Doubao’s Ascent: How ByteDance’s AI App Surpassed DeepSeek

In January, when the Chinese AI startup DeepSeek achieved global acclaim, it not only stunned Silicon Valley but also caught the attention of ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok. ByteDance, a Chinese tech behemoth, had already launched Doubao, its flagship AI assistant app with a user base in the tens of millions. However, DeepSeek’s overnight rise to fame as the most prominent Chinese AI company led to a significant decline in discussions about Doubao.

Doubao’s Resurgence

By August, Doubao had reclaimed its position as the most popular AI app in China, boasting over 157 million monthly active users, as reported by QuestMobile, a Chinese data intelligence provider. DeepSeek, with 143 million monthly active users, dropped to second place. In the same month, venture capital firm a16z ranked Doubao as the fourth – most – popular generative AI app globally, trailing only behind industry giants like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini.

Distinctive Design and Features

Doubao, launched in 2023, was crafted with a focus on creating a personable experience. Unlike many popular AI chatbots, its app icon features a human – like avatar – a female cartoon character with a short bob that welcomes users upon their first app launch. The name “Doubao,” which literally means “steamed bun with bean paste,” was designed to mimic “the kind of nickname a user would give to an intimate friend,” as stated by ByteDance vice president Alex Zhu in a 2024 public speech.

Compared to Western AI apps, Doubao offers a more inviting and engaging experience, according to Dermot McGrath, a Shanghai – based investor and technologist. “ChatGPT, for instance, feels like a task – oriented tool that users open and close. Doubao, on the other hand, has a more feature – rich and visually appealing user interface that keeps users engaged for longer periods.”

The All – in – One App

Doubao is a comprehensive platform, integrating features similar to ChatGPT, Midjourney, Sora, Character.ai, TikTok, Perplexity, Copilot, and more. It supports text, audio, and video – based communication, and can generate images, spreadsheets, decks, podcasts, and five – second videos. Additionally, it enables users to customize AI agents for specific scenarios and host them on Doubao’s platform for others to utilize. One of its key strengths is its deep integration with Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. This integration allows Doubao to attract users from the video – sharing platform while also driving traffic back to it.

Somehow, ByteDance’s ambitious and far – reaching strategy for Doubao has resonated with Chinese users. Launched just over two years ago, Doubao has quietly become the go – to AI app for many Chinese, especially those less familiar with AI technology. However, it remains relatively unknown in the Western market.

Irene Zhang, a researcher at ChinaTalk, a newsletter focused on Chinese tech, notes that “Doubao is targeted at individuals who may not be highly tech – savvy and who prefer voice chat and video interaction over text. Some of the earliest users I heard of were my friends’ grandmothers and aunties.”

Poe Zhao, a Beijing – based tech analyst and author of the Substack newsletter Hello China Tech, suggests that while DeepSeek resembles “a first – generation AI app, similar to the early days of ChatGPT,” Doubao represents the second generation of AI platforms in China. Doubao “incorporates richer functions, clear visual cues, and scenario – based guidance, which significantly reduces the cognitive barrier for using large models. This makes it more accessible to the mass market,” Zhao adds.

Over time, ByteDance has added numerous features to Doubao, some of which were inspired by its competitors. For example, when Google introduced an update in August enabling Gemini to generate realistic 3D objects, Doubao quickly added a 3D preset function to its image – generation menu.

Designed for Virality

Doubao may not possess the most advanced AI capabilities in the market, but ByteDance excels at encouraging users to share their interactions with the chatbot on social media. Douyin users can tag Doubao in video comments, prompting it to provide a text summary of the video content. Conversely, Doubao users are recommended Douyin videos within answers and can view them directly within Doubao without switching apps.

Wei Sun, the principal AI analyst at Counterpoint Research, a Hong Kong – based technology market research firm, states that “it’s a combination of convenience and dopamine, especially appealing to the younger generations. It has just the right elements for virality. This light, low – effort user experience is what drives social sharing and user engagement in China. It may not be the best in its class, but it’s highly effective for distribution.”

As a result, Doubao – generated images are prevalent on Chinese social media platforms, identifiable by the Doubao watermark in the bottom – right corner. For example, on RedNote, China’s leading social media platform, when a user asked for suggestions on how to utilize the empty space in their bedroom, the comments were filled with interior design ideas generated by Doubao, ranging from practical solutions like installing shelving and storage to humorous suggestions such as opening a boba tea store in the room.

Influencers are also leveraging Doubao’s text – to – speech function to create content. The app allows them to develop interactive audio chat agents in 20 different regional dialects, enabling them to generate the specific comedic effects desired by different audiences. Irene Zhang notes that “there are viral videos on the Chinese internet of people interacting with Doubao and essentially having it produce voice – based memes. This implicitly targets an audience that prefers voice over text.”

How Doubao Outperformed DeepSeek

At the core of Doubao’s success is ByteDance’s extensive experience in developing viral mobile apps. The company is renowned for its ability to create popular, even addictive, platforms, as evidenced by TikTok and Douyin. ByteDance is often referred to as the “app factory” in China due to its regular launch of dozens of new apps for various use cases. It has a robust organizational structure that enables rapid iteration, feature testing, and user – migration between apps.

Experts suggest that this is where ByteDance holds a significant advantage over DeepSeek, an AI startup with little experience in building consumer – facing platforms. DeepSeek’s initial popularity was driven by the efficiency and performance of its first model, but its product remains relatively basic – essentially just a text chatbot. While DeepSeek’s AI is recognized for its proficiency in math and logic tasks, it lags behind in multi – modal functionality and user onboarding.

According to McGrath, some consumers left DeepSeek in search of image – generation capabilities or autonomous agents, while others were deterred by server – related issues, as DeepSeek’s servers often struggled to handle the chatbot’s traffic. Many of these users migrated to Doubao. QuestMobile data from August indicates that nearly 40 percent of users who abandoned DeepSeek switched to Doubao.

ByteDance is now looking to expand Doubao’s presence within its broader technology ecosystem. Reports suggest that the company has collaborated with smart – glasses manufacturers, carmakers (including Tesla), and other device OEMs to embed Doubao as in – car assistants or AI companions, extending its reach beyond smartphones and computers.

This is an edition of Zeyi Yang and Louise Matsakis’ Made in China newsletter. Read previous newsletters [here].