Brandwave

Circle vs Memberful:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Circle had more branded searches than Memberful among membership platforms worldwide. Circle had about 3,600 branded searches, while Memberful had 1,600. Circle made up 0.06% of all membership platform searches we track, and Memberful accounted for 0.03%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about membership platforms, Circle appeared in three of the five answers and Memberful in none.

Among membership platforms worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Circle, about 2 searches for every 1 for Memberful

Circle 3.6K searchesMemberful 1.6K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Circle, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Memberful in 0

Circle in 3 of 5Memberful in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Circle, the only one of the two named

Circle first in 3Memberful never named

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Top membership platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Circle was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Memberful did not appear in any of the five answers.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Circle1st
  2. Mighty Networks2nd
  3. Skool3rd
  4. Patreon4th
  5. MemberPress5th
  6. Kajabi6th
  7. Podia7th
  8. Wild Apricot8th
  9. Substack–
  10. Memberful–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Patreon3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Kajabi3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Skool3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Mighty Networks3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Circle3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • MemberPress3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Podia2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Wild Apricot1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Substack0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Memberful0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about membership platforms

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 19, 2026.

Is Circle or Memberful more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Circle and Memberful by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten membership platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

Circle and Memberful among membership platforms worldwide, by month

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

View monthly share of searches table
MonthPatreonSubstackKajabiPodiaSkoolMighty NetworksWild ApricotCircleMemberPressMemberful
Oct 202568.6%25.8%2.8%1.2%0.37%0.68%0.25%0.14%0.2%0.05%
Nov 202568.6%25.8%2.8%1.2%0.45%0.55%0.25%0.11%0.2%0.04%
Dec 202565.1%29.9%2.6%0.96%0.35%0.53%0.19%0.09%0.16%0.05%
Jan 202665%30%2.6%0.96%0.35%0.53%0.24%0.09%0.16%0.04%
Feb 202664.5%29.8%3.2%0.95%0.43%0.52%0.23%0.1%0.16%0.05%
Mar 202665.6%30.2%2.2%0.79%0.36%0.43%0.19%0.09%0.13%0.04%
Apr 202661.1%34.2%2.5%0.9%0.41%0.49%0.18%0.1%0.12%0.03%
May 202665.8%30.1%2.2%0.8%0.36%0.36%0.16%0.07%0.09%0.03%
Jun 202665.7%30.6%1.8%0.8%0.36%0.36%0.16%0.07%0.09%0.03%
Jul 202661.3%34.6%2%0.91%0.41%0.41%0.18%0.07%0.08%0.03%
Aug 202661.7%35%1.7%0.75%0.34%0.27%0.15%0.07%0.07%0.02%
Sep 202657.3%39.3%1.5%0.85%0.38%0.31%0.17%0.06%0.06%0.03%

How has the Circle and Memberful comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Circle was ahead of Memberful in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Circle’s share of searches among membership platforms worldwide moved from 0.14% to 0.06%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.6K to 3.6K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Memberful’s share of searches among membership platforms worldwide moved from 0.05% to 0.03%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.4K to 1.6K.

How did search popularity change for membership platforms worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. Estimated monthly branded searches for Circle worldwide fell 45.5% over 12 measured months, from 6.6K to 3.6K in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Memberful worldwide fell 33.3% over 12 measured months, from 2.4K to 1.6K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Circle’s and Memberful’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.

Circle

1 branded search term

  • circle.so

Memberful

1 branded search term

  • memberful

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among membership platforms

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