Report: Developer tools soar 72% while EdTech platforms plummet in AI market shift

The latest SimilarWeb Global AI Tracker reveals a dramatic reshaping of the AI market, with clear winners and losers emerging across sectors. Developer tools are experiencing explosive growth while traditional platforms in freelancing and education face significant declines, signaling a fundamental market reorganization as AI solutions replace conventional approaches. This data provides valuable intelligence for investors and strategists navigating the rapidly evolving AI ecosystem.

The big picture: DevOps and code completion tools are dominating the AI landscape with 72% year-over-year growth, while educational technology platforms continue their decline, dropping 20% as AI alternatives gain traction.

Key winners: Developer-focused AI tools are seeing extraordinary adoption rates that demonstrate immediate practical value.

• Cursor showed remarkable 97% growth while Replit saw 67% growth, highlighting AI’s transformative impact on software development workflows.
• Niche challenger Deepseek posted an astonishing 8,658% growth, demonstrating that specialized AI tools can rapidly capture market share.

Major market shifts: Traditional digital freelance platforms are experiencing a significant contraction as AI tools potentially replace human contractors.

• Major platforms including Fiverr (-22%), Upwork (-18%), and Toptal (-35%) all showed double-digit traffic declines.
• The 20% overall decline in digital freelance platform traffic suggests a fundamental restructuring of knowledge work marketplaces.

Surprising resilience: Design platforms are maintaining strong growth despite competition from AI image generation tools.

• The design sector posted 16% overall growth, with Canva (18%), Adobe Express (19%), and Figma (8%) all showing continued strength.
• This resilience suggests design platforms are successfully integrating AI capabilities rather than being displaced by them.

Education disruption: Traditional EdTech platforms are experiencing precipitous declines as AI alternatives reshape learning.

• Chegg and Course Hero saw traffic plummet by 58% and 59% respectively, indicating a fundamental shift in how students seek educational support.
• The 20% year-over-year traffic decline across the sector points to AI’s disruptive impact on established educational models.

Behind the numbers: Established AI platforms are showing more modest growth compared to specialized newcomers.

• OpenAI properties grew by just 9%, suggesting the market may be entering a new phase where specialized tools outpace general-purpose AI platforms.
• The dramatic contrast between soaring developer tools and plummeting EdTech platforms reveals how AI is redrawing competitive boundaries across sectors.