and Android. Daily downloads reached their peak at 413,000 but have since slowed down. On January 5 alone, the app only saw 194,000 total installs. The largest market for Copilot is the United States, accounting for 24% of downloads, followed by Germany, India, Italy, and the U.K. Interestingly, Copilot’s installations are evenly split between iOS and Android, with 59% on Google Play and 41% on the App Store.
While ChatGPT’s downloads have also been slowing down, this trend began before Copilot’s release. Throughout Copilot’s accumulation of 2.1 million installs, ChatGPT gained an additional 4.2 million downloads. However, Appfigures has not found any evidence suggesting that Copilot has impacted ChatGPT’s installations or revenue, the latter of which continues to rise. By November, ChatGPT’s mobile apps had generated nearly $30 million in revenue, showcasing its success in monetization. It’s worth noting that the subscription service for ChatGPT can be purchased on the web, where many users prefer to engage with the AI chatbot, so mobile revenue only represents a portion of its overall revenue.
At its launch, ChatGPT was a major success, surpassing 500,000 downloads within the first six days. While subsequent releases, such as Instagram Threads, have broken this record, ChatGPT’s launch remains one of the highest-performing app releases in recent years, with the exception of Trump-backed Truth Social’s arrival in February 2022. In comparison, Copilot has failed to garner the same level of attention. The lack of promotion, coupled with ChatGPT’s existing loyal user base and the holiday launch, may have contributed to many potential users missing the news of Copilot’s arrival. Furthermore, some users may have been deterred by the prominent integration of Bing in Copilot, although the extent of this impact is unknown.
Ultimately, Copilot has yet to challenge ChatGPT’s position as the leading AI chatbot. In the meantime, Microsoft is exploring alternative ways to leverage AI technology, such as incorporating a Copilot button on PCs.
Note: The information provided in this article is based on the analysis conducted by app store intelligence provider Appfigures.
