Google retains its place as the world’s most popular internet service, but AI is growing rapidly

Introduction to the Most Used Websites

According to a new report from Cloudflare that ranks the most used websites, ChatGPT is already among the 40 most popular destinations on the Internet, highlighting the explosive growth of generative artificial intelligence among online users. The defining story of the year was the rapid advancement of generative AI. ChatGPT, launched by OpenAI in November 2022, had 700 million active users as of September.

Overall Ranking

Cloudflare reported a 19% increase in global internet traffic this year as people rely more on technology for daily communication and entertainment. To determine the rankings, Cloudflare used aggregated data from its Domain Name System, which helps direct traffic to its customers’ websites by converting domain names into IP addresses. The top websites overall are:

1. Google
2. Facebook
3. Apple
4. Microsoft
5. Instagram
6. Amazon Web Services
7. YouTube
8. TikTok
9. Amazon
10. WhatsApp

Top Social Media Sites

Meta-owned Facebook remains the world’s most used social media site. More than 70% of adults in the US say they use Facebook. The top social media sites are:

1. Facebook
2. Instagram
3. TikTok
4. Snapchat
5. Linkedin
6. X (formerly Twitter)
7. Kwai
8. Discord
9. Pinterest
10. Reddit

Top Generative AI Services

OpenAI’s ChatGPT maintained its position at the top of the AI list despite Cloudflare saying the platform faces increasing competition from rival chatbots. The top generative AI services are:

1. ChatGPT (OpenAI)
2. Claude (anthropic)
3. Perplexity
4. Gemini (Google)
5. Character.AI
6. GitHub Copilot
7. Windsurfing AI
8. QuillBot
9. Grok (xAI)
10. DeepSeek

Top eCommerce Services

A notable change in the e-commerce category this year is the prominence of two Asia-based companies. The top eCommerce services are:

1. Amazon
2. Shopee
3. Temu
4. Shopify
5. Taobao
6. eBay
7. Alibaba
8. Shein
9. Free market
10. AliExpress