Claude Surges to Top of App Store as ChatGPT Users Defect Over Anthropic's Pentagon Stand
Something remarkable happened on a Saturday afternoon in late February 2026: Anthropic’s Claude climbed to the top of Apple’s US App Store chart, knocking ChatGPT off the throne it had occupied for months. It wasn’t driven by a feature launch or a viral marketing campaign. It was driven by principle. The Rankings Tell the Story By Saturday, February 28, Claude had reached the No. 1 spot among top free U.S. apps, with ChatGPT falling to No. 2 and Google’s Gemini to No. 3. The rankings fluctuated throughout the day — TechCrunch and Gizmodo both reported Claude at No. 2 earlier — but CNBC confirmed the No. 1 position as the most authoritative and most recent snapshot. ...