Baofeng vs Icom:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Baofeng had more branded searches than Icom among ham radio brands worldwide. Baofeng had about 95,900 branded searches, while Icom had 15,300. Baofeng made up 48.5% of all ham radio brand searches we track, and Icom accounted for 7.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about ham radio brands, Baofeng appeared in all five answers and Icom in one. Baofeng was mentioned before Icom in three out of four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Baofeng, about 6 searches for every 1 for Icom
Who does AI mention more?
Baofeng, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Baofeng, named ahead of Icom in 3 of 4 answers
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Top ham radio brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Baofeng appeared in all five answers. Icom was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Baofeng was listed before Icom in three out of four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Baofeng5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Yaesu4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Kenwood3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
AnyTone2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Xiegu2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Icom1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Radioddity1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
TIDRADIO1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
FlexRadio1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Elecraft1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about ham radio brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best ham radio for beginners?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which handheld ham radio should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best amateur radio brands?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ham radio”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“handheld ham radio”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 27, 2026.
Is Baofeng or Icom more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Baofeng and Icom by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 ham radio brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Baofeng, Icom. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Baofeng | Yaesu | Icom | Radioddity | BTECH | TIDRADIO | FlexRadio | Quansheng | AnyTone | Elecraft | Xiegu | Kenwood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 47% | 16% | 8% | 5.9% | 1.6% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 46.2% | 15.9% | 7.4% | 7.1% | 1.8% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 46.3% | 16% | 7.4% | 5.8% | 2.4% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 49.9% | 14.2% | 7.1% | 5.2% | 3% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 4.2% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.2% | 1.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 48.8% | 13.8% | 7.8% | 6.2% | 2.1% | 5% | 3.4% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 2.7% | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 45.6% | 15.5% | 7.8% | 7% | 2.8% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 47.4% | 13.4% | 8.1% | 6% | 3.1% | 4.9% | 4% | 4% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1.2% | 1.4% |
| May 2026 | 43.8% | 14.7% | 9% | 6.6% | 2.3% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 1.3% | 1.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 45.6% | 15.6% | 8.8% | 5.7% | 2.2% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 3.8% | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Jul 2026 | 46.3% | 13.1% | 9% | 7.1% | 2.7% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 1.4% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.4% | 14.8% | 8.4% | 8.1% | 5.6% | 4.4% | 3% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 3% | 2% | 1.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 48.5% | 13.7% | 7.7% | 6.1% | 4.2% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.3% |
How has the Baofeng and Icom comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Baofeng was ahead of Icom in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Baofeng’s share of searches among ham radio brands worldwide moved from 47% to 48.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 97.1K to 95.9K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Icom’s share of searches among ham radio brands worldwide moved from 8% to 7.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 16.5K to 15.3K.
How did search popularity change for ham radio brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Baofeng gained share of searches among ham radio brands worldwide, from 43.4% to 48.5%.
In September 2026, Icom lost share of searches among ham radio brands worldwide, from 8.4% to 7.7%.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Baofeng’s and Icom’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 ham radio brands
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