Afterpay vs PayPal:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Afterpay had more branded searches than PayPal among buy now pay later services in Australia. Afterpay had about 246,000 branded searches, while PayPal had 12,100. Afterpay made up 71.6% of all buy now pay later service searches we track, and PayPal accounted for 3.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about buy now pay later services, PayPal appeared in all five answers and Afterpay in four. PayPal was mentioned before Afterpay in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Afterpay, about 20 searches for every 1 for PayPal
Who does AI mention more?
PayPal, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
PayPal, named ahead of Afterpay in 4 of 5 answers
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Top buy now pay later services in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, PayPal appeared in all five answers. Afterpay was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. PayPal was listed before Afterpay in four out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Zip5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- PayPal5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Afterpay4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Klarna3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
humm1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about buy now pay later services
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which buy now pay later service should I use in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best buy now pay later services in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best buy now pay later option in Australia for a large purchase?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“buy now pay later”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“afterpay alternatives”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 22, 2026.
Is Afterpay or PayPal more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Afterpay and PayPal by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all five buy now pay later services we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Afterpay, PayPal. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Afterpay | Zip | Klarna | humm | PayPal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 70.7% | 11.6% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 3.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 68.4% | 13.8% | 7.5% | 6.2% | 4.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 71% | 11.7% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Jan 2026 | 70.2% | 11.6% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 4.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 66.4% | 13.4% | 8.9% | 7.3% | 4% |
| Mar 2026 | 67.5% | 13.6% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 4.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 70.7% | 11.6% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 3.5% |
| May 2026 | 70.7% | 11.6% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 3.5% |
| Jun 2026 | 68.4% | 13.8% | 7.5% | 6.2% | 4.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 71.6% | 11.8% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 3.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 71.6% | 11.8% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 3.5% |
| Sep 2026 | 71.6% | 11.8% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 3.5% |
How has the Afterpay and PayPal comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Afterpay was ahead of PayPal in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Afterpay’s share of searches among buy now pay later services in Australia moved from 70.7% to 71.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 301K to 246K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, PayPal’s share of searches among buy now pay later services in Australia held steady at 3.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 14.8K to 12.1K.
How did search popularity change for Australia buy now pay later services in September 2026?
2 changes
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Afterpay’s and PayPal’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among buy now pay later services
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