Pinterest CEO Bill Ready claimed the platform processes more searches than ChatGPT during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call this week. The assertion came as Pinterest reported disappointing financial results that sent shares tumbling 20% in after-hours trading.
According to third-party data cited by Ready, ChatGPT handles approximately 75 billion searches monthly while Pinterest sees 80 billion. Pinterest generates 1.7 billion monthly clicks from those searches, with over half being commercial in nature. Ready contrasted this with ChatGPT's search activity, where he estimated only about 2% of queries have commercial intent.
"That makes us one of the largest search destinations in the world," Ready said during the February 2026 earnings call.
The comparison positions Pinterest against OpenAI's popular AI chatbot, which has become a cultural phenomenon since its 2022 launch.
Pinterest's search volume claim arrived alongside disappointing fourth-quarter 2025 results. The company reported $1.32 billion in revenue, missing Wall Street's $1.33 billion expectation. Earnings per share came in at 67 cents versus the projected 69 cents.
First-quarter 2026 guidance also fell short. Pinterest forecast revenue between $951 million and $971 million, below the $980 million analysts anticipated. The company attributed the shortfall to larger advertisers reducing spending, particularly in European markets, and new furniture tariffs implemented in October that disrupted home category sales.
Monthly active users grew 12% year-over-year to 619 million, surpassing the 613 million Wall Street forecast. This user growth highlights Pinterest's ongoing challenge: converting high platform engagement into consistent advertising revenue.
The company has historically struggled to monetize its user base effectively. Many users visit Pinterest for planning and inspiration rather than immediate purchases.
This dynamic could become more challenging as advertisers potentially shift budgets toward platforms with clearer purchase intent, including AI chatbots that provide product recommendations.
Ready emphasized Pinterest's visual search, discovery, and personalization capabilities during the earnings call. He noted these features surface relevant products immediately when users open the app, without requiring typed prompts. The company has also benefited from simplified checkout flows through its Amazon partnership.
Pinterest shares dropped 20% following the earnings release, marking the second consecutive quarter of significant post-earnings declines. The stock had previously doubled from its 2022 lows before this week's selloff.
The search comparison comes as Pinterest invests in AI-powered tools for visual search and product recommendations. These investments aim to improve user engagement and advertiser performance, though the company's total annual revenue of $4.22 billion remains far smaller than Google's search advertising business, which generated $63.1 billion in the fourth quarter of 2025 alone.
Ready's ChatGPT comparison represents a strategic attempt to reframe Pinterest as a search powerhouse rather than just another social platform. The company processes billions of searches monthly across its more than 500 million monthly active users, though direct verification of search volume comparisons remains difficult without OpenAI's disclosure of granular metrics.
Pinterest's positioning arrives during a period of significant transformation in search technology. Google faces increased competition from AI chatbots, voice assistants, and social platforms, while TikTok has emerged as a search destination for younger users seeking product recommendations. Amazon dominates product search for immediate purchases.
The company reported that trends affecting its fourth-quarter performance could intensify during the first quarter of 2026. Pinterest continues to navigate the shift toward AI-powered shopping while maintaining its focus on visual, intent-driven discovery at the intersection of inspiration and commerce.
