AI coding assistants:Which are most popular?
In September 2026, Claude Code was the most searched AI coding assistant worldwide, accounting for 43.7% of all searches among the eight assistants we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, Claude Code, Cursor and GitHub Copilot showed up in every answer. Cursor was recommended most often, coming first in every response.
Claude CodeShare of searches 43.7%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
ReplitShare of searches 21.4%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
OpenAI CodexShare of searches 13.9%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
CursorShare of searches 8.6%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
GitHub CopilotShare of searches 8.2%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
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Top AI coding assistants in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Claude Code, Cursor and GitHub Copilot appeared every time. Cursor was recommended most often, coming first in every answer. Claude Code was second, and GitHub Copilot was third.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Cursor1st
- Claude Code2nd
- GitHub Copilot3rd
- OpenAI Codex4th
- Replit5th
Windsurf6th
Lovable7th
Bolt8th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Claude Code5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Cursor5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- GitHub Copilot5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- OpenAI Codex3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Windsurf2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Replit1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Bolt1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Lovable1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about AI coding assistants
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which AI coding assistant should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best AI coding assistants?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best AI coding assistant for help coding?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ai coding assistant”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“programming ai assistant”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Which AI coding assistants do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each AI coding assistant by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight AI coding assistants we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Claude Code, Replit, OpenAI Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Claude Code | Replit | OpenAI Codex | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | Bolt | Lovable | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 24.9% | 25.2% | 7.9% | 17.7% | 17.1% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 3.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 28% | 22.9% | 6.5% | 19.5% | 15.6% | 2% | 2% | 3.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 31.4% | 26.8% | 5.3% | 15.6% | 14.7% | 1.6% | 2% | 2.7% |
| Jan 2026 | 50.9% | 19.9% | 4.1% | 11.7% | 9.3% | 0.97% | 1.4% | 1.6% |
| Feb 2026 | 50.2% | 16.2% | 11.5% | 9.6% | 9.1% | 0.79% | 1.2% | 1.5% |
| Mar 2026 | 56.8% | 14.8% | 7% | 8.7% | 10% | 0.59% | 0.88% | 1.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 55% | 14.3% | 8% | 8.1% | 11.6% | 0.57% | 1.3% | 1.2% |
| May 2026 | 48.7% | 15.6% | 14.5% | 7.6% | 10.2% | 0.76% | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 49.2% | 15.7% | 11% | 10.9% | 9.1% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 1.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 46.2% | 18.3% | 14.6% | 9% | 7.1% | 1.6% | 2% | 1.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.2% | 20.9% | 13.1% | 10.1% | 7.9% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.1% |
| Sep 2026 | 43.7% | 21.4% | 13.9% | 8.6% | 8.2% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.2% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 43.7% | 3.1M | -0.96% | +0.5 points | |
| 2, held 2nd | 21.4% | 1.5M | 0% | +0.5 points | |
| 3, held 3rd | 13.9% | 992K | +3.3% | +0.7 points | |
| 4, held 4th | 8.6% | 616K | -16.8% | -1.5 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 8.2% | 583K | +1.4% | +0.3 points | |
| 6, held 6th | 1.5% | 110K | -18.5% | -0.3 points | |
| 7, held 7th | 1.5% | 110K | -18.5% | -0.3 points | |
| 8, held 8th | 1.2% | 87.4K | +6.5% | +0.1 points |
43.7%
Held 1st. 3.1M estimated branded searches, -0.96% vs prior month. Share +0.5 points.
2.
Replit21.4%
Held 2nd. 1.5M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.5 points.
13.9%
Held 3rd. 992K estimated branded searches, +3.3% vs prior month. Share +0.7 points.
4.
Cursor8.6%
Held 4th. 616K estimated branded searches, -16.8% vs prior month. Share -1.5 points.
8.2%
Held 5th. 583K estimated branded searches, +1.4% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.
6.
Bolt1.5%
Held 6th. 110K estimated branded searches, -18.5% vs prior month. Share -0.3 points.
7.
Lovable1.5%
Held 7th. 110K estimated branded searches, -18.5% vs prior month. Share -0.3 points.
8.
Windsurf1.2%
Held 8th. 87.4K estimated branded searches, +6.5% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.
Which brand is most popular in search among AI coding assistants worldwide?
8 brands
In September 2026, Claude Code was the most searched among AI coding assistants worldwide, with an estimated 3.1M branded searches, 43.7% of all searches for the eight we track. Replit is in 2nd place, 22.4 percentage points behind at 21.4%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | 24.9% → 43.7% | 56.8%Mar 2026 | 24.9%Oct 2025 | 2nd → 1st |
| Replit | 25.2% → 21.4% | 26.8%Dec 2025 | 14.3%Apr 2026 | 1st → 2nd |
| OpenAI Codex | 7.9% → 13.9% | 14.6%Jul 2026 | 4.1%Jan 2026 | 5th → 3rd |
| Cursor | 17.7% → 8.6% | 19.5%Nov 2025 | 7.6%May 2026 | 3rd → 4th |
| GitHub Copilot | 17.1% → 8.2% | 17.1%Oct 2025 | 7.1%Jul 2026 | 4th → 5th |
| Bolt | 2.3% → 1.5% | 2.3%Oct 2025 | 0.57%Apr 2026 | 7th → 6th |
| Lovable | 1.9% → 1.5% | 2%Nov 2025 | 0.88%Mar 2026 | 8th → 7th |
| Windsurf | 3.1% → 1.2% | 3.4%Nov 2025 | 1.1%Aug 2026 | 6th → 8th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Claude Code’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide increased from 24.9% to 43.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Replit’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide decreased from 25.2% to 21.4%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OpenAI Codex’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide increased from 7.9% to 13.9%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cursor’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide decreased from 17.7% to 8.6%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, GitHub Copilot’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide decreased from 17.1% to 8.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bolt’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide decreased from 2.3% to 1.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Windsurf’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide decreased from 3.1% to 1.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Claude Code’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide peaked at 56.8% in March 2026 and was lowest at 24.9% in October 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Replit’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide peaked at 26.8% in December 2025 and was lowest at 14.3% in April 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OpenAI Codex’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide peaked at 14.6% in July 2026 and was lowest at 4.1% in January 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cursor’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide peaked at 19.5% in November 2025 and was lowest at 7.6% in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, GitHub Copilot’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide peaked at 17.1% in October 2025 and was lowest at 7.1% in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bolt’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide peaked at 2.3% in October 2025 and was lowest at 0.57% in April 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lovable’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide peaked at 2% in November 2025 and was lowest at 0.88% in March 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Windsurf’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide peaked at 3.4% in November 2025 and was lowest at 1.1% in August 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Claude Code rose from 2nd to 1st among AI coding assistants worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Replit fell from 1st to 2nd among AI coding assistants worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, OpenAI Codex rose from 5th to 3rd among AI coding assistants worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cursor fell from 3rd to 4th among AI coding assistants worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, GitHub Copilot fell from 4th to 5th among AI coding assistants worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bolt rose from 7th to 6th among AI coding assistants worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lovable rose from 8th to 7th among AI coding assistants worldwide.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Windsurf fell from 6th to 8th among AI coding assistants worldwide.
How did search popularity change for AI coding assistants worldwide in September 2026?
7 changes
In September 2026, OpenAI Codex gained share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide, from 13.1% to 13.9%.
In September 2026, Claude Code gained share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide, from 43.2% to 43.7%.
In September 2026, Cursor lost share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide, from 10.1% to 8.6%.
Replit’s share of searches among AI coding assistants worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 15.7% to 21.4% in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Lovable worldwide rose 21.5% over 12 measured months, from 90.5K to 110K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Windsurf worldwide fell 42.4% over 12 measured months, from 152K to 87.4K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for GitHub Copilot worldwide fell 29.9% over 12 measured months, from 832K to 583K in September 2026.
Compare popularity between leading brands
- Claude Code vs Replit: compare popularity
- Claude Code vs OpenAI Codex: compare popularity
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- Claude Code vs GitHub Copilot: compare popularity
- Replit vs OpenAI Codex: compare popularity
- Replit vs Cursor: compare popularity
- Replit vs GitHub Copilot: compare popularity
- OpenAI Codex vs Cursor: compare popularity
- OpenAI Codex vs GitHub Copilot: compare popularity
- Cursor vs GitHub Copilot: compare popularity
- Compare any of these brands
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