Brandwave

dbt vs Lightdash:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Lightdash had more branded searches than dbt among analytics engineering platforms worldwide. Lightdash had about 9,900 branded searches, while dbt had 6,600. Lightdash made up 38.6% of all analytics engineering platform searches we track, and dbt accounted for 25.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about analytics engineering platforms, dbt appeared in all five answers and Lightdash in none.

Among analytics engineering platforms worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Lightdash, about 50% more searches than dbt

Lightdash 9.9K searchesdbt 6.6K searches

Who does AI mention more?

dbt, mentioned in every answer we collected

dbt in 5 of 5Lightdash in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

dbt, the only one of the two named

dbt first in 5Lightdash never named

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Top analytics engineering platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, dbt appeared in all five answers. Lightdash did not appear in any of the five answers.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. dbt1st
  2. Coalesce2nd
  3. Dataform3rd
  4. SQLMesh4th
  5. Lightdash–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • dbt5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Coalesce5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Dataform3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • SQLMesh3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Lightdash0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about analytics engineering platforms

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.

Is dbt or Lightdash more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for dbt and Lightdash by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all five analytics engineering platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

dbt and Lightdash among analytics engineering platforms worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Lightdash, dbt. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthLightdashDataformdbtSQLMeshCoalesce
Oct 202521%25.8%31.5%21%0.67%
Nov 202526.3%26.3%32.3%14.4%0.68%
Dec 202526.3%26.3%32.3%14.4%0.68%
Jan 202624.8%30.4%30.4%13.5%0.79%
Feb 202628.9%28.9%28.9%12.8%0.61%
Mar 202630.5%24.9%30.5%13.5%0.65%
Apr 202634.9%23.3%28.6%12.7%0.6%
May 202630.5%24.8%30.5%13.5%0.64%
Jun 202628.6%23.3%34.9%12.7%0.49%
Jul 202629.3%23.9%35.8%10.5%0.51%
Aug 202635.9%23.9%29.3%10.5%0.4%
Sep 202638.6%25.7%25.7%9.4%0.55%

How has the dbt and Lightdash comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • The lead changed hands 3 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Lightdash took it in April 2026, dbt took it in June 2026, Lightdash took it in August 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, dbt’s share of searches among analytics engineering platforms worldwide moved from 31.5% to 25.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 9.9K to 6.6K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lightdash’s share of searches among analytics engineering platforms worldwide moved from 21% to 38.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.6K to 9.9K.

How did search popularity change for analytics engineering platforms worldwide in September 2026?

3 changes

  1. In September 2026, Dataform overtook dbt to rank 2nd among analytics engineering platforms worldwide, with 25.7% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Lightdash gained share of searches among analytics engineering platforms worldwide, from 35.9% to 38.6%.

  3. In September 2026, dbt lost share of searches among analytics engineering platforms worldwide, from 29.3% to 25.7%.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using dbt’s and Lightdash’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.

dbt

1 branded search term

  • dbt cloud

Lightdash

1 branded search term

  • lightdash

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among analytics engineering platforms

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