---
title: "AI coding tools: Which brands are most popular in search?"
description: "Compare AI coding assistants, editors, and agents used by software developers, measured through worldwide English-language branded search demand. Share of Search among OpenAI Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, Cline and Factory, the AI coding tools Brandwave compares worldwide, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/ai-coding-tools"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# AI coding tools: Which brands are most popular in search?

Compare AI coding assistants, editors, and agents used by software developers, measured through worldwide English-language branded search demand. Share of Search among OpenAI Codex, Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, Cline and Factory, the AI coding tools Brandwave compares worldwide, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: AI coding tools
- **Market**: Global
- **Brands compared**: 7
- **Month measured**: Aug 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: OpenAI Codex, 35.9%

## Which brand is most popular in search among AI coding tools worldwide?

- In August 2026, OpenAI Codex was the most searched among AI coding tools worldwide, with an estimated 4.4M branded searches and 35.9% estimated Share of Search within this set.
- Claude Code is in 2nd place, 6.4 percentage points behind at 29.5% Share of Search.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, OpenAI Codex’s estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide increased from 16.4% to 35.9%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Claude Code’s estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide increased from 18.5% to 29.5%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Cursor’s estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide decreased from 40.6% to 23.7%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, GitHub Copilot’s estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide decreased from 12.6% to 5.4%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Windsurf’s estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide decreased from 9.6% to 3.7%.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, OpenAI Codex’s estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide peaked at 38.3% in July 2026 and was lowest at 11% in January 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Claude Code’s estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide peaked at 45.2% in March 2026 and was lowest at 18.5% in October 2025.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Cursor’s estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide peaked at 42.9% in November 2025 and was lowest at 19.6% in May 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, GitHub Copilot’s estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide peaked at 12.6% in October 2025 and was lowest at 4.8% in July 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Windsurf’s estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide peaked at 10.2% in November 2025 and was lowest at 3.7% in August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Cline’s estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide peaked at 1.9% in November 2025 and was lowest at 0.85% in April 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, OpenAI Codex rose from 3rd to 1st among AI coding tools worldwide.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Cursor fell from 1st to 3rd among AI coding tools worldwide.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Cline and Factory held steady: their estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [OpenAI Codex vs Claude Code: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/claude-code-vs-openai-codex): 35.9% against 29.5% Share of Search.
- [OpenAI Codex vs Cursor: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/cursor-vs-openai-codex): 35.9% against 23.7% Share of Search.
- [OpenAI Codex vs GitHub Copilot: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/github-copilot-vs-openai-codex): 35.9% against 5.4% Share of Search.
- [OpenAI Codex vs Windsurf: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/openai-codex-vs-windsurf): 35.9% against 3.7% Share of Search.
- [Claude Code vs Cursor: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/claude-code-vs-cursor): 29.5% against 23.7% Share of Search.
- [Claude Code vs GitHub Copilot: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/claude-code-vs-github-copilot): 29.5% against 5.4% Share of Search.
- [Claude Code vs Windsurf: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/claude-code-vs-windsurf): 29.5% against 3.7% Share of Search.
- [Cursor vs GitHub Copilot: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/cursor-vs-github-copilot): 23.7% against 5.4% Share of Search.
- [Cursor vs Windsurf: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/cursor-vs-windsurf): 23.7% against 3.7% Share of Search.
- [GitHub Copilot vs Windsurf: compare search popularity](/demand/global-en/compare/github-copilot-vs-windsurf): 5.4% against 3.7% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for AI coding tools worldwide in August 2026?

- In August 2026, Cursor gained estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide, from 20.7% to 23.7%.
- In August 2026, GitHub Copilot gained estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide, from 4.8% to 5.4%.
- In August 2026, OpenAI Codex lost estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide, from 38.3% to 35.9%.
- In August 2026, Claude Code lost estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide, from 30.8% to 29.5%.
- Cline’s estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 0.88% to 1.6% in August 2026.
- Windsurf’s estimated Share of Search among AI coding tools worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 4.5% to 3.7% in August 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Factory worldwide fell 29.3% over 11 measured months, from 35.6K to 25.1K in August 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | OpenAI Codex | 35.9% | 4.4M | -18.5% | OpenAI |
| 2 | Claude Code | 29.5% | 3.6M | -16.9% | Anthropic |
| 3 | Cursor | 23.7% | 2.9M | -0.7% | Anysphere |
| 4 | GitHub Copilot | 5.4% | 658K | -3.8% | Microsoft |
| 5 | Windsurf | 3.7% | 458K | -19.3% | Cognition |
| 6 | Cline | 1.6% | 197K | +22.9% | Cline |
| 7 | Factory | 0.2% | 25.1K | -6.3% | Factory |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Cursor | 3M | 40.6% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Claude Code | 1.4M | 18.5% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | OpenAI Codex | 1.2M | 16.4% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | GitHub Copilot | 947K | 12.6% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Windsurf | 723K | 9.6% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Cline | 136K | 1.8% | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | Factory | 35.6K | 0.47% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | Cursor | 3M | 42.9% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Claude Code | 1.4M | 19.8% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | OpenAI Codex | 975K | 13.8% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | GitHub Copilot | 784K | 11.1% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Windsurf | 722K | 10.2% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Cline | 132K | 1.9% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Factory | 28.1K | 0.4% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | Cursor | 2.8M | 42.2% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Claude Code | 1.6M | 23.9% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | OpenAI Codex | 806K | 11.9% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | GitHub Copilot | 766K | 11.3% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Windsurf | 588K | 8.7% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Cline | 110K | 1.6% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | Factory | 24.5K | 0.36% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | Claude Code | 4.3M | 40.9% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Cursor | 3.5M | 33.1% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | OpenAI Codex | 1.2M | 11% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | GitHub Copilot | 816K | 7.8% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Windsurf | 591K | 5.6% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Cline | 131K | 1.2% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Factory | 27.6K | 0.26% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | Claude Code | 5.3M | 39.2% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Cursor | 3.5M | 25.8% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | OpenAI Codex | 3M | 22.1% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | GitHub Copilot | 980K | 7.3% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Windsurf | 604K | 4.5% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Cline | 139K | 1% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Factory | 21.1K | 0.16% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | Claude Code | 8.1M | 45.2% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Cursor | 4.2M | 23.8% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | OpenAI Codex | 3.2M | 17.9% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | GitHub Copilot | 1.4M | 7.9% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Windsurf | 723K | 4% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Cline | 164K | 0.92% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | Factory | 35.7K | 0.2% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | Claude Code | 7.9M | 40.9% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | OpenAI Codex | 4.5M | 23.5% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Cursor | 4.2M | 22% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | GitHub Copilot | 1.7M | 8.8% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Windsurf | 719K | 3.7% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Cline | 164K | 0.85% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Factory | 35.8K | 0.19% | 7 |
| May 2026 | Claude Code | 6.4M | 34.9% | 1 |
| May 2026 | OpenAI Codex | 6M | 32.5% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Cursor | 3.6M | 19.6% | 3 |
| May 2026 | GitHub Copilot | 1.4M | 7.5% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Windsurf | 825K | 4.5% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Cline | 162K | 0.88% | 6 |
| May 2026 | Factory | 28.8K | 0.16% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | OpenAI Codex | 5.3M | 31.5% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Claude Code | 5.2M | 31.3% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Cursor | 4.2M | 25.3% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | GitHub Copilot | 1.1M | 6.4% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Windsurf | 721K | 4.3% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Cline | 168K | 1% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Factory | 32.7K | 0.2% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | OpenAI Codex | 5.4M | 38.3% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Claude Code | 4.4M | 30.8% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Cursor | 2.9M | 20.7% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | GitHub Copilot | 684K | 4.8% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Windsurf | 568K | 4% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Cline | 160K | 1.1% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | Factory | 26.8K | 0.19% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | OpenAI Codex | 4.4M | 35.9% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Claude Code | 3.6M | 29.5% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Cursor | 2.9M | 23.7% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | GitHub Copilot | 658K | 5.4% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Windsurf | 458K | 3.7% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Cline | 197K | 1.6% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | Factory | 25.1K | 0.2% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | Claude Code | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Cline | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Cursor | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Factory | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | GitHub Copilot | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | OpenAI Codex | — | — | — |
| Sep 2026 | Windsurf | — | — | — |

## What is being compared

- **Claude Code**: Measured on the search terms “anthropic claude code”, “Claude Code”, “claude code agents”, “claude code ai”, “claude code anthropic”, “claude code app”, “claude code cli”, “claude code desktop”, “claude code docs”, “claude code download”, “claude code extension”, “claude code free”, “claude code github”, “claude code install”, “claude code mac”, “claude code mcp”, “claude code plugins”, “claude code price”, “claude code pricing”, “claude code skills”, “claude code subscription”, “claude code vscode”, “claude code web”, “claude code windows”, “claude codes”, “claude coding”, “claude-code”, “install claude code” and “what is claude code”, summed into one figure.
- **Cline**: Measured on the search terms “Cline”, “cline agent”, “cline ai”, “cline ai agent”, “cline ai coding”, “cline ai vscode”, “cline bot”, “cline bot inc”, “cline cli”, “cline code”, “cline coding”, “cline dev”, “cline extension”, “cline vscode” and “cline.bot”, summed into one figure.
- **Cursor**: Measured on the search terms “anysphere cursor”, “Cursor”, “cursor agent”, “cursor ai”, “cursor ai agent”, “cursor ai app”, “cursor ai code editor”, “cursor ai coding”, “cursor ai coding assistant”, “cursor ai coding tool”, “cursor ai download”, “cursor ai editor”, “cursor ai for students”, “cursor ai free”, “cursor ai ide”, “cursor ai pricing”, “cursor ai pro”, “cursor ai student”, “cursor app”, “cursor bugbot”, “cursor cli”, “cursor code”, “cursor code editor”, “cursor coding”, “cursor com”, “cursor composer”, “cursor download”, “cursor editor”, “cursor for students”, “cursor ide”, “cursor price”, “cursor pricing”, “cursor pro”, “cursor sh”, “cursor vscode”, “cursor.com”, “cursor.sh” and “download cursor ai”, summed into one figure.
- **Factory**: Measured on the search terms “droid factory ai”, “Factory AI”, “factory ai agent”, “factory ai agents”, “factory ai cli”, “factory ai coding”, “factory ai droid”, “factory ai droids”, “factory ai pricing”, “factory droid”, “factory droid cli”, “factory droids”, “factory.ai” and “what is factory ai”, summed into one figure.
- **GitHub Copilot**: Measured on the search terms “copilot github”, “copilot vscode”, “git copilot”, “GitHub Copilot”, “github copilot agent”, “github copilot ai”, “github copilot app”, “github copilot business”, “github copilot certification”, “github copilot chat”, “github copilot cli”, “github copilot coding agent”, “github copilot download”, “github copilot enterprise”, “github copilot extension”, “github copilot free”, “github copilot intellij”, “github copilot price”, “github copilot pricing”, “github copilot pro”, “github copilot student”, “github copilot students”, “github copilot vscode”, “github copilots”, “microsoft github copilot”, “vscode copilot” and “vscode github copilot”, summed into one figure.
- **OpenAI Codex**: Measured on the search terms “ai codex”, “chatgpt codex”, “Codex”, “codex agent”, “codex ai”, “codex ai coding”, “codex app”, “codex chat gpt”, “codex chatgpt”, “codex cli”, “codex coding”, “codex desktop”, “codex extension”, “codex github”, “codex ide”, “codex mac”, “codex open ai”, “codex openai”, “codex pricing”, “codex vscode”, “open ai codex”, “openai codex”, “openai codex cli”, “openai codex download”, “openai codex github”, “openai codex pricing”, “openai's codex” and “openaicodex”, summed into one figure.
- **Windsurf**: Measured on the search terms “codeium”, “codeium ai”, “codeium windsurf”, “Windsurf”, “windsurf ai”, “windsurf ai code editor”, “windsurf ai download”, “windsurf ai ide”, “windsurf ai pricing”, “windsurf app”, “windsurf cascade”, “windsurf code”, “windsurf code editor”, “windsurf codeium”, “windsurf coding”, “windsurf com”, “windsurf download”, “windsurf editor”, “windsurf ide”, “windsurf pricing” and “windsurf.com”, summed into one figure.

- [Claude Code](/demand/global-en/brands/claude-code)
- [Cline](/demand/global-en/brands/cline)
- [Cursor](/demand/global-en/brands/cursor)
- [Factory](/demand/global-en/brands/factory-ai)
- [GitHub Copilot](/demand/global-en/brands/github-copilot)
- [OpenAI Codex](/demand/global-en/brands/openai-codex)
- [Windsurf](/demand/global-en/brands/windsurf)

## Methodology

- [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among AI coding tools worldwide?

In August 2026, OpenAI Codex was the most searched among AI coding tools worldwide, with an estimated 4.4M branded searches and 35.9% estimated Share of Search within this set. Worldwide · English terms: these are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "AI coding tools: Which brands are most popular in search?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/ai-coding-tools

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/ai-coding-tools. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.