Brandwave

How popular isMcDonald's in search?

In September 2026, there were an estimated 101M branded searches for McDonald's worldwide which held steady over the last 12 months. McDonald's holds 47.5% estimated Share of Search among fast food chains worldwide and is ranked 1st of 9 competitors for search popularity. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of Search, September 2026
  1. McDonald's47.5%
  2. Burger King14.3%
  3. KFC11.7%
  4. Subway9.6%
  5. Taco Bell7.8%
  6. Wendy's5.2%
  7. Popeyes2.9%
  8. Carl's Jr.1.1%
  9. Nando's0.02%
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Which fast food chains compete with McDonald's?

McDonald's against fast food chains worldwide, by month

Share of Search by month for McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Subway, Taco Bell, Wendy's, Popeyes. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthMcDonald'sBurger KingKFCSubwayTaco BellWendy'sPopeyesCarl's Jr.Nando's
Oct 202546.6%14%11.5%9.4%7.7%6.3%3.5%1%0.03%
Nov 202549.2%12.1%12.1%8.1%8.1%5.4%3.6%1.3%0.03%
Dec 202551.8%12.7%12.7%6.9%6.9%4.6%3.1%1.1%0.02%
Jan 202648%14.5%11.8%7.9%7.9%5.3%3.6%1.1%0.02%
Feb 202646%13.8%13.8%9.2%7.5%5.1%3.4%1.2%0.03%
Mar 202647.2%14.2%11.6%9.5%7.8%5.2%3.5%1%0.02%
Apr 202647.2%14.2%11.6%9.5%7.8%5.2%3.5%1%0.02%
May 202647.5%14.3%11.7%9.6%7.8%5.2%2.9%1.1%0.03%
Jun 202647.5%14.3%11.7%9.6%7.8%5.2%2.9%1.1%0.02%
Jul 202652%12.8%10.4%8.6%7%5.7%2.6%0.94%0.02%
Aug 202650.9%12.5%12.5%8.4%6.8%5.6%2.5%0.92%0.02%
Sep 202647.5%14.3%11.7%9.6%7.8%5.2%2.9%1.1%0.02%

  1. 1.McDonald's

    47.5%

    Held 1st. 101M estimated branded searches, -18.5% vs prior month. Share -3.4 points.

  2. 2.Burger King

    14.3%

    Held 2nd. 30.4M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1.8 points.

  3. 3.KFC

    11.7%

    Held 3rd. 24.9M estimated branded searches, -18.1% vs prior month. Share -0.8 points.

  4. 4.Subway

    9.6%

    Held 4th. 20.4M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1.2 points.

  5. 5.Taco Bell

    7.8%

    Held 5th. 16.6M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1 points.

  6. 6.Wendy's

    5.2%

    Held 6th. 11.1M estimated branded searches, -18.4% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.

  7. 7.Popeyes

    2.9%

    Held 7th. 6.1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.4 points.

  8. 8.Carl's Jr.

    1.1%

    Held 8th. 2.2M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

  9. 9.Nando's

    0.02%

    Held 9th. 44.4K estimated branded searches, -9.9% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare search popularity between McDonald's and its closest rivals

Every comparison with McDonald's

How has branded search demand for McDonald's changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for McDonald's worldwide held steady at 101M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, McDonald's’ estimated Share of Search among fast food chains worldwide increased from 46.6% to 47.5%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, McDonald's’ estimated Share of Search among fast food chains worldwide peaked at 52% in July 2026 and was lowest at 46% in February 2026.

How did search popularity change for fast food chains worldwide in September 2026?

  1. In September 2026, Burger King gained estimated Share of Search among fast food chains worldwide, from 12.5% to 14.3%.

  2. In September 2026, Subway gained estimated Share of Search among fast food chains worldwide, from 8.4% to 9.6%.

  3. In September 2026, Taco Bell gained estimated Share of Search among fast food chains worldwide, from 6.8% to 7.8%.

  4. In September 2026, McDonald's lost estimated Share of Search among fast food chains worldwide, from 50.9% to 47.5%.

  5. In September 2026, KFC lost estimated Share of Search among fast food chains worldwide, from 12.5% to 11.7%.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Wendy's worldwide fell 18.4% over 12 measured months, from 13.6M to 11.1M in September 2026.

How is McDonald's measured?

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using McDonald's’ 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

  • mcdonalds

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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