Melissa & Doug vs Nerf:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Nerf had more branded searches than Melissa & Doug among toy brands in Australia. Nerf had about 5,400 branded searches, while Melissa & Doug had 2,900. Nerf made up 1.3% of all toy brand searches we track, and Melissa & Doug accounted for 0.68%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about toy brands, Nerf appeared in one of the five answers and Melissa & Doug in none.
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Top toy brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Nerf was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Melissa & Doug 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.
LEGO1st
Hot Wheels2nd- Barbie3rd
Playmobil4th
Squishmallows5th- Fisher-Price6th
Hasbro7th
VTech8th
Nerf9th- +2 more
Melissa & Doug–- +2 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- LEGO4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Hot Wheels2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Barbie1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Squishmallows1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Nerf1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- VTech1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Fisher-Price1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Hasbro1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Playmobil1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Melissa & Doug0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about toy brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the most popular toy brands in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best educational toys for toddlers?”
- 1LEGO
- 1
Asked ChatGPT
“Which toys do kids want most this year?”
- 1LEGO
- 1
Searched Google, AI Overview
“toys”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“kids toys”
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 Melissa & Doug or Nerf more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Melissa & Doug and Nerf by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 14 toy brands we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Nerf, Melissa & Doug. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | LEGO | Barbie | Hot Wheels | Squishmallows | Connetix | MAGNA-TILES | Nerf | VTech | Fisher-Price | Hasbro | Playmobil | Melissa & Doug | Ravensburger | Tender Leaf Toys |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 66.4% | 8.9% | 6% | 7.3% | 3.3% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.79% | 0.97% | 0.64% | 0.22% | 0.13% |
| Nov 2025 | 68.5% | 7.5% | 5% | 7.5% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 0.55% | 1% | 0.67% | 0.24% | 0.15% |
| Dec 2025 | 75.1% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 6.8% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 0.9% | 1.1% | 0.9% | 0.4% | 0.74% | 0.49% | 0.22% | 0.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 78.9% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 4.8% | 0.95% | 1.2% | 0.95% | 0.95% | 0.63% | 0.63% | 0.63% | 0.42% | 0.23% | 0.08% |
| Feb 2026 | 73.8% | 8.1% | 4.4% | 5.4% | 1.1% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 0.88% | 0.88% | 0.71% | 1.1% | 0.47% | 0.25% | 0.12% |
| Mar 2026 | 72.5% | 8% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.7% | 1.1% | 0.58% | 0.24% | 0.14% |
| Apr 2026 | 73.2% | 8.1% | 4.4% | 5.4% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 0.88% | 1.1% | 0.88% | 1.1% | 0.58% | 0.32% | 0.12% |
| May 2026 | 73.1% | 8% | 4.4% | 5.4% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.87% | 0.87% | 0.7% | 0.32% | 0.14% |
| Jun 2026 | 70.7% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 6.4% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1% | 1.3% | 1% | 0.85% | 0.85% | 0.68% | 0.31% | 0.17% |
| Jul 2026 | 71.1% | 7.8% | 4.3% | 6.4% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 1% | 1% | 0.85% | 1% | 1% | 0.68% | 0.38% | 0.14% |
| Aug 2026 | 74.2% | 8.2% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 0.89% | 0.89% | 0.73% | 0.89% | 0.58% | 0.26% | 0.12% |
| Sep 2026 | 70.2% | 7.7% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 1.3% | 1% | 0.84% | 0.84% | 0.84% | 0.68% | 0.37% | 0.14% |
How has the Melissa & Doug and Nerf comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Nerf was ahead of Melissa & Doug in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Melissa & Doug’s share of searches among toy brands in Australia moved from 0.64% to 0.68%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 2.9K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nerf’s share of searches among toy brands in Australia moved from 1.2% to 1.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 5.4K.
How did search popularity change for Australia toy brands in September 2026?
0 changes
Neither Melissa & Doug nor Nerf moved beyond provider rounding among toy brands in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Melissa & Doug’s and Nerf’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.
Melissa & Doug
1 branded search term
- melissa and doug
Nerf
1 branded search term
- nerf
Other head-to-heads among toy brands
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