Brandwave

How popular isOpenAI in search?

In September 2026, there were an estimated 6.1M branded searches for OpenAI worldwide which is down 33% over the last 12 months. OpenAI holds 48.1% estimated Share of Search among AI model companies worldwide and is ranked 1st of 5 competitors for search popularity. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of Search, September 2026
  1. OpenAI48.1%
  2. Anthropic39.3%
  3. Mistral AI10%
  4. xAI1.6%
  5. Google DeepMind1.1%
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Which AI model companies compete with OpenAI?

OpenAI against AI model companies worldwide, by month

Share of Search by month for OpenAI, Anthropic, Mistral AI. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthOpenAIAnthropicMistral AIxAIGoogle DeepMind
Oct 202578.1%7%10.9%3.1%0.77%
Nov 202576.7%8.4%10.7%3.1%1.1%
Dec 202581.5%6%9.4%2.2%0.81%
Jan 202666.5%13.3%13.9%4.9%1.5%
Feb 202643%43%9%3.9%1.2%
Mar 202665.7%24.2%7.5%2.2%0.44%
Apr 202656.5%30.9%9.7%2.3%0.68%
May 202658.9%26.4%10.9%2.9%0.87%
Jun 202642%42%12.6%2.5%0.92%
Jul 202655.1%30.2%11.5%2.2%1%
Aug 202654.8%30%11.4%2.2%1.5%
Sep 202648.1%39.3%10%1.6%1.1%

  1. 1.OpenAI

    48.1%

    Held 1st. 6.1M estimated branded searches, +22.4% vs prior month. Share -6.8 points.

  2. 2.Anthropic

    39.3%

    Held 2nd. 5M estimated branded searches, +82.5% vs prior month. Share +9.2 points.

  3. 3.Mistral AI

    10%

    Held 3rd. 1.3M estimated branded searches, +22.4% vs prior month. Share -1.4 points.

  4. 4.xAI

    1.6%

    Held 4th. 201K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.6 points.

  5. 5.Google DeepMind

    1.1%

    Held 5th. 135K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.

Compare search popularity between OpenAI and its closest rivals

Every comparison with OpenAI

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

  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for OpenAI worldwide fell from 9.1M to 6.1M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OpenAI’s estimated Share of Search among AI model companies worldwide decreased from 78.1% to 48.1%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OpenAI’s estimated Share of Search among AI model companies worldwide peaked at 81.5% in December 2025 and was lowest at 42% in June 2026.

How did search popularity change for AI model companies worldwide in September 2026?

  1. In September 2026, Anthropic gained estimated Share of Search among AI model companies worldwide, from 30% to 39.3%.

  2. In September 2026, OpenAI lost estimated Share of Search among AI model companies worldwide, from 54.8% to 48.1%.

  3. In September 2026, Mistral AI lost estimated Share of Search among AI model companies worldwide, from 11.4% to 10%.

  4. In September 2026, xAI lost estimated Share of Search among AI model companies worldwide, from 2.2% to 1.6%.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Google DeepMind worldwide rose 49.2% over 12 measured months, from 90.5K to 135K in September 2026.

Where does OpenAI compete?

OpenAI 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
Generative AI platforms2nd of 50.87%Show ranking
AI model companies1st of 548.1%Shown above

How is OpenAI measured?

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using OpenAI’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

  • openai

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

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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