Financial Times vs The Guardian:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, The Guardian had more branded searches than Financial Times among newspapers worldwide. The Guardian had about 4.1 million branded searches, while Financial Times had 551,000. The Guardian made up 32.1% of all newspaper searches we track, and Financial Times accounted for 4.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about newspapers, Financial Times and The Guardian each appeared in one of the five answers.
Who do people search for more?
The Guardian, about 7 searches for every 1 for Financial Times
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 1 of 5 answers.
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Top newspapers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Financial Times and The Guardian were each mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews.
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.
The New York Times4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
The Wall Street Journal4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
The Washington Post3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- The Guardian1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Financial Times1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
The Times0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
The Telegraph0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about newspapers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which newspaper should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best newspaper brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best newspaper for daily news?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“newspapers”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“daily newspaper”
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 Financial Times or The Guardian more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Financial Times and The Guardian by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven newspapers we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for The Guardian, Financial Times. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | The Guardian | The New York Times | The Wall Street Journal | The Washington Post | Financial Times | The Times | The Telegraph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 28.8% | 28.4% | 15.7% | 15% | 4.8% | 4.7% | 2.6% |
| Nov 2025 | 29.8% | 30.4% | 14.6% | 13.1% | 4% | 4.9% | 3.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 31.6% | 30.2% | 14.1% | 13.5% | 3.5% | 4.3% | 2.8% |
| Jan 2026 | 28% | 33.6% | 13.7% | 15.1% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 30.7% | 31.3% | 13.6% | 14.6% | 3.4% | 4.1% | 2.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 29.8% | 30.3% | 16.2% | 13.6% | 4% | 4% | 2.2% |
| Apr 2026 | 30.4% | 29.9% | 16.6% | 12.6% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 2.2% |
| May 2026 | 31.2% | 30.7% | 15.3% | 10.6% | 4.2% | 5.1% | 2.8% |
| Jun 2026 | 33.7% | 28.1% | 15% | 11.2% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3% |
| Jul 2026 | 33.4% | 27.8% | 14.9% | 11.1% | 3.7% | 5.5% | 3.7% |
| Aug 2026 | 33.5% | 29.2% | 14.9% | 11.1% | 3.7% | 4.5% | 3% |
| Sep 2026 | 32.1% | 31.5% | 14.3% | 10.6% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 2.9% |
How has the Financial Times and The Guardian comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The Guardian was ahead of Financial Times in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Financial Times’ share of searches among newspapers worldwide moved from 4.8% to 4.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 674K to 551K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The Guardian’s share of searches among newspapers worldwide moved from 28.8% to 32.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 4.1M.
How did search popularity change for newspapers worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Financial Times overtook The Times to rank 5th among newspapers worldwide, with 4.3% of the searches.
In September 2026, The Guardian lost share of searches among newspapers worldwide, from 33.5% to 32.1%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Financial Times’ and The Guardian’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.
Financial Times
2 branded search terms
- financial times
- financialtimes
The Guardian
1 branded search term
- the guardian
Other head-to-heads among newspapers
- The Guardian vs The New York Times: compare popularity
- The Guardian vs The Wall Street Journal: compare popularity
- The Guardian vs The Washington Post: compare popularity
- The New York Times vs The Wall Street Journal: compare popularity
- The New York Times vs The Washington Post: compare popularity
- The New York Times vs Financial Times: compare popularity
Put your own brand in this comparison
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