Claude Surges in Popularity After Standoff With Pentagon
Anthropic is witnessing a significant surge in consumer adoption for its AI assistant, Claude, following a high-profile public dispute with the U.S. Department of Defense. Mobile app installs and daily active user counts have climbed sharply in the wake of reports that the company was labeled a supply-chain risk after refusing to support government initiatives involving mass surveillance and autonomous weaponry.
Data from market intelligence firm Appfigures reveals that Claude’s mobile momentum in the United States currently outpaces that of ChatGPT. As of March 2, the firm estimated 149,000 daily downloads for Claude, compared to 124,000 for its primary competitor.
Engagement metrics on the rise
Beyond new installations, the depth of engagement with the platform has grown significantly. Similarweb reports that Claude’s mobile application reached 11.3 million daily active users on March 2. This represents a 183% increase from the start of the year, when usage hovered around 4 million, and a notable climb from the 5 million recorded in early February.
While OpenAI’s ChatGPT remains the market leader with 250.5 million daily active users on the same date, Claude’s recent growth trajectory is distinct. Much of this surge aligns chronologically with the news cycle surrounding Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s refusal to align the company’s technology with Pentagon defense projects.
Web traffic and global reach
Anthropic has also seen a rise in web-based interest. Traffic to the Claude website grew 43% month-over-month in February and 297.7% year-over-year. During this same window, ChatGPT experienced a 6.5% decline in web traffic, suggesting a potential shift in user preference.
The company confirmed that it is currently seeing more than 1 million sign-ups per day. Claude holds the top spot on the U.S. App Store and maintains the number one position in 15 other countries, including:
- Canada and New Zealand
- Germany, France, and the U.K.
- Singapore, Switzerland, and Norway
- Austria, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Portugal
While Anthropic maintains a policy of not commenting on third-party metrics, a company spokesperson confirmed that daily active users have more than tripled since the beginning of 2026, while the number of paid subscribers has doubled during the same period.