The Guardian vs The Wall Street Journal:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, The Guardian had more branded searches than The Wall Street Journal among newspapers worldwide. The Guardian had about 4.1 million branded searches, while The Wall Street Journal had 1.8 million. The Guardian made up 32.1% of all newspaper searches we track, and The Wall Street Journal accounted for 14.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about newspapers, The Wall Street Journal appeared in four of the five answers and The Guardian in one. The Wall Street Journal was mentioned before The Guardian in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
The Guardian, about 2 searches for every 1 for The Wall Street Journal
Who does AI mention more?
The Wall Street Journal, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, The Guardian in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
The Wall Street Journal, named ahead of The Guardian in every answer
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Top newspapers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, The Wall Street Journal was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. The Guardian was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. The Wall Street Journal was listed before The Guardian in every answer.
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 The Guardian or The Wall Street Journal more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for The Guardian and The Wall Street Journal 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, The Wall Street Journal. 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 The Guardian and The Wall Street Journal comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The Guardian was ahead of The Wall Street Journal in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The Wall Street Journal’s share of searches among newspapers worldwide moved from 15.7% to 14.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.2M to 1.8M.
How did search popularity change for newspapers worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, The Guardian lost share of searches among newspapers worldwide, from 33.5% to 32.1%.
In September 2026, The Wall Street Journal lost share of searches among newspapers worldwide, from 14.9% to 14.3%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using The Guardian’s and The Wall Street Journal’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.
The Guardian
1 branded search term
- the guardian
The Wall Street Journal
2 branded search terms
- wall street journal
- wsj
Other head-to-heads among newspapers
- The Guardian vs The New York Times: compare popularity
- The Guardian vs The Washington Post: compare popularity
- The Guardian vs Financial Times: 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
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.