Brandwave

Hershey's vs Milka:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Milka had more branded searches than Hershey's among milk chocolate brands worldwide. Milka had about 503,000 branded searches, while Hershey's had 451,000. Milka made up 26.3% of all milk chocolate brand searches we track, and Hershey's accounted for 23.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about milk chocolate brands, Hershey's and Milka each appeared in two of the five answers. Hershey's and Milka were each mentioned first in one of the two answers that named either.

Among milk chocolate brands worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Milka, about 12% more searches than Hershey's

Milka 503K searchesHershey's 451K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.

Hershey's in 2 of 5Milka in 2 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Each is named first in 1 of 2 answers.

Hershey's first in 1Milka first in 1

Follow Hershey's vs Milka 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 milk chocolate brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Hershey's was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. Milka was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Hershey's and Milka were each listed first in one of the two answers that named either.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. Lindt1st
  2. Tony's Chocolonely2nd
  3. Cadbury3rd
  4. Milka4th
  5. Hershey's5th

Mentioned by AI

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

  • Lindt5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Tony's Chocolonely5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Cadbury4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Milka2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Hershey's2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about milk chocolate brands

5 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.

Is Hershey's or Milka more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Hershey's and Milka by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all five milk chocolate brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

Hershey's and Milka among milk chocolate brands worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Milka, Hershey's. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthLindtMilkaHershey'sCadburyTony's Chocolonely
Oct 202535.8%23.2%24%16%0.97%
Nov 202535.7%20.9%13.2%29.3%0.79%
Dec 202547.1%26.3%14.2%11.6%0.85%
Jan 202637.3%27.9%20.4%13.6%0.82%
Feb 202631.5%28.7%21.1%17.2%1.5%
Mar 202641.4%24.3%15.3%15.3%3.7%
Apr 202637.8%27%17.1%13.9%4.2%
May 202625.9%32.3%21.2%14.2%6.4%
Jun 202629%23%23.8%19.4%4.8%
Jul 202631%26.2%20.8%16.9%5.1%
Aug 202627.5%21.8%22.6%22.5%5.5%
Sep 202628.7%26.3%23.5%15.7%5.7%

How has the Hershey's and Milka comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • The lead changed hands 5 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Milka took it in November 2025, Hershey's took it in June 2026, Milka took it in July 2026, Hershey's took it in August 2026, Milka took it in September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hershey's’ share of searches among milk chocolate brands worldwide moved from 24% to 23.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 551K to 451K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Milka’s share of searches among milk chocolate brands worldwide moved from 23.2% to 26.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 533K to 503K.

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

2 changes
  1. In September 2026, Milka overtook Hershey's and Cadbury to rank 2nd among milk chocolate brands worldwide, with 26.3% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Hershey's gained share of searches among milk chocolate brands worldwide, from 22.6% to 23.5%.

How are branded searches counted?

4 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hershey's’ and Milka’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.

Hershey's

2 branded search terms

  • hershey s
  • hershey's

Milka

2 branded search terms

  • milka
  • milka chocolate

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among milk chocolate 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.