Brandwave

Bain & Company vs BCG:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, BCG had more branded searches than Bain & Company among consulting firms worldwide. BCG had about 533,000 branded searches, while Bain & Company had 268,000. BCG made up 9.2% of all consulting firm searches we track, and Bain & Company accounted for 4.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about consulting firms, both Bain & Company and BCG appeared in all four answers. BCG was mentioned before Bain & Company in two out of three answers.

Among consulting firms worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

BCG, about 2 searches for every 1 for Bain & Company

BCG 533K searchesBain & Company 268K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.

Bain & Company in 4 of 4BCG in 4 of 4

Who does AI recommend more?

BCG, named ahead of Bain & Company in 2 of 3 answers

BCG first in 2Bain & Company first in 1

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Top consulting firms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, both Bain & Company and BCG showed up in all four answers. BCG was listed before Bain & Company in two of them.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. McKinsey & Company1st
  2. BCG2nd
  3. Bain & Company3rd
  4. Oliver Wyman4th
  5. Deloitte5th
  6. EY-Parthenon6th
  7. Kearney7th
  8. L.E.K. Consulting8th
  9. Accenture9th
  10. PwC10th

Mentioned by AI

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

  • BCG4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • McKinsey & Company4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Bain & Company4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Deloitte3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Accenture2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Oliver Wyman2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • EY-Parthenon2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • L.E.K. Consulting2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Kearney2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • PwC1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about consulting firms

4 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.

Is Bain & Company or BCG more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Bain & Company and BCG by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten consulting firms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

Bain & Company and BCG among consulting firms worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for BCG, Bain & Company. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthDeloitteAccenturePwCBCGMcKinsey & CompanyBain & CompanyOliver WymanEY-ParthenonL.E.K. ConsultingKearney
Oct 202530.4%24.9%16.6%10.8%9.1%5%1.5%1%0.37%0.26%
Nov 202531.7%26%17.3%9.2%7.8%5.2%1.3%0.86%0.31%0.22%
Dec 202524.2%29.8%19.8%8.7%8.9%6.1%1.2%0.8%0.24%0.21%
Jan 202627.4%27.4%18.3%9.7%8.2%5.9%1.7%0.9%0.27%0.25%
Feb 202627.8%27.8%18.5%9.9%8.3%5%1.4%0.92%0.27%0.25%
Mar 202626.9%26.9%17.9%9.5%9.8%5.8%1.6%1.1%0.26%0.24%
Apr 202627.3%27.3%18.2%9.7%10%4.9%1.3%0.9%0.27%0.25%
May 202628.7%28.7%15.8%10.2%8.6%5.1%1.4%0.95%0.28%0.21%
Jun 202629.1%29.1%16%9%8.7%5.1%1.4%0.96%0.29%0.23%
Jul 202629.1%29.1%16%9%8.7%5.1%1.4%0.96%0.29%0.23%
Aug 202628.5%28.5%15.6%8.8%8.5%7.2%1.4%0.94%0.34%0.24%
Sep 202631.8%26%17.4%9.2%7.8%4.6%1.6%1%0.31%0.22%

How has the Bain & Company and BCG comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • BCG was ahead of Bain & Company in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bain & Company’s share of searches among consulting firms worldwide moved from 5% to 4.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 304K to 268K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, BCG’s share of searches among consulting firms worldwide moved from 10.8% to 9.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 651K to 533K.

How did search popularity change for consulting firms worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Bain & Company lost share of searches among consulting firms worldwide, from 7.2% to 4.6%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for BCG worldwide fell 18.1% over 12 measured months, from 651K to 533K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

5 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Bain & Company’s and BCG’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.

Bain & Company

3 branded search terms

  • bain
  • bain consulting
  • baincompany

BCG

2 branded search terms

  • bcg
  • boston consulting group

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among consulting firms

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