AI Breakout: July 2025
ChatGPT and Claude AI lead the first AI Breakout ranking, and half of the 20 apps are productivity tools.
Updated October 7, 2026 · Changelog
#1ChatGPT holds the top spot
+4ElevenLabs, the biggest climberSource: Torii Research, anonymized and aggregated usage data. Published July 1, 2025. Summary figures computed from the 20 apps in this report.
What kinds of apps
Every edition, by theme →Share of the 20 apps in this edition, by theme. Each app has one theme, assigned by Torii Research from what the product does; AI marks the AI themes. Select a theme to filter the list below. How themes work.
Top of the index
Ranked by usage among AI apps. Rank change compares with the previous published edition.
All 20 apps
These are the top AI apps from the period of June 1 to 30, 2025.
Productivity
ChatGPT
ChatGPT is an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI. It uses natural language processing to understand…
About ChatGPT
ChatGPT is an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI. It uses natural language processing to understand and generate human-like text, enabling it to answer questions, write various creative content, and engage in conversations. It's widely used for information retrieval, content creation, and interactive communication.
Theme: AI assistants · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, GDPR
Productivity
Claude AI
Claude AI is a large language model developed by Anthropic, designed to be helpful, harmless,…
About Claude AI
Claude AI is a large language model developed by Anthropic, designed to be helpful, harmless, and honest. It's known for its strong conversational abilities, advanced reasoning skills, and adherence to ethical guidelines, making it suitable for a wide range of tasks from content generation to complex problem-solving.
Theme: AI assistants · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, GDPR
Productivity
Grammarly
Grammarly is an AI-powered writing assistant that helps users improve their writing. It checks…
About Grammarly
Grammarly is an AI-powered writing assistant that helps users improve their writing. It checks for grammar, spelling, punctuation, clarity, engagement, and delivery errors, providing suggestions to enhance the overall quality and effectiveness of written communication across various platforms.
Theme: AI content and media · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Developer Tools
Cursor AI
Cursor AI is an AI-powered code editor designed to help developers write, debug, and understand…
About Cursor AI
Cursor AI is an AI-powered code editor designed to help developers write, debug, and understand code more efficiently. It offers features like AI-powered code generation, in-editor chat, and automatic bug fixing, aiming to streamline the coding workflow and enhance productivity for programmers.
Theme: AI coding and building · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, GDPR
IT & Security
Zapier
Zapier is an online automation tool that connects your favorite apps, such as Gmail, Slack, and…
About Zapier
Zapier is an online automation tool that connects your favorite apps, such as Gmail, Slack, and Mailchimp. It allows you to automate repetitive tasks without coding, creating workflows between different services. This saves time and increases productivity by streamlining operations.
Theme: Ops, HR, and finance
Vendor claims: SOC 2, GDPR
Productivity
OpenAI
OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company. Its mission is to ensure that artificial…
About OpenAI
OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company. Its mission is to ensure that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity. They develop and deploy advanced AI models like GPT-3, DALL-E, and ChatGPT, pushing the boundaries of what AI can achieve in language, creativity, and various applications.
Theme: AI assistants · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, GDPR
Analytics & BI
Perplexity AI
Perplexity AI is a conversational answer engine that provides direct answers to user queries,…
About Perplexity AI
Perplexity AI is a conversational answer engine that provides direct answers to user queries, citing its sources. It combines search engine capabilities with natural language processing, offering a more direct and accurate response than traditional search engines, by summarizing information from various sources.
Theme: AI assistants · AI-native
Vendor claims: none listed
Productivity
NotebookLM
NotebookLM is an AI-powered research assistant designed to help you analyze and synthesize…
About NotebookLM
NotebookLM is an AI-powered research assistant designed to help you analyze and synthesize information. It can summarize documents, generate new ideas, and create outlines, making it a valuable tool for students, researchers, and anyone working with large amounts of text.
Theme: AI assistants · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Developer Tools
Google AI Studio
Google AI Studio is a web-based platform that allows developers to quickly prototype and build…
About Google AI Studio
Google AI Studio is a web-based platform that allows developers to quickly prototype and build applications with Google's generative AI models. It offers a user-friendly interface for experimenting with prompts, creating custom models, and deploying AI-powered features.
Theme: AI coding and building · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Analytics & BI
Chatly AI
Chatly AI is an advanced conversational AI platform designed to enhance communication and…
About Chatly AI
Chatly AI is an advanced conversational AI platform designed to enhance communication and productivity. It offers intelligent chatbots for customer service, virtual assistants, and content generation, streamlining workflows and providing instant, accurate responses to user queries.
Theme: AI assistants · AI-native
Vendor claims: none listed
Productivity
Notion Mail
Notion Mail is an email client designed to integrate seamlessly with Notion, allowing users to…
About Notion Mail
Notion Mail is an email client designed to integrate seamlessly with Notion, allowing users to manage their emails directly within their Notion workspaces. It aims to streamline workflows by bringing communication and project management into a unified environment, reducing the need to switch between multiple applications.
Theme: Personal productivity · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Project Management
ClickUp
ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity platform designed to streamline work for teams of all…
About ClickUp
ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity platform designed to streamline work for teams of all sizes. It offers a comprehensive suite of features including task management, project tracking, document collaboration, and goal setting, aiming to centralize workflows and enhance team efficiency.
Theme: Work suites and collaboration
Vendor claims: SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR
Sales & Marketing
Fireflies.ai
Fireflies.ai is an AI meeting assistant that transcribes, summarizes, and analyzes voice…
About Fireflies.ai
Fireflies.ai is an AI meeting assistant that transcribes, summarizes, and analyzes voice conversations. It helps teams automate note-taking during meetings, identify key discussion points, and search through past conversations to quickly find important information and action items.
Theme: AI notes and voice · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, GDPR
Productivity
Granola
Granola is an AI-powered meeting notepad that transcribes meetings and audio, automatically…
About Granola
Granola is an AI-powered meeting notepad that transcribes meetings and audio, automatically summarizes discussions, and enhances manual notes, helping professionals capture, organize, and share actionable insights without intrusive meeting bots.
Theme: AI notes and voice · AI-native
Vendor claims: GDPR
Operations
ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs is a leading AI voice technology company specializing in realistic text-to-speech…
About ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs is a leading AI voice technology company specializing in realistic text-to-speech and voice cloning. Their advanced models enable users to generate natural-sounding audio in various languages and voices for content creation, audiobooks, games, and more, offering high-quality, expressive synthetic speech.
Theme: AI content and media · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, GDPR
Productivity
Grok
Grok is an AI chatbot developed by xAI, a company founded by Elon Musk. It's designed to be…
About Grok
Grok is an AI chatbot developed by xAI, a company founded by Elon Musk. It's designed to be humorous and rebellious, with access to real-time information from X (formerly Twitter). Grok aims to offer a distinct personality compared to other AI models, emphasizing wit and a willingness to answer controversial questions.
Theme: AI assistants · AI-native
Vendor claims: GDPR
Productivity
Cluely
Cluely is a powerful AI-driven platform designed to transform raw data into actionable business…
About Cluely
Cluely is a powerful AI-driven platform designed to transform raw data into actionable business intelligence. It excels at identifying hidden patterns and insights, enabling users to make more informed decisions, optimize operations, and uncover new opportunities within their data, ultimately driving growth and efficiency.
Theme: AI assistants · AI-native
Vendor claims: none listed
Design
Midjourney
Midjourney is a powerful AI art generator that transforms text prompts into unique and…
About Midjourney
Midjourney is a powerful AI art generator that transforms text prompts into unique and imaginative images. It leverages advanced algorithms to create stunning visuals in various styles, offering artists and enthusiasts a new way to express creativity and explore the intersection of technology and art.
Theme: AI content and media · AI-native
Vendor claims: GDPR
Developer Tools
ollama
Ollama is a powerful tool for running large language models locally. It allows users to easily…
About ollama
Ollama is a powerful tool for running large language models locally. It allows users to easily download, run, and manage open-source models, making AI accessible for offline use, development, and experimentation without relying on cloud services.
Theme: AI coding and building · AI-native
Vendor claims: none listed
Productivity
Descript
Descript is an all-in-one audio and video editing software that allows users to edit media by…
About Descript
Descript is an all-in-one audio and video editing software that allows users to edit media by editing text. It features transcription, screen recording, podcasting tools, and collaborative capabilities, making content creation faster and more accessible for creators of all levels.
Theme: AI content and media · AI-native
Vendor claims: SOC 2, GDPR
Source: Torii Research, anonymized and aggregated usage data. Published July 1, 2025. Summary figures computed from the 20 apps in this report.
What the data says
ChatGPT ranks #1 and Claude AI #2, ahead of Grammarly and Cursor AI. Chatly AI rounds out the top 10.
Productivity (10) accounts for half of the list, followed by Developer Tools (3).
Shadow risk is moderate: the median Shadow IT index is 55.5, and no app reaches 70. Thirteen of the 20 apps claim at least two of SOC 2, ISO 27001, and GDPR.
The AI Breakout Report offers a real-time snapshot of how artificial intelligence tools are being adopted across organizations today. The findings are based on real-time usage data from the period of June 1 to 30, 2025, drawn from real companies of all sizes. This dataset gives an unfiltered, accurate view into how AI apps are shaping modern SaaS stacks, spotlighting which tools are breaking through from niche to mainstream adoption.
Bottom line
This month’s data highlights Chatly’s rise into the top 10 and the emergence of new entrants like Cluely AI, Midjourney, and Ollama. The theme is clear, AI adoption is diversifying rapidly. Staying ahead requires real-time visibility, careful inventory, and active discovery of new tools for cost and security control.
The data
Show the full data table (20 rows)
| Rank | App | Category | Theme | AI-native | Rank change | Shadow IT index | SOC 2 claimed | ISO 27001 claimed | GDPR claimed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChatGPT | Productivity | AI assistants | Yes | Same | 34 | Yes | No | Yes |
| 2 | Claude AI | Productivity | AI assistants | Yes | +2 | 56 | Yes | No | Yes |
| 3 | Grammarly | Productivity | AI content and media | Yes | -1 | 38 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 4 | Cursor AI | Developer Tools | AI coding and building | Yes | -1 | 41 | Yes | No | Yes |
| 5 | Zapier | IT & Security | Ops, HR, and finance | No | +1 | 37 | Yes | No | Yes |
| 6 | OpenAI | Productivity | AI assistants | Yes | -1 | 41 | Yes | No | Yes |
| 7 | Perplexity AI | Analytics & BI | AI assistants | Yes | +1 | 62 | No | No | No |
| 8 | NotebookLM | Productivity | AI assistants | Yes | +1 | 46 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 9 | Google AI Studio | Developer Tools | AI coding and building | Yes | +1 | 67 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 10 | Chatly AI | Analytics & BI | AI assistants | Yes | New | 64 | No | No | No |
| 11 | Notion Mail | Productivity | Personal productivity | Yes | -4 | 63 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 12 | ClickUp | Project Management | Work suites and collaboration | No | Same | 49 | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| 13 | Fireflies.ai | Sales & Marketing | AI notes and voice | Yes | Same | 62 | Yes | No | Yes |
| 14 | Granola | Productivity | AI notes and voice | Yes | +3 | 59 | No | No | Yes |
| 15 | ElevenLabs | Operations | AI content and media | Yes | +4 | 55 | Yes | No | Yes |
| 16 | Grok | Productivity | AI assistants | Yes | +4 | 65 | No | No | Yes |
| 17 | Cluely | Productivity | AI assistants | Yes | New | 55 | No | No | No |
| 18 | Midjourney | Design | AI content and media | Yes | New | 58 | No | No | Yes |
| 19 | ollama | Developer Tools | AI coding and building | Yes | New | 59 | No | No | No |
| 20 | Descript | Productivity | AI content and media | Yes | New | 54 | Yes | No | Yes |
Free to quote with attribution to Torii Research and a link to this page. A plain-text version is at ai-breakout-july-2025.md.
How to read this index
- Rank
- Position by real usage among AI-driven apps in this edition.
- Rank change
- Places gained or lost versus the previous published edition. New marks an app that was not in that edition.
- Shadow IT index
- How often the app is left unsanctioned, 0 to 100.
Definitions in the glossary; formulas and limitations on the Methodology page.
Changelog
- CorrectionRewrote the takeaways from this edition's data.
- ClarificationStandardized the data source description.
- UpdateMoved from toriiresearch.com; title standardized.