Captain Morgan vs Malibu:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Captain Morgan had more branded searches than Malibu among rum brands in Australia. Captain Morgan had about 6,600 branded searches, while Malibu had 5,400. Captain Morgan made up 9.9% of all rum brand searches we track, and Malibu accounted for 8.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about rum brands, Captain Morgan appeared in two of the five answers and Malibu in none.
Who do people search for more?
Captain Morgan, about 22% more searches than Malibu
Who does AI mention more?
Captain Morgan, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Malibu in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Captain Morgan, the only one of the two named
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Top rum brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Captain Morgan was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Malibu did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Diplomático1st- Captain Morgan2nd
Kraken3rd
Bacardi3rd
Sailor Jerry5th
Havana Club6th
Bundaberg Rum7th
Malibu–
Beenleigh–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Captain Morgan2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Sailor Jerry2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Diplomático2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Havana Club2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Bundaberg Rum1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Kraken1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Bacardi1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Malibu0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Beenleigh0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about rum brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which rum should I buy in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best rum brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best rum for cocktails?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“rum”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“spiced rum”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 26, 2026.
Is Captain Morgan or Malibu more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Captain Morgan and Malibu by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine rum brands we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Captain Morgan, Malibu. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Bundaberg Rum | Kraken | Bacardi | Captain Morgan | Malibu | Sailor Jerry | Beenleigh | Diplomático | Havana Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 41.8% | 15.6% | 15.6% | 10.4% | 6.9% | 3.8% | 3% | 1.6% | 1.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 41.6% | 15.5% | 15.5% | 10.3% | 6.9% | 3.8% | 3% | 1.6% | 2% |
| Dec 2025 | 37.8% | 17.2% | 17.2% | 9.4% | 9.4% | 3.4% | 2.8% | 1.2% | 1.5% |
| Jan 2026 | 36.2% | 17% | 17% | 9.3% | 9.3% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 1.5% | 2.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 39.2% | 14.6% | 14.6% | 11.9% | 8% | 5.3% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 1.9% |
| Mar 2026 | 40.1% | 15.5% | 15.5% | 12.6% | 6.9% | 3.6% | 3.1% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 38.9% | 17.7% | 14.5% | 11.8% | 7.9% | 3.4% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 1.6% |
| May 2026 | 36.2% | 24.7% | 13.5% | 11% | 6% | 3.2% | 2.7% | 1.2% | 1.5% |
| Jun 2026 | 36.4% | 24.8% | 13.6% | 11.1% | 6% | 3.2% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 41.2% | 19.3% | 12.9% | 10.5% | 7% | 3.8% | 2.6% | 1.2% | 1.4% |
| Aug 2026 | 39.8% | 22.2% | 12.1% | 9.9% | 6.6% | 3.6% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Sep 2026 | 40% | 18.2% | 14.9% | 9.9% | 8.1% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 1.5% | 1.3% |
How has the Captain Morgan and Malibu comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Captain Morgan was ahead of Malibu in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Captain Morgan’s share of searches among rum brands in Australia moved from 10.4% to 9.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 6.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Malibu’s share of searches among rum brands in Australia moved from 6.9% to 8.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.4K to 5.4K.
How did search popularity change for Australia rum brands in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, Malibu gained share of searches among rum brands in Australia, from 6.6% to 8.1%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Captain Morgan’s and Malibu’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.
Captain Morgan
1 branded search term
- captain morgan
Malibu
1 branded search term
- malibu rum
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