Hot Toys vs NECA:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Hot Toys had more branded searches than NECA among collectible figure brands worldwide. Hot Toys had about 301,000 branded searches, while NECA had 90,500. Hot Toys made up 24.2% of all collectible figure brand searches we track, and NECA accounted for 7.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about collectible figure brands, Hot Toys appeared in two of the four answers and NECA in one. Hot Toys was mentioned before NECA in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Hot Toys, about 3 searches for every 1 for NECA
Who does AI mention more?
Hot Toys, mentioned in 2 of 4 answers, NECA in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Hot Toys, named ahead of NECA in 2 of 2 answers
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Top collectible figure brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Hot Toys was mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. NECA was mentioned in one out of four: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Hot Toys was listed before NECA in every answer that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Good Smile Company1st- Hot Toys2nd
Funko3rd
NECA4th
McFarlane5th- Kotobukiya6th
Sideshow–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Funko3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Good Smile Company3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Hot Toys2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- NECA1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Sideshow1 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Kotobukiya1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- McFarlane1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about collectible figure brands
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which collectible figure brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best collectible figure brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best collectible figure brand for display shelves?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“collectible figures”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“display figures”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Hot Toys or NECA more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Hot Toys and NECA by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven collectible figure brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Hot Toys, NECA. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Funko | Hot Toys | Good Smile Company | NECA | Sideshow | Kotobukiya | McFarlane |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 52.1% | 19% | 5.7% | 8.5% | 7% | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Nov 2025 | 61.8% | 15.2% | 5.6% | 6.8% | 5.6% | 2.5% | 2.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 62.1% | 15.3% | 4.6% | 6.8% | 5.6% | 2.5% | 3.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 54.5% | 19.9% | 4.9% | 6% | 6% | 2.7% | 6% |
| Feb 2026 | 50.9% | 18.6% | 6.9% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 3.8% | 4.6% |
| Mar 2026 | 47.7% | 17.4% | 7.9% | 9.5% | 7.9% | 4.3% | 5.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 42.1% | 23% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 3.8% | 5.7% |
| May 2026 | 46.7% | 20.9% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 4.2% | 5.1% |
| Jun 2026 | 45.2% | 20.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 7.4% | 5% | 4.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 40.5% | 22.2% | 8.1% | 9.9% | 8.1% | 6.7% | 4.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 42% | 28.1% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 3.8% | 3.8% |
| Sep 2026 | 44.2% | 24.2% | 8.8% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 3.3% |
How has the Hot Toys and NECA comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Hot Toys was ahead of NECA in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hot Toys’ share of searches among collectible figure brands worldwide moved from 19% to 24.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 246K to 301K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, NECA’s share of searches among collectible figure brands worldwide moved from 8.5% to 7.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 110K to 90.5K.
How did search popularity change for collectible figure brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Hot Toys lost share of searches among collectible figure brands worldwide, from 28.1% to 24.2%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for NECA worldwide fell 17.7% over 12 measured months, from 110K to 90.5K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hot Toys’ and NECA’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 collectible figure brands
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