Brandwave

Caterpillar vs Kubota:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Kubota had more branded searches than Caterpillar among excavator brands worldwide. Kubota had about 368,000 branded searches, while Caterpillar had 27,100. Kubota made up 49.8% of all excavator brand searches we track, and Caterpillar accounted for 3.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about excavator brands, both Caterpillar and Kubota appeared in all five answers. Caterpillar was mentioned before Kubota in three out of five answers.

Among excavator brands worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Kubota, about 14 searches for every 1 for Caterpillar

Kubota 368K searchesCaterpillar 27.1K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.

Caterpillar in 5 of 5Kubota in 5 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Caterpillar, named ahead of Kubota in 3 of 5 answers

Caterpillar first in 3Kubota first in 2

Follow Caterpillar vs Kubota and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Track your brand against a rival →

Top excavator brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both Caterpillar and Kubota showed up in all five answers. Caterpillar was listed before Kubota in three of them.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Caterpillar1st
  2. Kubota2nd
  3. Komatsu3rd
  4. Hitachi4th
  5. Bobcat5th
  6. Yanmar6th
  7. Volvo Construction Equipment7th
  8. Takeuchi8th
  9. JCB9th
  10. Sany10th
  11. +2 more

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Kubota5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Caterpillar5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Hitachi4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Komatsu4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Sany3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Volvo Construction Equipment2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Bobcat2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Takeuchi2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Yanmar2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Kobelco1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

+2 more

See every answer about excavator 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 Caterpillar or Kubota more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Caterpillar and Kubota by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 excavator brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

Caterpillar and Kubota among excavator brands worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Kubota, Caterpillar. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthKubotaSumitomoSanyKobelcoCaterpillarVolvo Construction EquipmentBobcatTakeuchiYanmarJCBHitachiKomatsu
Oct 202554.7%16.4%11%6%4.9%3.3%1.5%0.8%0.8%0.44%0.16%0.02%
Nov 202550.2%18.4%12.4%6.8%4.5%3.7%1.7%0.9%0.74%0.49%0.18%0.02%
Dec 202552.1%15.6%12.8%7%4.7%3.1%2.6%0.76%0.76%0.41%0.14%0.02%
Jan 202651.5%15.4%12.7%6.9%5.7%3.1%2.5%0.92%0.76%0.41%0.14%0.02%
Feb 202651.6%15.4%12.7%6.9%5.7%3.8%1.7%0.92%0.76%0.41%0.14%0.02%
Mar 202653.2%16%13%5.9%4.8%3.2%1.4%0.96%0.96%0.43%0.15%0.02%
Apr 202654.9%16.5%11%6%4.9%2.7%1.5%0.99%0.81%0.44%0.12%0.02%
May 202651.9%19%12.7%5.7%4.7%2.6%1.4%0.76%0.76%0.33%0.12%0.02%
Jun 202654.4%16.3%13.3%6%4%2.7%1.2%0.8%0.8%0.35%0.11%0.02%
Jul 202649.8%18.3%14.9%6.7%4.5%2.4%1.3%0.73%0.89%0.39%0.12%0.02%
Aug 202648.9%17.9%14.6%6.6%5.4%3%1.3%0.88%0.88%0.39%0.12%0.02%
Sep 202649.8%18.3%14.9%6.7%3.7%3%1.3%0.89%0.73%0.49%0.14%0.02%

How has the Caterpillar and Kubota comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Kubota was ahead of Caterpillar in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Caterpillar’s share of searches among excavator brands worldwide moved from 4.9% to 3.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 40.5K to 27.1K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kubota’s share of searches among excavator brands worldwide moved from 54.7% to 49.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 450K to 368K.

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

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Kubota gained share of searches among excavator brands worldwide, from 48.9% to 49.8%.

  2. In September 2026, Caterpillar lost share of searches among excavator brands worldwide, from 5.4% to 3.7%.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Caterpillar’s and Kubota’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.

Caterpillar

1 branded search term

  • caterpillar excavator

Kubota

1 branded search term

  • kubota

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among excavator brands

Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Put your own brand in this comparison

Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.

Start free