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ByteDance chatbot Doubao still China’s most popular AI app as rival DeepSeek loses users
Doubao records 157 million monthly active users in August, up 6.6 per cent from July, according to data from QuestMobile
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ByteDance-owned Doubao remains the most popular artificial intelligence app in mainland China, with 157 million monthly active users (MAUs) in August, as rival DeepSeek’s namesake chatbot continued to lose market share.
Launched by TikTok and Douyin owner ByteDance in August 2023, Doubao has recorded consistent growth so far this year, with a 6.6 per cent increase in the number of users from July, according to data compiled by market research firm QuestMobile.
By contrast, second-ranked DeepSeek’s chatbot saw a further decline in user numbers last month, down 4 per cent from July to 143 million MAUs.
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According to QuestMobile data, almost 40 per cent of users who left DeepSeek’s chatbot in May switched to Doubao.
Doubao’s lead in the mainland’s consumer-facing AI app market reflects ByteDance’s efforts to regularly upgrade the chatbot, which in May added a real-time video call function that turns the app into an interactive digital assistant.
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Beijing-based ByteDance has been “very serious” about improving Doubao’s features, according to Li Bangzhu, founder of AI product popularity tracker Aicpb.com.
“They constantly think about what practical problems need to be solved and in which application contexts, rather than merely piling up model capabilities – although that is still the foundation,” Li said.
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