Brandwave

How popular isKubernetes in search?

In August 2026, there were an estimated 301K branded searches for Kubernetes worldwide which is down 18.2% over the last 11 months. Kubernetes holds 59.7% estimated Share of Search among container platforms worldwide and is ranked 1st of 6 competitors for search popularity. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of Search, August 2026
  1. Kubernetes59.7%
  2. Podman14.7%
  3. OpenShift9.8%
  4. Rancher9.8%
  5. Docker4.4%
  6. containerd1.6%
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Which container platforms compete with Kubernetes?

Kubernetes against container platforms worldwide, by month

Share of Search by month for Kubernetes, Podman, OpenShift, Rancher, Docker. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthKubernetesPodmanOpenShiftRancherDockercontainerd
Oct 202558.2%14.3%11.7%9.6%4.3%1.9%
Nov 202559.2%14.6%11.9%8%4.4%1.9%
Dec 202547%11.5%9.4%9.4%21.1%1.5%
Jan 202659.7%14.7%9.8%9.8%4.4%1.6%
Feb 202617.8%3.6%2.9%2.4%72.7%0.48%
Mar 202620.2%5%4.1%3.3%66.9%0.54%
Apr 202655.9%16.8%11.2%9.2%5%1.8%
May 202662.7%12.6%10.3%8.4%4.6%1.4%
Jun 202662.7%12.6%10.3%8.4%4.6%1.4%
Jul 202657.9%14.2%11.6%9.5%5.2%1.6%
Aug 202659.7%14.7%9.8%9.8%4.4%1.6%
Sep 2026——————

  1. 1.Kubernetes

    59.7%

    Held 1st. 301K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1.8 points.

  2. 2.Podman

    14.7%

    Held 2nd. 74K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.4 points.

  3. 3.OpenShift

    9.8%

    Held 3rd. 49.5K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -1.8 points.

  4. 4.Rancher

    9.8%

    Held 4th. 49.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.

  5. 5.Docker

    4.4%

    Held 5th. 22.2K estimated branded searches, -18.1% vs prior month. Share -0.8 points.

  6. 6.containerd

    1.6%

    Held 6th. 8.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare search popularity between Kubernetes and its closest rivals

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

  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Kubernetes worldwide fell from 368K to 301K.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Kubernetes’ estimated Share of Search among container platforms worldwide increased from 58.2% to 59.7%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Kubernetes’ estimated Share of Search among container platforms worldwide peaked at 62.7% in May 2026 and was lowest at 17.8% in February 2026.

How did search popularity change for container platforms worldwide in August 2026?

  1. In August 2026, Kubernetes gained estimated Share of Search among container platforms worldwide, from 57.9% to 59.7%.

  2. In August 2026, OpenShift lost estimated Share of Search among container platforms worldwide, from 11.6% to 9.8%.

  3. In August 2026, Docker lost estimated Share of Search among container platforms worldwide, from 5.2% to 4.4%.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for containerd worldwide fell 33.1% over 11 measured months, from 12.1K to 8.1K in August 2026.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Podman worldwide fell 18.2% over 11 measured months, from 90.5K to 74K in August 2026.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Rancher worldwide fell 18.2% over 11 measured months, from 60.5K to 49.5K in August 2026.

Where does Kubernetes compete?

Kubernetes is ranked in two competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of SearchRanking
Containerisation platforms2nd of 537.6%Show ranking
Container platforms1st of 659.7%Shown above

How is Kubernetes measured?

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

1 branded search term

  • kubernetes

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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