Brandwave

AI research tools:Which brands are most popular in search?

In August 2026, Perplexity was the most searched among AI research tools worldwide, with an estimated 11.1M branded searches and 93.5% estimated Share of Search within this set. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of Search, August 2026
  1. Perplexity93.5%
  2. Consensus3.1%
  3. Elicit3.1%
  4. Scite0.28%

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Share of SearchLeaderboard

Compare the AI tools people use to research a topic. 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.

Share of Search among AI research tools worldwide, by month

Share of Search by month for Perplexity, Consensus, Elicit. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthPerplexityConsensusElicitScite
Oct 202597.6%0.78%1.4%0.16%
Nov 202597.1%1.2%1.5%0.2%
Dec 202596.7%1.4%1.7%0.23%
Jan 202695.8%1.6%2.3%0.26%
Feb 202695.5%1.9%2.3%0.26%
Mar 202694.8%2.2%2.7%0.24%
Apr 202694.8%2.2%2.7%0.25%
May 202694.3%2.7%2.7%0.24%
Jun 202693.8%3.3%2.7%0.24%
Jul 202693.6%3.1%3.1%0.23%
Aug 202693.5%3.1%3.1%0.28%
Sep 2026————

This month’s ranking, August 2026

  1. 1.Perplexity

    93.5%

    Held 1st. 11.1M estimated branded searches, -0.33% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

  2. 2.Consensus

    3.1%

    Held 2nd. 368K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  3. 3.Elicit

    3.1%

    Held 3rd. 368K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  4. 4.Scite

    0.28%

    Held 4th. 33.1K estimated branded searches, +22.1% vs prior month. Share +0.1 points.

Compare search popularity between leading brands

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

In August 2026, Perplexity was the most searched among AI research tools worldwide, with an estimated 11.1M branded searches and 93.5% estimated Share of Search within this set. Consensus is in 2nd place, 90.4 percentage points behind at 3.1% Share of Search.

Global AI research tools, last 12 months ending September 2026
BrandShare of SearchPeakLowRank
Perplexity97.6% → 93.5%97.6%Oct 202593.5%Aug 20261st
Consensus0.78% → 3.1%3.3%Jun 20260.78%Oct 20253rd → 2nd
Elicit1.4% → 3.1%3.1%Aug 20261.4%Oct 20252nd → 3rd
Scite0.16% → 0.28%0.28%Aug 20260.16%Oct 20254th

Each finding as a sentence

  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Perplexity’s estimated Share of Search among AI research tools worldwide decreased from 97.6% to 93.5%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Consensus’ estimated Share of Search among AI research tools worldwide increased from 0.78% to 3.1%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Elicit’s estimated Share of Search among AI research tools worldwide increased from 1.4% to 3.1%.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Consensus’ estimated Share of Search among AI research tools worldwide peaked at 3.3% in June 2026 and was lowest at 0.78% in October 2025.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Consensus rose from 3rd to 2nd among AI research tools worldwide.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Elicit fell from 2nd to 3rd among AI research tools worldwide.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Scite held steady: its estimated Share of Search among AI research tools worldwide moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

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

  1. Perplexity’s estimated Share of Search among AI research tools worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 94.3% to 93.5% in August 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Consensus worldwide rose 22.3% over 11 measured months, from 301K to 368K in August 2026.

  3. Estimated monthly branded searches for Scite worldwide fell 45.3% over 11 measured months, from 60.5K to 33.1K in August 2026.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for Elicit worldwide fell 33.1% over 11 measured months, from 550K to 368K in August 2026.

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