Cross vs uni-ball:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Cross had more branded searches than uni-ball among ballpoint pen brands worldwide. Cross had about 49,500 branded searches, while uni-ball had 14,800. Cross made up 3.4% of all ballpoint pen brand searches we track, and uni-ball accounted for 1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about ballpoint pen brands, uni-ball appeared in all five answers and Cross in three. uni-ball was mentioned before Cross in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Cross, about 3 searches for every 1 for uni-ball
Who does AI mention more?
uni-ball, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
uni-ball, named ahead of Cross in every answer
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Top ballpoint pen brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, uni-ball appeared in all five answers. Cross was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. uni-ball was listed before Cross in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- uni-ball1st
BIC2nd
Parker3rd
Pilot4th
Zebra5th
Fisher Space Pen6th- Cross7th
Lamy8th
Faber-Castell9th- Muji–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- BIC5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- uni-ball5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Parker4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Pilot4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Cross3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Zebra3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Lamy2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Fisher Space Pen2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Faber-Castell1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Muji0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about ballpoint pen brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which ballpoint pen brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best ballpoint pen brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best ballpoint pen brand for everyday writing?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ballpoint pen brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best ballpoint pen”
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 Cross or uni-ball more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Cross and uni-ball by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten ballpoint pen brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Cross, uni-ball. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | BIC | Faber-Castell | Parker | Pilot | Cross | Lamy | Fisher Space Pen | Zebra | Muji | uni-ball |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 32.3% | 27.8% | 15.2% | 10.7% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 2% | 2% | 1.4% | 1.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 31.8% | 27.3% | 14.9% | 10.6% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 30.5% | 25.4% | 17% | 11.2% | 5.1% | 4.2% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 1% |
| Jan 2026 | 30.4% | 31% | 13.8% | 10.2% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 1% |
| Feb 2026 | 28.6% | 29.1% | 15.9% | 11.7% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.1% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 33.6% | 23.6% | 15.7% | 11.1% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 34.9% | 24.5% | 13.4% | 12.4% | 4% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| May 2026 | 31.3% | 26% | 14.3% | 13.2% | 4.3% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.3% |
| Jun 2026 | 32.4% | 22% | 18% | 12.3% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 3% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 28.3% | 23.5% | 19.2% | 13.1% | 3.9% | 4.7% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 29% | 29.5% | 16.1% | 11.9% | 3.2% | 4% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 0.97% |
| Sep 2026 | 30% | 25% | 20.4% | 11.7% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 1% |
How has the Cross and uni-ball comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Cross was ahead of uni-ball in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cross’ share of searches among ballpoint pen brands worldwide moved from 3.7% to 3.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 49.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, uni-ball’s share of searches among ballpoint pen brands worldwide moved from 1.1% to 1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 14.8K.
How did search popularity change for ballpoint pen brands worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, Cross rose from 6th to 5th among ballpoint pen brands worldwide.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cross’ and uni-ball’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 ballpoint pen brands
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