The Evolving Landscape of Generative AI: Andreessen Horowitz
The generative AI landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, moving beyond its initial explosive growth phase into a period of consolidation and maturation. Andreessen Horowitz's fifth edition of the "Top 100 Gen AI Consumer Apps" report provides a data-driven analysis of this evolution, drawing on two and a half years of insights into how consumers are integrating artificial intelligence into their daily lives. This comprehensive report not only identifies the leading applications but also uncovers key trends shaping the future of consumer AI.
The Shifting Tides: Ecosystem Stabilization and New Entrants
A notable observation from this edition is the apparent stabilization of the generative AI ecosystem. Compared to previous iterations, there are fewer entirely new entrants, suggesting that the initial "land grab" phase may be subsiding. This shift indicates a move towards more established and durable AI solutions that offer consistent value to users. While the market is consolidating, new players continue to emerge, with a total of 15 newcomers making their debut on the lists. A significant portion of these new entries are attributed to Google, which, for the first time, has been able to track its AI initiatives individually, leading to four new products appearing on the web list.
Google's Ascendance in the AI Arena
Google has made a strong showing in this year's rankings, underscoring its strategic focus on generative AI. The company's general LLM assistant, Gemini, has secured the second position on the web list, trailing only ChatGPT, and capturing approximately 12% of ChatGPT's web traffic. On the mobile front, Gemini is also a formidable contender, ranking second behind ChatGPT with nearly half of its monthly active users (MAUs). Gemini exhibits particularly robust usage on Android devices, where it commands nearly 90% of its MAU base, contrasting with ChatGPT's 60% Android user share. Beyond its core assistant, other Google products have also made significant inroads. AI Studio, a developer-oriented sandbox for building with Gemini models, debuted in the top 10. NotebookLM, initially part of Google Labs, now stands as an independent website at #13 and has maintained steady growth since its viral launch. Furthermore, Google Labs itself, the consumer-facing hub for Google's AI experiments, secured the #39 spot on the web list. Its traffic saw a notable spike following the launch of the video model Veo 3 in May 2025, demonstrating the impact of new feature rollouts.
The Intensifying Battle of LLM Assistants
The competition among general large language model (LLM) assistants is fiercer than ever. While ChatGPT continues to lead, the gap is narrowing considerably. Google's Gemini is a primary challenger, but X's (formerly Twitter) assistant Grok and Meta's offerings are also making significant strides. Grok has experienced a particularly impressive surge in mobile adoption, transitioning from a non-existent app at the end of 2024 to over 20 million MAUs. This growth was propelled by the release of Grok 4 in July 2025, which introduced enhanced reasoning, real-time search, and tool integration, followed by the introduction of AI companion avatars. Perplexity has also demonstrated consistent and strong growth in this competitive space. Conversely, DeepSeek and Claude have seen their mobile momentum flatten, with DeepSeek experiencing a notable decline from its peak.
China's Dual Role: Domestic Dominance and Global Export
The report highlights China's significant and multifaceted role in the global generative AI market. On one hand, Chinese-developed applications such as Quark (#9 on web), Doubao (#12 on web), and Kimi (#17 on web) are dominating within China. This is largely due to accessibility restrictions on many non-Chinese LLM assistants within the country, necessitating local registration and compliance with regulatory requirements. On the other hand, a substantial number of AI tools developed in China are being exported globally, finding significant traction in international markets, even in regions where they might be blocked domestically. This trend is particularly pronounced in the mobile app category, where an estimated 22 out of the 50 apps were developed in China. Categories like photo and video editing are heavily influenced by Chinese developers, with Meitu alone contributing five entries (Photo & Video Editor, BeautyPlus, BeautyCam, Wink, and Airbrush). Bytedance is another major player, with multiple entries including Doubao and Cici.
The Rise of "Vibe Coding" and Developer Tools
A fascinating emerging trend is the rise of "vibe coding" platforms, which enable users to generate applications with minimal or no traditional coding. In the previous ranking, only Bolt was noted in this category. Now, Bolt is on the "Brink List" (just outside the top 100), while Lovable and Replit have debuted on the main list. Early data suggests that users of these platforms exhibit strong retention, with some showing revenue retention upwards of 100% for several months post-signup. These platforms are not only gaining users but also driving traffic to other AI products within their ecosystem, such as Supabase, a database provider, which has seen its traffic accelerate in tandem with the growth of core vibe coding platforms. This indicates a potential new layer forming in the consumer AI stack, driven by accessible development tools.
The Enduring "All Stars" and Their Trajectories
The report celebrates fourteen companies that have consistently appeared on the web top 50 list across all five iterations, earning the title of "All Stars." These companies represent a broad spectrum of consumer AI applications, including general assistance (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Poe), companionship (Character AI), image generation (Midjourney, Leonardo), image and video editing (Veed, Cutout), voice generation (Eleven Labs), productivity tools (Photoroom, Gamma, Quillbot), and model hosting (Civitai, HuggingFace). An interesting insight from these All Stars is the diversity in their approach to foundation models: five have proprietary models, seven utilize third-party APIs or open-source models, and two act as model aggregators. Geographically, these consistent performers hail from just five countries: the U.S., UK, Australia, China, and France. Notably, most have secured venture funding, with Midjourney and Cutout Pro being exceptions, famously bootstrapped or unfunded, respectively. The report also identifies an additional five companies that would make the cut based on recent momentum, including Claude, DeepAI, JanitorAI, Pixelcut, and Suno, showcasing the dynamic nature of the market even among established players.
Methodology and Future Outlook
The methodology for this report distinguishes between web products, ranked by unique monthly visits (per Similarweb), and mobile apps, ranked by monthly active users (per Sensor Tower). This dual approach provides a comprehensive view of consumer AI engagement across different platforms. Products that have integrated generative AI features but are not AI-native, such as Canva and Notion, are excluded to maintain a focus on AI-first applications. As the consumer AI market continues to mature, the focus is shifting from novelty to delivering tangible, everyday value. The increasing globalization of the ecosystem, with different regions specializing in distinct AI strengths, highlights the importance of understanding cultural nuances and user stickiness for long-term success. Andreessen Horowitz will continue to track these trends, observing which "All Stars" persist and which new innovators emerge in the coming editions.
AI Summary
The 5th edition of Andreessen Horowitz's Top 100 Gen AI Consumer Apps report offers a comprehensive look at the current state of generative AI adoption, based on two and a half years of usage data. The report indicates a stabilization within the AI ecosystem, moving from a period of rapid expansion to one of consolidation. A significant development is Google's increased visibility, with four new product entries on the web list, including Gemini, which has secured the second position behind ChatGPT in web traffic. Gemini also shows strong performance on mobile, nearly matching ChatGPT in monthly active users and demonstrating a particular dominance on Android devices. The competitive landscape for general LLM assistants is intensifying, with Google's Gemini, X's Grok, and Meta's offerings steadily closing the gap with ChatGPT. Grok, in particular, has seen remarkable growth on mobile since its late 2024 launch, boosted by the release of Grok 4 and AI companion avatars. Perplexity also continues its upward trajectory. The report also sheds light on the dual role of China in the AI market: Chinese-developed applications like Quark, Doubao, and Kimi are leading within China due to regional access limitations for foreign AI products, while other Chinese-built tools, especially in photo and video editing, are achieving global success. This trend is even more pronounced in the mobile app rankings, with a substantial number of apps developed in China. The emergence of "vibe coding" platforms like Lovable and Replit signifies a new wave of AI-driven application development, demonstrating strong user retention and indicating a potential new layer in the AI stack. The report identifies fourteen "All Stars"—companies that have appeared on every edition of the list—spanning categories such as general assistance, companionship, image generation, and productivity tools. These consistent performers showcase the diverse applications of AI and highlight that while some companies develop proprietary models, many leverage existing APIs or open-source solutions. The geographical distribution of these All Stars is concentrated in five countries: the U.S., UK, Australia, China, and France. The analysis concludes that the consumer AI market is maturing, with a focus shifting from novelty to delivering sustained, everyday value, emphasizing the increasing globalization of the AI ecosystem and the importance of understanding cultural context and user engagement for enduring success.