Brandwave

Carma vs carsales:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, carsales had more branded searches than Carma among car marketplaces in Australia. carsales had about 823,000 branded searches, while Carma had 22,200. carsales made up 92.1% of all car marketplace searches we track, and Carma accounted for 2.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about car marketplaces, carsales appeared in three of the four answers and Carma in none.

Among car marketplaces in Australia in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

carsales, about 37 searches for every 1 for Carma

carsales 823K searchesCarma 22.2K searches

Who does AI mention more?

carsales, mentioned in 3 of 4 answers, Carma in 0

carsales in 3 of 4Carma in 0 of 4

Who does AI recommend more?

carsales, the only one of the two named

carsales first in 3Carma never named

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Top car marketplaces in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, carsales was mentioned in three out of four: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Carma did not appear in any of the four answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. carsales1st
  2. Gumtree2nd
  3. CarsGuide3rd
  4. Drive4th
  5. Autotrader5th
  6. Carma–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • CarsGuide4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • carsales3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Gumtree3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Drive1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Autotrader1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Carma0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about car marketplaces

4 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which website should I use to buy a used car in Australia?”

    1. 1carsales
    2. 2CarsGuide
    3. 3Gumtree

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best car marketplaces in Australia?”

    1. 1carsales
    2. 2Gumtree
    3. 3CarsGuide
    4. 4Drive
    5. 5Autotrader

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best website in Australia to sell my car privately?”

    1. 1carsales
    2. 2Gumtree
    3. 3CarsGuide

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “used cars for sale”

    Google showed no AI Overview for this search.

  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “buy a car online”

    1. 1CarsGuide

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 22, 2026.

Is Carma or carsales more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Carma and carsales by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six car marketplaces we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.

Carma and carsales among car marketplaces in Australia, by month

Share of searches by month for carsales, Carma. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthcarsalesCarsGuideCarmaDriveAutotraderGumtree
Oct 202594.1%2.5%1.4%0.76%0.62%0.62%
Nov 202593.9%2.5%1.7%0.76%0.62%0.51%
Dec 202594.8%2.1%1.1%0.77%0.63%0.51%
Jan 202693.2%3.1%1.4%0.92%0.76%0.62%
Feb 202693.8%2.5%1.4%1.1%0.62%0.51%
Mar 202693.9%2.5%1.7%0.76%0.62%0.51%
Apr 202694.3%2.6%1.4%0.76%0.62%0.41%
May 202693.9%2.5%1.7%0.76%0.62%0.51%
Jun 202694%2.5%1.7%0.76%0.62%0.41%
Jul 202693.1%3.1%2.1%0.75%0.61%0.41%
Aug 202693.4%2.5%2.1%0.92%0.62%0.5%
Sep 202692.1%3%2.5%1.1%0.74%0.49%

How has the Carma and carsales comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • carsales was ahead of Carma in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Carma’s share of searches among car marketplaces in Australia moved from 1.4% to 2.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 14.8K to 22.2K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, carsales’ share of searches among car marketplaces in Australia moved from 94.1% to 92.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1M to 823K.

How did search popularity change for Australia car marketplaces in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, carsales lost share of searches among car marketplaces in Australia, from 93.4% to 92.1%.

  2. Carma’s share of searches among car marketplaces in Australia has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 1.7% to 2.5% in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Carma’s and carsales’ 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.

Carma

1 branded search term

  • carma

carsales

1 branded search term

  • carsales

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among car marketplaces

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