HBF vs nib:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, nib had more branded searches than HBF among health insurance funds in Australia. nib had about 64,300 branded searches, while HBF had 61,600. nib made up 17.8% of all health insurance fund searches we track, and HBF accounted for 17.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about health insurance funds, HBF appeared in two of the five answers and nib in one. HBF was mentioned before nib in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
nib and HBF are searched for about as often as each other.
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Top health insurance funds in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, HBF was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. nib was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. HBF was listed before nib in every answer that named either.
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.
Medibank4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
HCF4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
HBF2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Bupa2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Frank2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
nib1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
ahm1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
GMHBA1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Australian Unity0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about health insurance funds
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which health insurance fund should I join in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best private health insurance funds in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best private health insurance in Australia for a young couple?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“private health insurance”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“health insurance comparison”
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 HBF or nib more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for HBF and nib by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine health insurance funds we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for nib, HBF. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Medibank | nib | HBF | Bupa | ahm | HCF | GMHBA | Australian Unity | Frank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 32.9% | 18.3% | 17.1% | 9.9% | 5.4% | 8.1% | 4.4% | 2% | 2% |
| Nov 2025 | 34.8% | 19.4% | 15.3% | 8.5% | 4.7% | 8.5% | 4.7% | 2.1% | 2.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 32.8% | 18.4% | 17.2% | 9.9% | 4.4% | 8.1% | 5.4% | 2% | 2% |
| Jan 2026 | 34.7% | 16.5% | 15.3% | 10.4% | 5.7% | 8.5% | 4.7% | 2.1% | 2.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 31.2% | 18.2% | 16.8% | 9.4% | 6.3% | 9.4% | 5.1% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Mar 2026 | 27.6% | 16.9% | 16.1% | 12.4% | 6.8% | 10.1% | 5.5% | 2% | 2.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 30.6% | 17.1% | 17.1% | 11.2% | 6.1% | 9.2% | 5% | 1.8% | 1.8% |
| May 2026 | 32.7% | 19% | 17.6% | 9.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 1.6% | 2% |
| Jun 2026 | 32.7% | 19.1% | 17.1% | 9.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 1.6% | 2.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 32% | 18.6% | 19.4% | 9.6% | 6.4% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| Aug 2026 | 32.8% | 19.1% | 17.1% | 9.8% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 2% | 2% |
| Sep 2026 | 30.5% | 17.8% | 17.1% | 11.2% | 7.5% | 6.2% | 5% | 2.7% | 1.8% |
How has the HBF and nib comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: HBF took it in July 2026, nib took it in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, HBF’s share of searches among health insurance funds in Australia held steady at 17.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 70.4K to 61.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, nib’s share of searches among health insurance funds in Australia moved from 18.3% to 17.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 75.3K to 64.3K.
How did search popularity change for Australia health insurance funds in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, nib lost share of searches among health insurance funds in Australia, from 19.1% to 17.8%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for HBF in Australia fell 12.5% over 12 measured months, from 70.4K to 61.6K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using HBF’s and nib’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 health insurance funds
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