Meta's Muse hits No. 1 faster than ChatGPT on U.S. App Store

Meta's latest AI assistant, Muse, is gaining traction on mobile faster than OpenAI's ChatGPT did in its early days. Fresh analysis from app intelligence firm Appfigures reveals that Muse has already overtaken ChatGPT in both download volume and daily active users during the critical first twelve days after launch—at least within the U.S. and Canadian markets where Muse is currently available.

The Download Numbers#

Comparing apples-to-apples downloads on iOS in the U.S. and Canada only—the comparable scope given the apps' different launch strategies—Muse generated 1.8 million installs versus ChatGPT's 1.3 million over its debut fortnight. Globally, Muse has accumulated 2.8 million downloads in its first twelve days, benefiting from simultaneous availability on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

The growth trajectory has been steep: Muse climbed from the No. 2 position on the U.S. App Store immediately after launch to capture the top spot, a milestone reported by Business Insider earlier this month.

Engagement and Daily Users#

The picture becomes even more striking when looking at engagement. Muse is drawing 642,000 U.S. daily active users across all platforms, compared with ChatGPT's 231,000 at the same point in its lifecycle. Even when narrowing the scope to iOS alone—to account for ChatGPT's iOS-only debut—Muse shows 359,000 daily active users against ChatGPT's earlier baseline.

Why the Early Edge?#

Much of Muse's velocity likely stems from Meta's cross-promotion playbook, honed during Instagram's Threads launch. With over 95% of Muse's users also active on Facebook and 63% on Instagram, the app is drawing on Meta's vast installed base. Integration across WhatsApp adds another growth vector.

It's worth noting that Appfigures' figures are third-party estimates and Meta has not yet disclosed official numbers. However, even accounting for estimation margins, the data points to a potentially major hit in Meta's mobile portfolio.