Festool vs Makita:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Makita had more branded searches than Festool among belt sander brands worldwide. Makita had about 823,000 branded searches, while Festool had 246,000. Makita made up 27.8% of all belt sander brand searches we track, and Festool accounted for 8.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about belt sander brands, Makita appeared in all five answers and Festool in one. Makita was mentioned before Festool in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Makita, about 3 searches for every 1 for Festool
Who does AI mention more?
Makita, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Makita, named ahead of Festool in every answer
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Top belt sander brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Makita appeared in all five answers. Festool was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Makita was listed before Festool in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Makita5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Ryobi4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
DeWalt3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Bosch3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Festool1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Craftsman0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Black+Decker0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Grizzly0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about belt sander brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which belt sander brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best belt sander brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best belt sander brand for woodworking projects?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best belt sander”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“belt sander for woodworking”
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 Festool or Makita more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Festool and Makita by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight belt sander brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Makita, Festool. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Makita | DeWalt | Ryobi | Craftsman | Festool | Black+Decker | Grizzly | Bosch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 36.3% | 20% | 19.1% | 7.3% | 9% | 7.3% | 0.98% | 0.06% |
| Nov 2025 | 32% | 21.6% | 24.1% | 6.4% | 7.9% | 7.1% | 0.87% | 0.05% |
| Dec 2025 | 29.3% | 24.1% | 22% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 1.2% | 0.06% |
| Jan 2026 | 27.5% | 22.5% | 22.9% | 10.1% | 8.2% | 7.4% | 1.4% | 0.05% |
| Feb 2026 | 28.3% | 23.2% | 19.3% | 12.7% | 8.5% | 6.9% | 1.1% | 0.06% |
| Mar 2026 | 28.8% | 19.4% | 22.6% | 13% | 8.7% | 6.3% | 1.2% | 0.05% |
| Apr 2026 | 26.1% | 21.3% | 24.8% | 11.7% | 7.8% | 7% | 1.3% | 0.06% |
| May 2026 | 25.2% | 20.6% | 25.7% | 11.3% | 7.5% | 8.3% | 1.2% | 0.06% |
| Jun 2026 | 25.2% | 20.6% | 26.8% | 11.3% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 1% | 0.06% |
| Jul 2026 | 24.4% | 19.9% | 25.9% | 13.3% | 7.3% | 8% | 1.2% | 0.07% |
| Aug 2026 | 27.1% | 22.2% | 23.6% | 12.1% | 6.6% | 7.2% | 1.1% | 0.06% |
| Sep 2026 | 27.8% | 22.8% | 22.3% | 10.2% | 8.3% | 7.4% | 1.1% | 0.06% |
How has the Festool and Makita comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Makita was ahead of Festool in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Festool’s share of searches among belt sander brands worldwide moved from 9% to 8.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 301K to 246K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Makita’s share of searches among belt sander brands worldwide moved from 36.3% to 27.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.2M to 823K.
How did search popularity change for belt sander brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Festool overtook Black+Decker to rank 5th among belt sander brands worldwide, with 8.3% of the searches.
In September 2026, Makita gained share of searches among belt sander brands worldwide, from 27.1% to 27.8%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Festool’s and Makita’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.
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