Brandwave

How popular isClaude Code?

In September 2026, people searched for Claude Code by name about 3.1 million times worldwide, a 157.1% increase from the previous year. These searches made up 43.3% of all global AI coding agent searches, placing Claude Code first out of seven agents. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about AI coding agents, Claude Code appeared in all answers and was the most recommended of the seven.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Claude Code is the most searched of 7 competitors and the most recommended in AI answers.

  1. Claude CodeShare of searches 43.3%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. ReplitShare of searches 21.1%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  3. OpenAI CodexShare of searches 13.7%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  4. CursorShare of searches 8.5%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  5. GitHub CopilotShare of searches 8.1%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th

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Top AI coding agents in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Claude Code appeared in all five answers. Claude Code is the most recommended of the seven.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Claude Code1st
  2. Cursor2nd
  3. OpenAI Codex3rd
  4. GitHub Copilot4th
  5. Replit5th
  6. Devin5th
  7. Windsurf–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Claude Code5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • OpenAI Codex5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Cursor5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • GitHub Copilot4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Replit1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Devin1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Windsurf0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about AI coding agents

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.

Which AI coding agents compete with Claude Code?

Claude Code against AI coding agents worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Claude Code, Replit, OpenAI Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Devin. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthClaude CodeReplitOpenAI CodexCursorGitHub CopilotDevinWindsurf
Oct 202525.3%25.6%8%18%17.3%2.7%3.2%
Nov 202528.4%23.2%6.6%19.7%15.8%2.8%3.4%
Dec 202531.7%27%5.4%15.7%14.8%2.7%2.7%
Jan 202651.2%20.1%4.2%11.8%9.4%1.7%1.7%
Feb 202650.5%16.3%11.5%9.6%9.2%1.4%1.5%
Mar 202656.8%14.8%7%8.7%10%1.4%1.3%
Apr 202655.1%14.3%8%8.2%11.6%1.6%1.2%
May 202648.8%15.7%14.5%7.7%10.2%1.9%1.2%
Jun 202649.2%15.7%11%10.9%9.1%2.5%1.6%
Jul 202646.6%18.4%14.7%9.1%7.1%2.9%1.3%
Aug 202643.4%21%13.2%10.2%7.9%3.3%1.1%
Sep 202643.3%21.1%13.7%8.5%8.1%4%1.2%

  1. 1.Claude Code

    43.3%

    Held 1st. 3.1M estimated branded searches, -0.96% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

  2. 2.Replit

    21.1%

    Held 2nd. 1.5M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  3. 3.OpenAI Codex

    13.7%

    Held 3rd. 992K estimated branded searches, +3.3% vs prior month. Share +0.5 points.

  4. 4.Cursor

    8.5%

    Held 4th. 616K estimated branded searches, -16.8% vs prior month. Share -1.6 points.

  5. 5.GitHub Copilot

    8.1%

    Held 5th. 583K estimated branded searches, +1.4% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  6. 6.Devin

    4%

    Held 6th. 292K estimated branded searches, +22% vs prior month. Share +0.8 points.

  7. 7.Windsurf

    1.2%

    Held 7th. 87.4K estimated branded searches, +6.5% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

Compare popularity between Claude Code and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Claude Code

10 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Claude Code changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

4 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Claude Code worldwide rose from 1.2M to 3.1M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Claude Code’s share of searches among AI coding agents worldwide increased from 25.3% to 43.3%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Claude Code’s share of searches among AI coding agents worldwide peaked at 56.8% in March 2026 and was lowest at 25.3% in October 2025.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Claude Code rose from 2nd to 1st among AI coding agents worldwide.

How did search popularity change for AI coding agents worldwide in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Devin gained share of searches among AI coding agents worldwide, from 3.3% to 4%.

  2. In September 2026, OpenAI Codex gained share of searches among AI coding agents worldwide, from 13.2% to 13.7%.

  3. In September 2026, Cursor lost share of searches among AI coding agents worldwide, from 10.2% to 8.5%.

  4. Replit’s share of searches among AI coding agents worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 15.7% to 21.1% in September 2026.

  5. Claude Code’s share of searches among AI coding agents worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 49.2% to 43.3% in September 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Windsurf worldwide fell 42.4% over 12 measured months, from 152K to 87.4K in September 2026.

How are Claude Code’s branded searches counted?

22 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Claude Code’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • anthropic claude code
  • Claude Code
  • claude code agents
  • claude code ai
  • claude code anthropic
  • claude code app
  • claude code cli
  • claude code desktop
  • claude code docs
  • claude code extension
  • claude code github
  • claude code mac
  • claude code mcp
  • claude code plugins
  • claude code skills
  • claude code vscode
  • claude code web
  • claude code windows
  • claude codes
  • claude coding
  • claude-code
  • claudecode

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Who owns Claude Code?

Claude Code is owned by Anthropic. Brandwave also tracks Claude, owned by the same company, worldwide.

Do you work for Claude Code? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

Where does Claude Code compete?

Claude Code is ranked in three competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
AI coding agents1st of 743.3%Shown above
AI coding assistants1st of 843.7%Show ranking
AI coding tools1st of 755.1%Show ranking
Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Is Claude Code your brand?

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