CARTO vs Placer.ai:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, CARTO had more branded searches than Placer.ai among foot traffic analytics platforms worldwide. CARTO had about 40,500 branded searches, while Placer.ai had 9,900. CARTO made up 31% of all foot traffic analytics platform searches we track, and Placer.ai accounted for 7.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about foot traffic analytics platforms, Placer.ai appeared in all five answers and CARTO in two. Placer.ai was mentioned before CARTO in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
CARTO, about 4 searches for every 1 for Placer.ai
Who does AI mention more?
Placer.ai, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Placer.ai, named ahead of CARTO in every answer
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Top foot traffic analytics platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Placer.ai appeared in all five answers. CARTO was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. Placer.ai was listed before CARTO in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Placer.ai1st
Unacast2nd- CARTO3rd
RetailNext3rd
Foursquare5th
SafeGraph6th
Advan7th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Placer.ai5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Unacast4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Foursquare2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- CARTO2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- RetailNext2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- SafeGraph1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Advan1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about foot traffic analytics platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which foot traffic analytics platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best foot traffic analytics platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best foot traffic analytics platform for store visits?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“location analytics platform”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“foot traffic analytics platforms”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is CARTO or Placer.ai more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for CARTO and Placer.ai by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven foot traffic analytics platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for CARTO, Placer.ai. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Foursquare | CARTO | Placer.ai | RetailNext | SafeGraph | Unacast | Advan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 52.2% | 28.5% | 12.8% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 1.1% | 0.22% |
| Nov 2025 | 53.8% | 29.5% | 10.8% | 3.2% | 1.7% | 0.89% | 0.15% |
| Dec 2025 | 58.7% | 26.3% | 9.6% | 2.8% | 1.6% | 0.85% | 0.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 53.8% | 29.4% | 10.8% | 3.2% | 1.7% | 0.89% | 0.23% |
| Feb 2026 | 62% | 22.7% | 10.1% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.84% | 0.22% |
| Mar 2026 | 66.8% | 20.1% | 9% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 0.61% | 0.19% |
| Apr 2026 | 59.1% | 26.4% | 9.7% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 0.7% | 0.26% |
| May 2026 | 59.3% | 26.5% | 9.7% | 2.3% | 1.3% | 0.7% | 0.21% |
| Jun 2026 | 57.3% | 25.7% | 11.5% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.83% | 0.25% |
| Jul 2026 | 49.5% | 33.1% | 12.1% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 0.88% | 0.32% |
| Aug 2026 | 46.8% | 38.3% | 9.4% | 3.4% | 0.95% | 0.83% | 0.37% |
| Sep 2026 | 56.7% | 31% | 7.6% | 2.8% | 0.77% | 0.77% | 0.37% |
How has the CARTO and Placer.ai comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- CARTO was ahead of Placer.ai in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CARTO’s share of searches among foot traffic analytics platforms worldwide moved from 28.5% to 31%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 33.1K to 40.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Placer.ai’s share of searches among foot traffic analytics platforms worldwide moved from 12.8% to 7.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 14.8K to 9.9K.
How did search popularity change for foot traffic analytics platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, CARTO lost share of searches among foot traffic analytics platforms worldwide, from 38.3% to 31%.
In September 2026, Placer.ai lost share of searches among foot traffic analytics platforms worldwide, from 9.4% to 7.6%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using CARTO’s and Placer.ai’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 foot traffic analytics platforms
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