Nurofen vs Sudafed:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sudafed had more branded searches than Nurofen among cold and flu brands in Australia. Sudafed had about 18,100 branded searches, while Nurofen had 4,400. Sudafed made up 17% of all cold and flu brand searches we track, and Nurofen accounted for 4.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cold and flu brands, Nurofen appeared in three of the five answers and Sudafed in none.
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Top cold and flu brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Nurofen was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Sudafed did not appear in any of the five answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Nurofen3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Codral2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Demazin1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Strepsils0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Sudafed0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Lemsip0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Bisolvon0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Vicks0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Difflam0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Duro-Tuss0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about cold and flu brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What should I take for a cold in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best cold and flu tablets in Australia?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best thing for a sore throat?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cold and flu tablets”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sore throat”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in Australia on October 26, 2026.
Is Nurofen or Sudafed more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Nurofen and Sudafed by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten cold and flu brands we track, month by month, from searches in Australia.
Share of searches by month for Sudafed, Nurofen. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Strepsils | Sudafed | Lemsip | Bisolvon | Codral | Demazin | Vicks | Difflam | Duro-Tuss | Nurofen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 16.2% | 19.8% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 8.8% | 10.8% | 5.9% | 7.2% | 5.9% | 3.9% |
| Nov 2025 | 17.2% | 21.1% | 11.5% | 9.4% | 7.7% | 9.4% | 6.3% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 3.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 15.6% | 23.3% | 10.4% | 10.4% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 5.7% | 3.8% |
| Jan 2026 | 16.4% | 20.1% | 11% | 11% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 5.9% | 3.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 16.6% | 20.3% | 11.1% | 11.1% | 9% | 9% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 4.9% | 3.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 17.2% | 21% | 11.5% | 9.4% | 9.4% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 5.1% | 3.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 16.6% | 20.3% | 13.6% | 9% | 9% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 6% | 3.3% |
| May 2026 | 15.8% | 19.4% | 15.8% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 5.8% | 3.1% |
| Jun 2026 | 14.7% | 18% | 14.7% | 9.9% | 9.9% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 3.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 16.8% | 20.6% | 13.7% | 9.2% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 3.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 16.4% | 20.1% | 13.4% | 9% | 9% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 6% | 4% |
| Sep 2026 | 17% | 17% | 13.9% | 9.3% | 9.3% | 9.3% | 7.6% | 6.2% | 6.2% | 4.1% |
Nurofen sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “nurofen cold and flu”.
How has the Nurofen and Sudafed comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Sudafed was ahead of Nurofen in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nurofen’s share of searches among cold and flu brands in Australia moved from 3.9% to 4.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.9K to 4.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sudafed’s share of searches among cold and flu brands in Australia moved from 19.8% to 17%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 14.8K to 18.1K.
How did search popularity change for Australia cold and flu brands in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Strepsils overtook Sudafed to become the leader among cold and flu brands in Australia, with 17% of the searches.
In September 2026, Sudafed lost share of searches among cold and flu brands in Australia, from 20.1% to 17%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Nurofen in Australia rose 51.7% over 12 measured months, from 2.9K to 4.4K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Nurofen’s and Sudafed’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 cold and flu brands
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