OpenAI’s ChatGPT Mobile App Shatters Records with $3 Billion Revenue Milestone Outpacing TikTok and Disney+

In an unprecedented display of rapid consumer adoption, OpenAI’s ChatGPT mobile application has officially crossed the $3 billion mark in global consumer spending. This milestone, achieved in just 31 months since its initial debut on iOS in May 2023, underscores the meteoric rise of generative artificial intelligence from a niche technological curiosity to a staple of the modern digital economy. According to the latest estimates from app intelligence provider Appfigures, the bulk of this financial surge occurred throughout 2025, a year that saw the platform transition from a viral sensation into a high-revenue powerhouse.

The velocity of ChatGPT’s financial ascent is perhaps its most striking feature when compared to the historical performance of global digital giants. While it took ChatGPT less than three years to hit the $3 billion spending threshold, TikTok the world’s leading non-gaming app by revenue required 58 months to reach the same cumulative figure. Similarly, established entertainment powerhouses like Disney+ and HBO Max took 42 and 46 months respectively to achieve this level of mobile monetization. This data suggests that the demand for advanced AI capabilities is scaling at a rate significantly faster than even the most successful social media and streaming platforms of the last decade.

The financial data for 2025 reveals an explosive growth trajectory. Consumers spent an estimated $2.48 billion within the mobile app this year alone, representing a staggering 408% year-over-year increase from the $487 million generated in 2024. This follows a previous leap of 1,036% from the app’s inaugural year in 2023, where it earned approximately $42.9 million in its first seven months of availability. This consistent, high-velocity growth indicates a deepening willingness among the public to invest in premium AI tools for productivity, education, and creative workflows.

Fueling this massive revenue stream is a tiered subscription model that has effectively converted a portion of the app’s 700 million users into paying customers. The $20-per-month ChatGPT Plus remains the primary driver for individual users seeking priority access and enhanced features. However, the introduction of the high-tier ChatGPT Pro, priced at $200 per month for advanced users and professional applications, has provided a significant boost to the overall spending figures. Beyond these core subscriptions, OpenAI has recently expanded its ecosystem with an in-app marketplace and specialized developer tools, signaling a shift toward a more diversified revenue model that may eventually include shopping integrations and advertising.

While OpenAI remains the dominant force in the mobile AI space, the market is becoming increasingly competitive. xAI’s Grok has shown a comparable revenue trajectory since it began broad monetization, suggesting that the "AI-first" mobile economy is expanding as a whole. Nevertheless, ChatGPT maintains a commanding lead, currently accounting for nearly half of all consumer spending across the top generative AI applications. As OpenAI looks toward 2030 with a target of 220 million paid subscribers, this $3 billion milestone serves as a definitive validation of the mobile app's role as a primary gateway for the global AI revolution.