Festool vs Ryobi:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Ryobi had more branded searches than Festool among belt sander brands worldwide. Ryobi had about 660,000 branded searches, while Festool had 246,000. Ryobi made up 22.3% 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, Ryobi appeared in four of the five answers and Festool in one. Ryobi was mentioned before Festool in three out of four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Ryobi, about 3 searches for every 1 for Festool
Who does AI mention more?
Ryobi, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Festool in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Ryobi, named ahead of Festool in 3 of 4 answers
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Top belt sander brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ryobi was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. 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. Ryobi was listed before Festool in three out of four answers.
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 Ryobi more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Festool and Ryobi 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 Ryobi, 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 Ryobi comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Ryobi 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, Ryobi’s share of searches among belt sander brands worldwide moved from 19.1% to 22.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 641K to 660K.
How did search popularity change for belt sander brands worldwide in September 2026?
3 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, DeWalt overtook Ryobi to rank 2nd among belt sander brands worldwide, with 22.8% of the searches.
In September 2026, Ryobi lost share of searches among belt sander brands worldwide, from 23.6% to 22.3%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Festool’s and Ryobi’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 belt sander brands
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