Cross vs Pilot:Which is more popular?
In October 2026, Pilot had more branded searches than Cross among pen brands worldwide. Pilot had about 173,000 branded searches, while Cross had 49,500. Pilot made up 22% of all pen brand searches we track, and Cross accounted for 6.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about pen brands, Pilot appeared in all five answers and Cross in two. Pilot was mentioned before Cross in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Pilot, about 3 searches for every 1 for Cross
Who does AI mention more?
Pilot, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Pilot, named ahead of Cross in every answer
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Top pen brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Pilot appeared in all five answers. Cross was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Pilot was listed before Cross in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Pilot1st
uni-ball2nd
Pentel3rd
Zebra4th
Parker5th
Lamy6th
BIC7th
Cross8th
Fisher Space Pen–
Faber-Castell–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Pilot5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- uni-ball5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Pentel4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Zebra4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Lamy3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Parker2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- BIC2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Cross2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Fisher Space Pen0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Faber-Castell0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about pen brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which pen brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best pen brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best pen brand for everyday writing?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“pen brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best pen”
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 Cross or Pilot more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Cross and Pilot by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten pen brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Pilot, Cross. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Parker | Pilot | BIC | uni-ball | Cross | Lamy | Pentel | Fisher Space Pen | Zebra | Faber-Castell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 29% | 20.7% | 8.4% | 7.2% | 8.7% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 3% |
| Dec 2025 | 32.1% | 21.1% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 9.6% | 7.9% | 6.4% | 4.3% | 3.5% | 2.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 27.5% | 20.3% | 8.7% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 3.7% | 2.9% |
| Feb 2026 | 29.3% | 21.6% | 8.9% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 2.6% |
| Mar 2026 | 28.5% | 20.1% | 8.7% | 8.6% | 7% | 7% | 8.6% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 3% |
| Apr 2026 | 25.8% | 23.8% | 9.6% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 7.7% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 2.6% |
| May 2026 | 26% | 24% | 9.7% | 7.8% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 7.8% | 4.3% | 3.5% | 2.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 31% | 21.1% | 8% | 7.6% | 7.6% | 6.2% | 7.6% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 2.8% |
| Jul 2026 | 32.9% | 22.4% | 6.4% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 8.1% | 6.6% | 4.4% | 3% | 3% |
| Aug 2026 | 30.5% | 22.5% | 8.6% | 7.5% | 6.1% | 7.5% | 6.1% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 3.6% |
| Sep 2026 | 36.4% | 20.9% | 8.3% | 7.3% | 6% | 6% | 6% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.7% |
| Oct 2026 | 31.3% | 22% | 10.4% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 2.7% |
How has branded search for Cross and Pilot changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Pilot was ahead of Cross in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Cross’ share of searches among pen brands worldwide moved from 8.7% to 6.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.5K to 49.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Pilot’s share of searches among pen brands worldwide moved from 20.7% to 22%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 143K to 173K.
How did search popularity change for pen brands worldwide in October 2026?
2 changes
In October 2026, Pilot gained share of searches among pen brands worldwide, from 20.9% to 22%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Cross worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 60.5K to 49.5K in October 2026.
How are Cross’ and Pilot’s branded searches counted?
5 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cross’ and Pilot’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.
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