Espacenet vs The Lens:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Espacenet had more branded searches than The Lens among patent search platforms worldwide. Espacenet had about 110,000 branded searches, while The Lens had 13,500. Espacenet made up 17.8% of all patent search platform searches we track, and The Lens accounted for 2.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about patent search platforms, both Espacenet and The Lens appeared in all five answers. Espacenet was mentioned before The Lens in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Espacenet, about 8 searches for every 1 for The Lens
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Espacenet, named ahead of The Lens in 4 of 5 answers
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Top patent search platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both Espacenet and The Lens showed up in all five answers. Espacenet was listed before The Lens in four of them.
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.
Google Patents5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Espacenet5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
The Lens5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
PatSnap4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Derwent Innovation4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Questel3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Orbit Intelligence3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- USPTO Patent Public Search3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- WIPO PATENTSCOPE2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Anaqua0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about patent search platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which patent search platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best patent search platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best patent search platform for prior art research?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“patent search tools”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“patent search platform”
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 Espacenet or The Lens more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Espacenet and The Lens by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten patent search platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Espacenet, The Lens. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Google Patents | Espacenet | PatSnap | WIPO PATENTSCOPE | The Lens | Questel | Orbit Intelligence | USPTO Patent Public Search | Derwent Innovation | Anaqua |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 73.6% | 18% | 2% | 2.4% | 2.2% | 0.88% | 0.38% | 0.16% | 0.39% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 73.9% | 18.1% | 2% | 2% | 2.2% | 0.89% | 0.43% | 0.14% | 0.31% | 0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 73.2% | 18% | 2% | 2.4% | 2.2% | 0.88% | 0.52% | 0.48% | 0.32% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 74.3% | 18.2% | 2% | 2% | 1.8% | 0.89% | 0.33% | 0.26% | 0.26% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 74.1% | 18.1% | 2% | 2% | 2.2% | 0.72% | 0.38% | 0.21% | 0.26% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 72.7% | 17.8% | 2.4% | 2% | 2.7% | 0.87% | 0.47% | 0.87% | 0.26% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 73.4% | 17.9% | 2% | 2.4% | 2.2% | 1.1% | 0.42% | 0.26% | 0.26% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 73.2% | 17.9% | 2.4% | 2% | 2.2% | 0.88% | 0.33% | 0.88% | 0.21% | <0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 71.8% | 17.6% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 0.42% | 2.9% | 0.16% | <0.01% |
| Jul 2026 | 67.7% | 13.6% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1.7% | 0.81% | 0.35% | 11.1% | 0.2% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 68.7% | 16.9% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.1% | 1% | 0.35% | 6.2% | 0.24% | <0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 73% | 17.8% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.2% | 1.3% | 0.37% | 0.26% | 0.21% | <0.01% |
How has the Espacenet and The Lens comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Espacenet was ahead of The Lens in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Espacenet’s share of searches among patent search platforms worldwide moved from 18% to 17.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 110K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The Lens’ share of searches among patent search platforms worldwide held steady at 2.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 13.5K.
How did search popularity change for patent search platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Espacenet gained share of searches among patent search platforms worldwide, from 16.9% to 17.8%.
In September 2026, The Lens rose from 6th to 5th among patent search platforms worldwide.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Espacenet’s and The Lens’ 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.
Other head-to-heads among patent search platforms
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