BIC vs Sharpie:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sharpie had more branded searches than BIC among highlighter brands worldwide. Sharpie had about 165,000 branded searches, while BIC had 2,400. Sharpie made up 45.2% of all highlighter brand searches we track, and BIC accounted for 0.66%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about highlighter brands, BIC and Sharpie each appeared in one of the four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Sharpie, about 69 searches for every 1 for BIC
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 1 of 4 answers.
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Top highlighter brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, BIC and Sharpie were each mentioned in one out of four: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Sharpie1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Stabilo1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Zebra1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
BIC1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
Mr. Pen0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about highlighter brands
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which highlighter brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best highlighter brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best highlighter brand for school notes?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best highlighters”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“pastel highlighters”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
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 21, 2026.
Is BIC or Sharpie more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for BIC and Sharpie by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all five highlighter brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Sharpie, BIC. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Sharpie | Stabilo | Zebra | BIC | Mr. Pen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 45.9% | 45.9% | 7% | 0.53% | 0.81% |
| Nov 2025 | 44.8% | 44.8% | 9% | 0.43% | 0.98% |
| Dec 2025 | 44.8% | 44.8% | 9% | 0.43% | 0.98% |
| Jan 2026 | 40% | 48.8% | 9.9% | 0.46% | 0.87% |
| Feb 2026 | 40.8% | 49.8% | 8.2% | 0.48% | 0.72% |
| Mar 2026 | 50.6% | 41.5% | 6.9% | 0.4% | 0.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 50.6% | 41.4% | 6.8% | 0.49% | 0.74% |
| May 2026 | 49.9% | 40.8% | 8.2% | 0.48% | 0.57% |
| Jun 2026 | 49% | 39.9% | 9.9% | 0.47% | 0.69% |
| Jul 2026 | 43.9% | 43.9% | 10.8% | 0.62% | 0.78% |
| Aug 2026 | 39.4% | 48.1% | 10.9% | 0.86% | 0.69% |
| Sep 2026 | 45.2% | 45.2% | 8.2% | 0.66% | 0.66% |
How has the BIC and Sharpie comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Sharpie was ahead of BIC in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, BIC’s share of searches among highlighter brands worldwide moved from 0.53% to 0.66%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.9K to 2.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sharpie’s share of searches among highlighter brands worldwide moved from 45.9% to 45.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 165K.
How did search popularity change for highlighter brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Sharpie overtook Stabilo to become the leader among highlighter brands worldwide, with 45.2% of the searches.
Estimated monthly branded searches for BIC worldwide rose 26.3% over 12 measured months, from 1.9K to 2.4K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using BIC’s and Sharpie’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.
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