--- title: "Fern: search popularity worldwide" description: "Software that generates SDKs and API documentation. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/brands/fern-api" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Fern: search popularity worldwide Software that generates SDKs and API documentation. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Brand**: Fern - **Market**: Global - **Measured month**: Sep 2026 - **Share of Search among developer documentation platforms**: 0.85% ## Where the brand sits | Competitive set | Rank | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Developer documentation platforms | 6 | 0.85% | 430 | - [Developer documentation platforms](/demand/global-en/categories/developer-documentation-platforms) ## Top developer documentation platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Fern was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Fern is the fifth most recommended of the seven. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Mintlify | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | ReadMe | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | GitBook | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Docusaurus | 4th | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Fern | 5th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Read the Docs | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Slate | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about developer documentation platforms - Asked ChatGPT "Which developer documentation platform should I use?": 1. Mintlify, 2. Docusaurus, 3. ReadMe, 4. GitBook, 5. Fern - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best developer documentation platforms?": 1. Mintlify, 2. ReadMe, 3. GitBook, 4. Fern, 5. Docusaurus - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best developer documentation platform for a dev team?": 1. Mintlify, 2. GitBook, 3. ReadMe, 4. Docusaurus - Searched Google, AI Overview "api documentation tool": 1. ReadMe, 2. Mintlify, 3. GitBook, 4. Docusaurus - Searched Google, AI Overview "developer documentation platforms": 1. Mintlify, 2. ReadMe, 3. GitBook Not named in any answer: Read the Docs and Slate. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on October 20, 2026. ## How has branded search demand for Fern changed worldwide over the last 12 months? - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Fern worldwide fell from 490 to 430. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Fern’s share of searches among developer documentation platforms worldwide held steady, from 0.59% to 0.85%. ## How did search popularity change for developer documentation platforms worldwide in September 2026? - In September 2026, Read the Docs gained share of searches among developer documentation platforms worldwide, from 7.6% to 10.7%. - In September 2026, GitBook gained share of searches among developer documentation platforms worldwide, from 6.2% to 7.1%. - In September 2026, ReadMe gained share of searches among developer documentation platforms worldwide, from 0.73% to 1.2%. - In September 2026, Docusaurus lost share of searches among developer documentation platforms worldwide, from 46.6% to 44%. - In September 2026, Mintlify lost share of searches among developer documentation platforms worldwide, from 38.1% to 35.9%. - Estimated monthly branded searches for Slate worldwide fell 50% over 12 measured months, from 140 to 70 in September 2026. ## Historical estimated branded-search demand | Month | Competitive set | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | Developer documentation platforms | 490 | 0.59% | 6 | | Nov 2025 | Developer documentation platforms | 460 | 0.59% | 6 | | Dec 2025 | Developer documentation platforms | 560 | 0.69% | 6 | | Jan 2026 | Developer documentation platforms | 690 | 0.82% | 6 | | Feb 2026 | Developer documentation platforms | 600 | 0.94% | 6 | | Mar 2026 | Developer documentation platforms | 600 | 0.8% | 6 | | Apr 2026 | Developer documentation platforms | 530 | 0.67% | 6 | | May 2026 | Developer documentation platforms | 580 | 0.94% | 6 | | Jun 2026 | Developer documentation platforms | 520 | 0.61% | 6 | | Jul 2026 | Developer documentation platforms | 420 | 0.64% | 6 | | Aug 2026 | Developer documentation platforms | 470 | 0.66% | 6 | | Sep 2026 | Developer documentation platforms | 430 | 0.85% | 6 | ## How are Fern’s branded searches counted? Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Fern’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. - “buildwithfern” - “fern api” ## Which developer documentation platforms compete with Fern? - [Docusaurus](/demand/global-en/brands/docusaurus) - [Mintlify](/demand/global-en/brands/mintlify): Head-to-head: /demand/global-en/compare/fern-api-vs-mintlify - [Read the Docs](/demand/global-en/brands/read-the-docs): Head-to-head: /demand/global-en/compare/fern-api-vs-read-the-docs - [GitBook](/demand/global-en/brands/gitbook): Head-to-head: /demand/global-en/compare/fern-api-vs-gitbook - [ReadMe](/demand/global-en/brands/readme): Head-to-head: /demand/global-en/compare/fern-api-vs-readme - [Slate](/demand/global-en/brands/slate): Head-to-head: /demand/global-en/compare/fern-api-vs-slate ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Fern: search popularity worldwide". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/brands/fern-api This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/brands/fern-api. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.