AI Race Heats Up As Doubao Hits 1.9B Queries, Qianwen Holds 40M DAU

Flow Festival: The Battle for the "Entry Point" Driving an 80-Billion-Yuan Red Envelope Rush

In 2026, the Year of the Horse, China's AI industry experienced its largest-ever "Red Envelope War." Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance, and Baidu collectively poured over 80 billion yuan into the fray, far surpassing the scale of the mobile payment battles a decade earlier. This time, the fight wasn't about linking bank cards—it was a contest to dominate the "super entry point" in the era of large AI models.

QuestMobile data shows that by December 2025, monthly active users (MAU) for mobile AI apps, built-in AI assistants from smartphone makers, and PC-based AI applications had reached 722 million, 559 million, and 205 million, respectively. During the Spring Festival, tech giants amplified this competition to mass audiences through sponsorships of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, viral social campaigns, and free shopping incentives.

Post-War Review: Doubao Surges, Qianwen Holds Steady, Yuanshi Retreats

While daily active users (DAU) for major AI apps hit record highs over the holiday, post-festival retention rates told a different story:

Doubao (ByteDance): As the exclusive AI partner of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, Doubao reached a historic peak of 145 million DAU on New Year’s Eve, with 1.9 billion AI interactions that night. Although traffic dropped sharply after the holiday, its user base remained structurally higher than before the campaign.

Tongyi Qianwen (Alibaba): Through its "Spring Festival Banquet Plan" and 3-billion-yuan subsidy program, Qianwen saw DAU surge by up to 940%, peaking at 7.352 million. Its performance proved the most stable, maintaining around 4 million DAU after the holiday. Part of this retention can be attributed to coupon validity extended to March 3rd—true user stickiness will be tested once the promotion ends.

Yuanshi (Tencent): Leveraging WeChat’s social sharing features, Yuanshi reached 40.54 million DAU on New Year’s Eve, with explosive growth in group chat red envelope scenarios. However, once the holiday ended, activity fell sharply, nearly returning to pre-campaign levels.

Looking Deeper: The "Necessity" Test After the Red Envelope Wave Recedes

While the red envelope frenzy temporarily boosted AI app adoption, an industry consensus is emerging: simply giving away money isn’t enough to build lasting competitive advantage.

Currently, Doubao leads in traffic volume and brand recognition in lower-tier cities; Qianwen has demonstrated how AI can drive transactions via "one-command shopping"; and Yuanshi has carved out an initial role in social settings. Yet turning "red envelope chasers" into daily active users remains the ultimate challenge. For AI apps to endure, they must evolve from entertaining novelties into essential tools—deeply integrated into work, learning, and shopping—so they can hold their ground once the promotional tide subsides.

Would you like to see the latest App Store rankings for AI apps after the 2026 Spring Festival, or dive deeper into the commercial conversion rates behind Alibaba’s "one-command order" feature?