Brandwave

How popular isredBus?

In September 2026, people searched for redBus by name about 7.5 million times worldwide, an 18.2% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 35.7% of all global bus booking platform searches, placing redBus second out of seven platforms. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about bus booking platforms, redBus appeared in two of the five answers and was the fifth most recommended of the seven.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

redBus is the second most searched of 7 competitors and the fifth most recommended in AI answers.

  1. FlixBusShare of searches 35.7%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  2. redBusShare of searches 35.7%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  3. BlaBlaCarShare of searches 23.9%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  4. BusbudShare of searches 1.4%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  5. GreyhoundShare of searches 1.4%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th

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Top bus booking platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, redBus was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. redBus is the fifth most recommended of the seven.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Wanderu1st
  2. Busbud2nd
  3. FlixBus3rd
  4. Greyhound4th
  5. redBus5th
  6. Megabus6th
  7. BlaBlaCar–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • FlixBus5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Greyhound5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Wanderu5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Busbud4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • redBus2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Megabus1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • BlaBlaCar0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about bus booking platforms

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 19, 2026.

Which bus booking platforms compete with redBus?

redBus against bus booking platforms worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for FlixBus, redBus, BlaBlaCar. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthFlixBusredBusBlaBlaCarBusbudGreyhoundMegabusWanderu
Oct 202531.3%38.3%25.6%1.3%1.3%1.9%0.31%
Nov 202535.5%35.5%23.7%1.7%1.4%1.7%0.35%
Dec 202533.8%33.8%27.6%1.7%1.1%1.7%0.33%
Jan 202635.7%35.7%23.9%1.8%1.2%1.4%0.24%
Feb 202635.6%35.6%23.8%1.4%1.4%1.8%0.29%
Mar 202635.6%35.6%23.8%1.8%1.4%1.4%0.29%
Apr 202631.6%38.6%25.9%1.3%1%1.3%0.26%
May 202631.6%38.6%25.8%1.3%1.3%1.3%0.26%
Jun 202633.8%33.8%27.7%1.7%1.4%1.4%0.27%
Jul 202638.5%31.5%25.8%1.6%1.3%1%0.26%
Aug 202631.6%38.6%25.8%1.3%1.3%1.3%0.26%
Sep 202635.7%35.7%23.9%1.4%1.4%1.4%0.29%

  1. 1.FlixBus

    35.7%

    Moved from 2nd to 1st. 7.5M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +4.2 points.

  2. 2.redBus

    35.7%

    Moved from 1st to 2nd. 7.5M estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -2.8 points.

  3. 3.BlaBlaCar

    23.9%

    Held 3rd. 5M estimated branded searches, -18.3% vs prior month. Share -1.9 points.

  4. 4.Busbud

    1.4%

    Held 4th. 301K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  5. 5.Greyhound

    1.4%

    Held 5th. 301K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  6. 6.Megabus

    1.4%

    Held 6th. 301K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  7. 7.Wanderu

    0.29%

    Held 7th. 60.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between redBus and its closest rivals

Every comparison with redBus

6 comparisons

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

4 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for redBus worldwide fell from 9.1M to 7.5M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, redBus’ share of searches among bus booking platforms worldwide decreased from 38.3% to 35.7%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, redBus’ share of searches among bus booking platforms worldwide peaked at 38.6% in April 2026 and was lowest at 31.5% in July 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, redBus fell from 1st to 2nd among bus booking platforms worldwide.

How did search popularity change for bus booking platforms worldwide in September 2026?

5 changes

  1. In September 2026, FlixBus overtook redBus to become the leader among bus booking platforms worldwide, with 35.7% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, redBus lost share of searches among bus booking platforms worldwide, from 38.6% to 35.7%.

  3. In September 2026, BlaBlaCar lost share of searches among bus booking platforms worldwide, from 25.8% to 23.9%.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for Megabus worldwide fell 33.1% over 12 measured months, from 450K to 301K in September 2026.

  5. Estimated monthly branded searches for Wanderu worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 74K to 60.5K in September 2026.

How are redBus’ branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using redBus’ 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.

  • red bus
  • redbus

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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