Brandwave

Hill's vs Iams:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Hill's had more branded searches than Iams among cat food brands worldwide. Hill's had about 450,000 branded searches, while Iams had 66,200. Hill's made up 34.8% of all cat food brand searches we track, and Iams accounted for 5.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cat food brands, Hill's appeared in four of the five answers and Iams in three. Hill's was mentioned before Iams in three out of four answers.

Among cat food brands worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Hill's, about 7 searches for every 1 for Iams

Hill's 450K searchesIams 66.2K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Hill's, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Iams in 3

Hill's in 4 of 5Iams in 3 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Hill's, named ahead of Iams in 3 of 4 answers

Hill's first in 3Iams first in 1

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Top cat food brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Hill's was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Iams was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Hill's was listed before Iams in three out of four answers.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Hill's1st
  2. Iams2nd
  3. Royal Canin3rd
  4. Fancy Feast4th
  5. Whiskas–
  6. ZIWI Peak–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Royal Canin5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Hill's4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Iams3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Fancy Feast2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Whiskas0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • ZIWI Peak0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about cat food brands

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 Hill's or Iams more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Hill's and Iams by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six cat food brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

Hill's and Iams among cat food brands worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Hill's, Iams. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthRoyal CaninHill'sWhiskasIamsFancy FeastZIWI Peak
Oct 202544.4%36.3%10.9%4%2.7%1.8%
Nov 202544.1%36.1%10.8%3.9%2.7%2.4%
Dec 202542.9%35.1%12.9%4.7%2.6%1.9%
Jan 202644.4%36.3%10.9%4%2.7%1.8%
Feb 202643%35.2%12.9%4.2%2.6%2%
Mar 202652.4%28.6%10.5%4.2%2.6%1.7%
Apr 202643%35.1%12.9%4.2%2.6%2.2%
May 202642.9%35.1%12.9%3.8%3.2%2.2%
Jun 202643%35.2%12.9%4.2%2.6%2%
Jul 202642.8%35%12.8%4.2%3.1%2%
Aug 202647.3%31.6%11.6%4.2%3.5%1.8%
Sep 202642.5%34.8%12.7%5.1%3.1%1.8%

How has the Hill's and Iams comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Hill's was ahead of Iams in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hill's’ share of searches among cat food brands worldwide moved from 36.3% to 34.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 550K to 450K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Iams’ share of searches among cat food brands worldwide moved from 4% to 5.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.2K to 66.2K.

How did search popularity change for cat food brands worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes
  1. In September 2026, Hill's gained share of searches among cat food brands worldwide, from 31.6% to 34.8%.

  2. In September 2026, Iams gained share of searches among cat food brands worldwide, from 4.2% to 5.1%.

How are branded searches counted?

3 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hill's’ and Iams’ 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.

Hill's

1 branded search term

  • hill's

Iams

2 branded search terms

  • iams
  • iams cat food

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among cat food brands

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