The Hottest AI Apps Consumers Are Actually Using

Though Sora’s demise proves it’s not easy starting a new consumer AI app, many AI tools are seeing rapid adoption.

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OpenAI’s abrupt decision to shut down fledgling Sora, its recently launched social media app to create and share AI-generated videos, was a shock to the AI industry and major partner Disney.

Behind the scenes, Sora's growth petered out, while OpenAI needs to conserve scarce computing power for more important projects. But it also showed how hard it is to launch a new AI consumer app.

So what consumer AI apps are gaining traction these days? Tech venture capital firm A16 recently ranked the top consumer AI websites and mobile apps, using unique monthly visits for web and monthly active users for mobile. The results are a glimpse into real-world AI adoption.

1. General AI assistants

AI chatbots top the list, with ChatGPT the most popular website and mobile app. Other widely used chatbots include Google's Gemini, Elon Musk's Grok, Anthropic's Claude, Meta AI and China's DeepSeek.

OpenAI's ChatGPT is “still far and away the largest consumer AI product," says A16's report. With 900 million weekly active users, the app has more than twice the number of users as Google's Gemini, which is second for website traffic. China's Doubao, CiCi and Seekee are also popular. The rankings show how general AI assistants are now mainstream and continue to grow in popularity.

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2. Photo and video editing AI apps

AI photo editing is gaining steam, including popular uses such as removing or generating backgrounds.

Users can also restore old photos, create professional headshots and turn low-resolution photos into HD quality. Touching up selfies by removing wrinkles, adding makeup and other edits can be done with popular tools BeautyCam and BeautyPlus.

Users can get help with video editing, for example, by adding effects and transitions using the video editing tool Capcut, which has more than 700 million monthly active users. Other popular tools include Picsart, Remini, Adobe Lightroom, Photoroom and Cutout.

3. AI image and video generation tools

Now, anyone can generate images or videos by typing simple text explanations. Just instruct the AI tool what you want, and get stunning (or sometimes not-so-stunning) images and videos.

Further explanation can hone the final product. Image generation tools include Midjourney, Leonardo, Ideogram and Freepik. Meta AI lets users generate images within Instagram, Facebook, Messenger and WhatsApp. While Sora is gone, top AI video generation tools include Kling AI, Hailuo and Pixverse, all based in China.

4. AI productivity tools

Notion is a digital workspace that includes notes, documents and personalized dashboards with all sorts of business apps and databases to manage work projects. Grammarly provides writing assistance to fix typos, improve clarity and target an audience. Canva helps with graphic design for social media posts, presentations, logos and more.

So-called agentic AI, which automates tasks, is going mainstream, too. There are tools that automate coding, including Cursor and Lovable. And Manus and Genspark let consumers outsource work, such as spreadsheet analysis or research, to the AI.

5. AI learning apps

Popular chatbots are widely used by students, so it's no surprise that apps designed specifically for homework help are popular.

Brainly combines human tutors and AI for tutoring, test prep and research. The company boasts about personalized AI tutoring that provides explanations at the student’s own pace. Photomath, a math learning app owned by Google, can scan number or word problems and provide a solution, including all the steps. It covers algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statistics and calculus from elementary school through college.

6. Social companionship apps

"If you can imagine it, you can bring it to life," explains Character.ai's website. The popular tool lets users create and interact with custom AI characters. The apps often include AI-generated images, which is why Character.ai recently launched a digital photo album for the images that are created.

There are popular, uncensored, adult entertainment apps for roleplaying, such as JanitorAI. The adult content has sparked concerns about privacy and age restrictions, especially because of the addictive nature of AI chatbots. As these apps grow in popularity, expect rising concerns over child safety, emotional harm and non-consensual deepfakes.

The Top GenAI Web Tools By Usage

  1. ChatGPT
  2. Gemini
  3. Canva
  4. DeepSeek
  5. Grok
  6. Claude
  7. Character.ai
  8. Perplexity
  9. Notion
  10. Google AI Studio

The Top GenAI Mobile Apps By Usage

  1. ChatGPT
  2. CapCut
  3. Gemini
  4. Canva
  5. AI Gallery
  6. Picsart
  7. Doubao
  8. Microsoft Edge
  9. Meituan
  10. Yandex

Expect these rankings to continue to shake out, with upstarts charging ahead and top tools falling off the map. There are endless possibilities for new standalone consumer AI tools, but don't overlook the other ways the tech is seeping into everyday life. "AI is increasingly embedded in the tools people already use," notes A16's report, so the "rankings increasingly undercount the AI products people use most.”

This forecast first appeared in The Kiplinger Letter, which has been running since 1923 and is a collection of concise weekly forecasts on business and economic trends, as well as what to expect from Washington, to help you understand what’s coming up to make the most of your investments and your money. Subscribe to The Kiplinger Letter.

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John Miley
John Miley
Senior Associate Editor, The Kiplinger Letter

John Miley is a Senior Associate Editor at The Kiplinger Letter. He mainly covers AI, technology, telecom and education, but will jump on other business topics as needed. In his role, he provides timely forecasts about emerging technologies, business trends and government regulations. He also edits stories for the weekly publication and has written and edited email newsletters.

He holds a BA from Bates College and a master’s degree in magazine journalism from Northwestern University, where he specialized in business reporting. An avid runner and a former decathlete, he has written about fitness and competed in triathlons.