DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence startup, has achieved a remarkable milestone by surpassing OpenAI's ChatGPT in new monthly website visits, establishing itself as the fastest-growing AI tool globally.
According to recent data from AI analytics platform aitools.xyz, DeepSeek recorded an impressive 524.7 million new visits in February 2025, outpacing ChatGPT's 500 million visits. While DeepSeek currently holds the third position among AI tools, trailing behind industry giants ChatGPT and Canva, its market share has shown remarkable growth, jumping from 2.34% to 6.58% in February alone.
The rise of DeepSeek comes amid intensifying competition in China's AI market. The company has gained attention for developing models that reportedly operate at substantially lower costs compared to their U.S. counterparts. This cost-effective approach has sparked a wave of new AI product launches from Chinese companies looking to capture market share.
The success of DeepSeek has influenced other Chinese AI startups, such as Zhipu AI, which recently launched AutoGLM Rumination, a free AI agent capable of performing complex tasks including web searches, travel planning, and research report writing. Zhipu AI claims their GLM-Z1-Air model matches DeepSeek's R1 in performance while being more efficient in terms of computing resources.
DeepSeek's rapid ascent in website visits indicates growing global acceptance of Chinese AI tools and highlights the evolving landscape of the artificial intelligence industry. As competition intensifies, the focus on cost-effective, efficient AI solutions appears to be reshaping user preferences and market dynamics.
The achievement marks a notable shift in the AI industry, where U.S.-based companies have traditionally dominated. DeepSeek's success suggests an emerging trend of Chinese AI companies gaining international recognition and user adoption.