Nurofen vs Panadol:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Nurofen had more branded searches than Panadol among pain relief brands in Australia. Nurofen had about 49,500 branded searches, while Panadol had 40,500. Nurofen made up 30.3% of all pain relief brand searches we track, and Panadol accounted for 24.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about pain relief brands, Nurofen and Panadol each appeared in three of the five answers. Panadol was mentioned before Nurofen in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Nurofen, about 22% more searches than Panadol
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 3 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Panadol, named ahead of Nurofen in every answer
Follow Nurofen vs Panadol and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top pain relief brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Nurofen and Panadol were each mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Panadol was listed before Nurofen in every answer.
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.
- Nurofen3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Panadol3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Voltaren1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Naprogesic0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Deep Heat0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Dencorub0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Disprin0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about pain relief brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which pain relief should I take for a headache in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best pain relief brands in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best pain relief for back pain?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“back pain relief”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“pain relief”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 26, 2026.
Is Nurofen or Panadol more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Nurofen and Panadol by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven pain relief brands we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Nurofen, Panadol. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Nurofen | Panadol | Naprogesic | Voltaren | Deep Heat | Dencorub | Disprin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 29.7% | 24.3% | 16.3% | 19.9% | 5.9% | 2.1% | 1.8% |
| Nov 2025 | 29.8% | 24.4% | 16.3% | 20% | 6% | 2.1% | 1.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 33% | 22.1% | 18.1% | 18.1% | 5.4% | 2% | 1.5% |
| Jan 2026 | 30.1% | 20.1% | 20.1% | 20.1% | 6% | 2.2% | 1.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 28.4% | 23.2% | 19% | 19% | 6.9% | 2.1% | 1.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 28.8% | 23.5% | 19.3% | 19.3% | 5.8% | 2.1% | 1.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 31% | 20.8% | 17% | 20.8% | 6.2% | 2.8% | 1.5% |
| May 2026 | 28% | 22.9% | 18.8% | 18.8% | 6.9% | 3% | 1.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 33.4% | 22.3% | 15% | 18.3% | 6.7% | 3% | 1.3% |
| Jul 2026 | 33.4% | 22.3% | 15% | 18.3% | 6.7% | 3% | 1.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 30.8% | 25.2% | 16.8% | 16.8% | 6.2% | 2.7% | 1.5% |
| Sep 2026 | 30.3% | 24.8% | 16.6% | 16.6% | 7.4% | 2.7% | 1.5% |
How has the Nurofen and Panadol comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Nurofen was ahead of Panadol in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nurofen’s share of searches among pain relief brands in Australia moved from 29.7% to 30.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 40.5K to 49.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Panadol’s share of searches among pain relief brands in Australia moved from 24.3% to 24.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 33.1K to 40.5K.
How did search popularity change for Australia pain relief brands in September 2026?
2 changes
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Nurofen’s and Panadol’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 pain relief brands
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.