Meta may have another major consumer app on its hands.
Early third-party data suggests that Muse, Meta’s new AI app, is growing faster on mobile than ChatGPT did during the comparable first days of its mobile launch.
According to estimates from market intelligence firm Apptopia, Muse recorded more downloads and daily active users during its first 12 days than ChatGPT did over the same period after arriving on mobile.
The comparison comes with important limitations, but the early numbers suggest Meta could be building a serious new competitor in the consumer AI market.
Muse Reaches 1.8 Million Comparable Downloads
Comparing the two launches isn’t straightforward.
When ChatGPT launched on mobile, OpenAI initially released it globally but only for iOS. Muse has taken a different approach, launching on both iOS and Android while initially limiting availability to the U.S. and Canada.
To create a more comparable dataset, Apptopia examined only iOS downloads in the U.S. and Canada during each app’s first 12 days.
Under those conditions, Muse reached approximately 1.8 million downloads, compared with around 1.3 million for ChatGPT during its equivalent launch period.
Across its available platforms, Muse recorded an estimated 2.8 million total installs during its first 12 days.
Its momentum also appears to be continuing.
After initially ranking No. 2 overall on Apple’s U.S. App Store, Muse moved into the No. 1 position, putting it above ChatGPT at the time.
Daily Active Users Show an Even Bigger Gap
Downloads are only one measure of an app’s success. What matters even more is whether people continue using it.
Apptopia’s estimates suggest Muse is performing strongly there as well.
Looking at overall U.S. mobile usage, Muse reached approximately 642,000 daily active users, compared with around 231,000 for ChatGPT at the equivalent stage of its mobile launch.
Because Muse is available on both Android and iOS, Apptopia also narrowed the comparison to Apple’s platform.
Even then, Muse recorded approximately 359,000 daily active iOS users, still higher than ChatGPT’s comparable figure.
These numbers remain estimates rather than official figures from Meta, but they indicate strong early engagement.
Meta Has a Distribution Advantage Few Companies Can Match
Muse also benefits from something most AI startups don’t have: Meta’s enormous existing social ecosystem.
Meta demonstrated the power of that distribution strategy with Threads.
Through integrations and promotion across Instagram and Facebook, Threads has grown beyond 500 million users.
Muse could potentially follow a similar playbook.
The AI app can connect with Facebook and Instagram and also works inside WhatsApp, giving Meta several massive channels through which it can introduce people to Muse.
Apptopia’s data already shows substantial overlap.
More than 95% of Muse users are also Facebook users, while approximately 63% use Instagram.
That doesn’t prove Meta’s cross-promotion caused Muse’s growth, but it demonstrates how closely the app’s early audience overlaps with Meta’s existing user base.
The Numbers Still Need Perspective
There is an important caveat.
Apptopia doesn’t have access to Meta’s internal download or engagement statistics. Its figures are third-party estimates based on market intelligence data.
Meta itself hasn’t yet publicly disclosed official adoption numbers for Muse.
The comparison with ChatGPT also reflects different moments in the AI market.
Consumer awareness of AI assistants is far greater today than when ChatGPT originally launched its mobile application, making direct historical comparisons imperfect.
Still, Muse’s early performance is difficult to ignore.
Meta Could Have Its Next Major Consumer App
The AI race isn’t determined solely by who builds the most capable model.
Distribution, product experience, ecosystem integration, and user engagement increasingly matter too.
Meta already has billions of users across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. If it successfully turns those platforms into distribution channels for Muse, it could rapidly establish the AI assistant as another major consumer product.
Muse’s first 12 days don’t determine the winner of the consumer AI race — but they show just how powerful Meta can become when AI meets one of the world’s largest distribution networks.
