Barbie vs Funko:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Barbie had more branded searches than Funko among action figure brands worldwide. Barbie had about 1.8 million branded searches, while Funko had 550,000. Barbie made up 54.6% of all action figure brand searches we track, and Funko accounted for 16.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about action figure brands, neither Barbie nor Funko appeared in any of the four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Barbie, about 3 searches for every 1 for Funko
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 0 of 4 answers.
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Top action figure brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, neither Barbie nor Funko showed up in any of the four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Hot Toys4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Hasbro4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
NECA4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
McFarlane4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
Bandai2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
MAFEX2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers- Barbie0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Funko0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about action figure brands
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which action figure brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best action figure brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best action figure brand for collectors?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“action figures”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“collectible action figures”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Barbie or Funko more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Barbie and Funko by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight action figure brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Barbie, Funko. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Barbie | Funko | Bandai | Hot Toys | Hasbro | NECA | MAFEX | McFarlane |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 59.8% | 18% | 5.4% | 6.6% | 5.4% | 2.9% | 0.72% | 1.3% |
| Nov 2025 | 54.5% | 24.3% | 6% | 6% | 4.9% | 2.7% | 0.66% | 0.99% |
| Dec 2025 | 59.8% | 21.8% | 4.4% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 2.4% | 0.72% | 1.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 55.7% | 20.4% | 6.1% | 7.5% | 5% | 2.2% | 0.82% | 2.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 58.2% | 17.5% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 2.9% | 0.71% | 1.6% |
| Mar 2026 | 61.6% | 15.1% | 6.8% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 3% | 0.75% | 1.7% |
| Apr 2026 | 62.8% | 12.6% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 2.5% | 0.93% | 1.7% |
| May 2026 | 56.2% | 16.9% | 7.6% | 7.6% | 6.2% | 2.8% | 1% | 1.9% |
| Jun 2026 | 59.2% | 14.6% | 8% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 2.9% | 1.1% | 1.3% |
| Jul 2026 | 54.9% | 13.5% | 11% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 3.3% | 0.99% | 1.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 52.2% | 15.7% | 10.5% | 10.5% | 5.7% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 54.6% | 16.4% | 9% | 9% | 6% | 2.7% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
How has the Barbie and Funko comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Barbie was ahead of Funko in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Barbie’s share of searches among action figure brands worldwide moved from 59.8% to 54.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.2M to 1.8M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Funko’s share of searches among action figure brands worldwide moved from 18% to 16.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 673K to 550K.
How did search popularity change for action figure brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Barbie gained share of searches among action figure brands worldwide, from 52.2% to 54.6%.
In September 2026, Funko gained share of searches among action figure brands worldwide, from 15.7% to 16.4%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Barbie’s and Funko’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among action figure brands
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