Brandwave

How popular isSubstack?

In September 2026, people searched for Substack by name about 2.3 million times worldwide, an 81.8% increase from the previous year. These searches made up 22.7% of all global blog hosting platform searches, placing Substack second out of seven platforms. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about blog hosting platforms, Substack appeared in all answers and was the fifth most recommended of the seven.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

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

  1. WixShare of searches 27.8%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  2. SubstackShare of searches 22.7%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  3. BloggerShare of searches 22.1%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th
  4. SquarespaceShare of searches 14.8%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  5. WordPressShare of searches 12%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st

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Top blog hosting platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Substack appeared in all five answers. Substack 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. WordPress1st
  2. Wix2nd
  3. Ghost3rd
  4. Squarespace4th
  5. Substack5th
  6. Blogger6th
  7. Medium7th

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Substack5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • WordPress5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Ghost5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Wix4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Blogger3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Squarespace3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Medium3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about blog hosting platforms

5 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.

Which blog hosting platforms compete with Substack?

Substack against blog hosting platforms worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Wix, Substack, Blogger, Squarespace, WordPress. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthWixSubstackBloggerSquarespaceWordPressMediumGhost
Oct 202530.7%11.2%24.3%13.3%19.9%0.54%0.18%
Nov 202534.2%12.5%22.3%12.1%18.2%0.5%0.18%
Dec 202530.4%16.5%19.6%13.1%19.6%0.53%0.2%
Jan 202632.6%17.9%17.3%14.2%17.3%0.57%0.18%
Feb 202633.7%15.2%17.9%14.7%17.9%0.49%0.18%
Mar 202631.7%17.2%16.8%16.8%16.8%0.46%0.19%
Apr 202632.6%17.7%17.4%14.2%17.4%0.47%0.2%
May 202633.7%18.3%17.9%14.7%14.7%0.54%0.2%
Jun 202629.4%19.8%19%15.6%15.6%0.58%0.18%
Jul 202630.1%20.3%19.6%16.1%13.1%0.67%0.17%
Aug 202629.7%24.5%19.3%12.9%12.9%0.59%0.17%
Sep 202627.8%22.7%22.1%14.8%12%0.46%0.16%

  1. 1.Wix

    27.8%

    Held 1st. 2.8M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -1.9 points.

  2. 2.Substack

    22.7%

    Held 2nd. 2.3M estimated branded searches, -0.77% vs prior month. Share -1.8 points.

  3. 3.Blogger

    22.1%

    Held 3rd. 2.2M estimated branded searches, +22.4% vs prior month. Share +2.8 points.

  4. 4.Squarespace

    14.8%

    Held 4th. 1.5M estimated branded searches, +23% vs prior month. Share +1.9 points.

  5. 5.WordPress

    12%

    Held 5th. 1.2M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.8 points.

  6. 6.Medium

    0.46%

    Held 6th. 46.3K estimated branded searches, -16.7% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

  7. 7.Ghost

    0.16%

    Held 7th. 16.1K estimated branded searches, -0.68% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Substack and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Substack

23 comparisons

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

4 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Substack worldwide rose from 1.3M to 2.3M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Substack’s share of searches among blog hosting platforms worldwide increased from 11.2% to 22.7%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Substack’s share of searches among blog hosting platforms worldwide peaked at 24.5% in August 2026 and was lowest at 11.2% in October 2025.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Substack rose from 5th to 2nd among blog hosting platforms worldwide.

How did search popularity change for blog hosting platforms worldwide in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Blogger gained share of searches among blog hosting platforms worldwide, from 19.3% to 22.1%.

  2. In September 2026, Squarespace gained share of searches among blog hosting platforms worldwide, from 12.9% to 14.8%.

  3. In September 2026, Wix lost share of searches among blog hosting platforms worldwide, from 29.7% to 27.8%.

  4. In September 2026, Substack lost share of searches among blog hosting platforms worldwide, from 24.5% to 22.7%.

  5. In September 2026, WordPress lost share of searches among blog hosting platforms worldwide, from 12.9% to 12%.

  6. Estimated monthly branded searches for Medium worldwide fell 23.7% over 12 measured months, from 60.7K to 46.3K in September 2026.

How are Substack’s branded searches counted?

9 search terms

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

  • Substack
  • substack app
  • substack articles
  • substack live
  • substack newsletter
  • substack newsletter platform
  • substack newsletters
  • substack notes
  • substack podcast

Do you work for Substack? 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

Where does Substack compete?

Substack is ranked in five competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Blog hosting platforms2nd of 722.7%Shown above
Creator membership platforms2nd of 935.3%Show ranking
Membership platforms2nd of 1039.3%Show ranking
Newsletter platforms1st of 759%Show ranking
Paid newsletter platforms1st of 587%Show ranking
Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Is Substack your brand?

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