Sudafed vs Vicks:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sudafed had more branded searches than Vicks among cold and flu brands in Australia. Sudafed had about 18,100 branded searches, while Vicks had 8,100. Sudafed made up 17% of all cold and flu brand searches we track, and Vicks accounted for 7.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cold and flu brands, neither Sudafed nor Vicks appeared in any of the five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Sudafed, about 2 searches for every 1 for Vicks
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 0 of 5 answers.
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Top cold and flu brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, neither Sudafed nor Vicks showed up 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 Sudafed or Vicks more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Sudafed and Vicks 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, Vicks. 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% |
How has the Sudafed and Vicks comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Sudafed was ahead of Vicks in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Vicks’ share of searches among cold and flu brands in Australia moved from 5.9% to 7.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.4K to 8.1K.
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%.
In September 2026, Vicks rose from 8th to 7th among cold and flu brands in Australia.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Sudafed’s and Vicks’ 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.
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