Google AI Tool Shakes Up Adobes Market Share

The AI Showdown: Google's Nano Banana vs. Adobe's Firefly

Is Google's latest AI image-editing tool a genuine threat to Adobe's dominance? New data strongly suggests it's already making a significant impact. When Google launched its Gemini 2.5 Flash model in August, better known by its viral codename Nano Banana, it quickly became an internet sensation. The tool's ability to edit images with AI for free or at a very low cost raised questions about the future for established players like Adobe, which sells competing creative software.

Google launched Nano Banana in August. Photo: Camille Cohen / AFP

A Tale of Two Apps: The Download Data Speaks Volumes

Data provided by analytics firm Appfigures paints a clear picture of a market in flux. As downloads for Google's Gemini app skyrocketed following the release of Nano Banana, Adobe's generative AI app, Firefly, experienced a sharp decline. The timing of these trends suggests a direct correlation.

Before Nano Banana's arrival, Firefly was on an impressive growth trajectory, with downloads in August increasing by 150% over the previous month. In contrast, Gemini grew just 20% during that same period. However, the landscape shifted dramatically after Google integrated Nano Banana into the Gemini app on August 26. In the week that followed, Firefly's downloads plummeted by more than half, while Gemini's surged.

Data from Appfigures shows the diverging trajectories of Firefly and Gemini. Source: Appfigures

The trend has continued. As of early October, Gemini downloads were up 331% compared to late July, while Firefly's were down 68%, hitting their lowest point since Nano Banana's launch. In raw numbers, Google's Gemini app saw 6.1 million more downloads in a single week compared to the week it launched the new image model, while Firefly experienced 2 million fewer downloads.

Market Tremors and Adobe's Strategic Response

The shift is not isolated to global trends. In the US market, Gemini downloads jumped 88% from the end of September to the end of October, while Firefly downloads dropped by a staggering 82% over the same period.

In response to the changing dynamics, Adobe added Google's Nano Banana model to its Firefly app in September. The company's stated advantage is providing a variety of AI models in one place, saving users from switching between different platforms. Despite this integration, users appear to be flocking directly to the source, the Gemini app.

This challenge is reflected in Adobe's financial performance, with its stock price down nearly 35% over the past year. The company faces immense pressure not only from Google but also from OpenAI and a growing number of AI competitors entering the creative space.