Key takeaways
- ChatGPT is still far ahead in Indonesia on the open web. Semrush counted 119.5 million visits to chatgpt.com from Indonesia in February 2026, against 33.1 million for gemini.google.com, a ratio of about 3.6 to 1.
- Gemini is growing through the phone rather than the browser. Google says 82% of Gemini prompts in Indonesia are sent from a smartphone, the highest share in Southeast Asia, and Android runs on about 79% of Indonesian mobile devices.
- Both companies have treated Indonesia as a test market for cheap AI. ChatGPT Go and Google AI Plus both cost Rp75,000 a month, and Telkomsel and Indosat now sell them inside data packages.
- The headline user numbers are not comparable. ChatGPT reports 1.2 billion weekly users, Gemini 950 million monthly users. Brands that want to be visible in AI answers have to plan for both, because the two assistants find information in different ways.
Two numbers that don't measure the same thing
On 29 September 2026, at OpenAI's DevDay, a slide behind Sam Altman put ChatGPT at 1.2 billion weekly users. Two months earlier, on Alphabet's second-quarter earnings call, Google said the Gemini app had 950 million monthly users, up from 750 million at the end of 2025.
Read quickly, these numbers suggest the race is close. It isn't, and the reason matters. A weekly user is someone who comes back at least once in seven days. A monthly user only needs to appear once in thirty. Gemini also lives inside Android, Gmail, Google Docs and the Google app, so it gets counted whenever people use it there. ChatGPT is mostly a place people choose to go.
That difference is the whole story in Indonesia, a country where most people go online through an Android phone and where both companies have chosen to try out their cheapest paid plans.
3.6× more Indonesian web visits to ChatGPT than to Gemini in February 2026 (Semrush)
82% of Gemini prompts in Indonesia sent from a smartphone, the highest in Southeast Asia (Google)
Rp75,000 monthly price of both ChatGPT Go and Google AI Plus in Indonesia
Globally, ChatGPT's lead shrank, then held
The best public view of the contest is Similarweb's tracker of website traffic to AI chatbots. In January 2025, chatgpt.com took 86.7% of visits among the sites it tracks and Gemini took 5.7%. By May 2026, ChatGPT was down to 52.7% and Gemini up to 27.3%. Then the trend stopped. In June and July Gemini lost share, and in August 2026 ChatGPT was back at 55.5% with Gemini at 25.6%. Claude, at around 9%, gained the most ground over the year.
There is a gap in this data. Similarweb only measures websites. It doesn't see the Gemini button on an Android home screen, the assistant inside Gmail, or the ChatGPT mobile app. Google can count all of those as Gemini users. The browser contest and the user contest can move in different directions, and in Indonesia they probably do.
In Indonesia, ChatGPT owns the browser
Indonesia is one of ChatGPT's biggest markets. In August 2025, Similarweb put the country fifth in the world for visits to ChatGPT, with 3.72% of global traffic, behind the United States, India, Brazil and the United Kingdom and ahead of Japan and Germany. Semrush's February 2026 ranking of AI websites used in Indonesia, compiled by GoodStats, shows how far ahead it is on the web: 119.5 million visits to chatgpt.com, 33.1 million to gemini.google.com, and nobody else above 8 million.
Search behaviour points the same way. Google's Keyword Planner estimates about 68 million searches a month in Indonesia for "chatgpt" and its misspellings, more than any other AI term we checked. Gemini's figure depends on how the query is grouped: about 20 million for "gemini" and about 56 million for "gemini ai". Either way, people still search for ChatGPT by name. Gemini is something they are more likely to find already on their phone.
Indonesians visit ChatGPT's website; they search for Google's features
Switch between web visits to AI sites and monthly Google searches for paid plans and signature features.
Sources: Semrush data for February 2026, compiled by GoodStats (web visits from Indonesia). Google Ads Keyword Planner, Indonesia, Indonesian-language setting, average monthly searches retrieved 2 October 2026. Keyword Planner rounds volumes into ranges and groups close variants, so treat these as orders of magnitude.
Gemini's route in is the phone
Google's Gemini Report: Southeast Asia 2026, published on 14 July, describes a very different user. Across the region, the number of active Gemini app users more than doubled in a year. In Indonesia, 82% of prompts come from a smartphone, the highest share in the region, and 84% are written in Indonesian. Users in Indonesia create about 9 million AI images a day, also the most in Southeast Asia, and 32% use Gemini as a creative partner. Users under 25 drive much of the growth.
Each of these numbers points to distribution. StatCounter puts Android at 79% of mobile devices in Indonesia in September 2026. On most of those phones, Gemini is the default assistant and sits one long-press away. People don't need to search for it, sign up for it or remember a web address. That is why the image tool, Nano Banana, is searched more than any AI subscription in the country: people want the feature, and the app is already there.
ChatGPT is the AI Indonesians go looking for. Gemini is the AI that is already on their phone. Which of the two habits lasts longer will decide this market.
The Rp75,000 price war
Indonesia is more than a large audience. Both companies have used it to try out how cheap AI can be. Google launched Google AI Plus in Indonesia on 4 September 2025, the first country in the world to get it, at Rp75,000 a month with half off the first six months. OpenAI launched ChatGPT Go in Indonesia on 23 September 2025, its first market in Southeast Asia, at the same Rp75,000 including VAT. A month earlier, Google had offered Indonesian university students a free year of Google AI Pro.
Telecom operators followed. From 1 November 2025, Telkomsel sold a Rp50,000 package with 3 GB of data and two months of ChatGPT Go. In April 2026, Indosat began adding six months of Gemini AI Plus and 200 GB of Google storage to its IM3 and Tri packages, starting at Rp100,000 for 28 days. Paying for AI is starting to look like paying for a data top-up: it comes through the operator, in rupiah, often as a bonus.
The entry plans cost a fifth to a quarter of the premium tiers
Consumer AI subscriptions in Indonesia at list price. Switch to compare the cost of the first year.
Sources: OpenAI pricing for Indonesia as reported by Bisnis.com (23 September 2025); Google Indonesia blog (4 September 2025); Selular.id. The first-year figure for Google AI Plus includes the 50% launch discount for six months, which applied to new subscribers. Prices can change and promotions vary, so check the current price before buying. Telco bundles are not shown because they combine AI access with mobile data.
The two sides are pushing different things. OpenAI sells more of the same assistant: Go gives roughly ten times the messages, image generations and uploads of the free tier. Google sells a bundle: AI Plus adds 200 GB of storage, Gemini inside Gmail and Docs, video generation with Veo, and family sharing for up to five people. For a household already paying for Google storage, the AI comes almost as an add-on.
Where each one leads
| Dimension | ChatGPT | Gemini | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global users | 1.2 billion weekly (Sep 2026) | 950 million monthly (Jul 2026) | ChatGPT, on a stricter measure |
| Global web traffic share | 55.5% (Aug 2026) | 25.6% (Aug 2026) | ChatGPT, gap widening again |
| Indonesian web visits | 119.5 million (Feb 2026) | 33.1 million (Feb 2026) | ChatGPT, about 3.6× |
| Access in Indonesia | App and web, chosen by the user | Built into Android (79% of phones) | Gemini |
| Entry price | Go, Rp75,000/month | AI Plus, Rp75,000/month | Even; Google adds storage |
| Telco distribution | Telkomsel (from Nov 2025) | Indosat IM3 and Tri (from Apr 2026) | Even |
| Signature use in Indonesia | Learning, writing, work | Images: 9 million a day | Different jobs |
What it means for brands and marketers
For businesses, the more important question is less which assistant wins and more how each one finds and shows information. When Gemini answers, it draws on Google Search's index, the same system behind AI Overviews in Google results. As we wrote in September, Google is now showing AI answers even for branded searches. ChatGPT runs its own search and browsing and cites a different mix of sources. A brand that is well covered in one may barely appear in the other.
- Write in Indonesian, for real questions. With 84% of Gemini prompts in Indonesia written in Indonesian, a site that answers buyers' questions only in English leaves both assistants little to quote.
- Plan for mobile and for images. Indonesian users come to Gemini on phones and often to make or edit images. Clear product images, descriptive alt text and structured product data are what an assistant can understand and reuse.
- Measure both. Check how your brand and category appear when you ask ChatGPT and Gemini the questions your customers ask, in Indonesian, every month. Treat the answers as a new kind of search result.
- Watch the telcos. Bundled AI puts paid features in front of people who would never subscribe on their own. Habits formed through a data package may count for more than anything a brand does on the web.
The global data shows Gemini's rise in browsers has stalled for now, and ChatGPT's brand is stronger in Indonesia than almost anywhere. But this market was never going to be decided only in browsers. If most Indonesians first meet AI through a long-press on an Android home screen, "the AI" may simply mean whichever one is already on the phone.
Frequently asked questions
Which is more popular in Indonesia, ChatGPT or Gemini?
On the web, ChatGPT is clearly ahead. Semrush counted 119.5 million Indonesian visits to chatgpt.com in February 2026, against 33.1 million for gemini.google.com. Gemini is also used heavily inside Android, where web traffic data doesn't capture it, so the overall gap is likely smaller.
How many people use ChatGPT and Gemini worldwide?
OpenAI said at DevDay on 29 September 2026 that ChatGPT has 1.2 billion weekly users. Google said in July 2026 that the Gemini app has 950 million monthly users. The figures use different time windows and are not directly comparable.
How much do ChatGPT Go and Google AI Plus cost in Indonesia?
Both cost Rp75,000 a month at list price. Google offered 50% off the first six months for new AI Plus subscribers. ChatGPT Plus costs Rp349,000 a month, and Google AI Pro starts at Rp309,000.
Can I get ChatGPT or Gemini through my mobile operator?
Yes. Telkomsel launched a package with two months of ChatGPT Go in November 2025. Indosat has offered six months of Gemini AI Plus with selected IM3 and Tri packages since April 2026. Check the operator's app for current offers.
What do Indonesians use Gemini for?
According to Google's Gemini Report: Southeast Asia 2026, Indonesian users create about 9 million AI images a day, the most in the region. 32% use Gemini as a creative partner, 82% of prompts come from a smartphone, and 84% are written in Indonesian.
What is ChatGPT's market share compared with Gemini?
Similarweb estimates that in August 2026 ChatGPT had 55.5% of worldwide web traffic to AI chatbot sites and Gemini had 25.6%. ChatGPT's share was 86.7% in January 2025, and Gemini's peaked at about 27–28% in mid-2026.
Should my business optimise for ChatGPT or Gemini?
Both. Gemini relies on Google Search's index, so ordinary SEO work carries over. ChatGPT runs its own search and cites different sources. Test the questions your customers ask, in Indonesian, on both assistants, and track how your brand appears over time.
Sources
- OpenAI Dev Day 2026: Live updates, Engadget, 29 September 2026
- Google Says Gemini Reaches 950 Million Monthly Users, TechRepublic
- 950 Million People Now Use Gemini Each Month, Forbes
- Google Gemini Gains Share As ChatGPT Declines In Similarweb Data, Search Engine Journal
- ChatGPT drops to 52.7% as Claude triples its AI traffic share, PPC Land
- Gemini Loses Ground To ChatGPT For Second Straight Month, OfficeChai, 7 September 2026
- 10 Situs AI yang Paling Sering Digunakan Publik RI 2026, GoodStats
- Indonesia Joins the Ranks of Top Global ChatGPT Users, Databoks
- Indonesia Bikin 9 Juta Gambar AI Pakai Gemini dalam Sehari, detikInet, 14 July 2026
- Gemini Jadi AI Paling Dicari di Indonesia, Jawa Pos
- Mobile Operating System Market Share Indonesia, StatCounter
- Google AI Plus kini tersedia di Indonesia, Google Indonesia Blog, 4 September 2025
- ChatGPT Go Dijual Murah Rp75.000 di RI, Bisnis.com, 23 September 2025
- Google AI Pro Gratis 1 Tahun untuk Mahasiswa, Selular.id
- Telkomsel Luncurkan Paket Bundling ChatGPT, Investortrust
- Indosat Hadirkan Akses Google Gemini AI bagi Pelanggan IM3 dan Tri, Koran Jakarta, 9 April 2026
- OpenAI Has More Than 1 Billion Users, 2 Million Businesses, Bloomberg Law, 31 July 2026
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