Pilot vs uni-ball:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Pilot had more branded searches than uni-ball among pen brands worldwide. Pilot had about 173,000 branded searches, while uni-ball had 14,800. Pilot made up 11.3% of all pen brand searches we track, and uni-ball accounted for 0.96%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about pen brands, both Pilot and uni-ball appeared in all five answers. Pilot was mentioned before uni-ball in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Pilot, about 12 searches for every 1 for uni-ball
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Pilot, named ahead of uni-ball in 4 of 5 answers
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Top pen brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both Pilot and uni-ball showed up in all five answers. Pilot was listed before uni-ball 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.
- 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
BIC2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Parker2 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
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 Pilot or uni-ball more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Pilot and uni-ball by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine pen brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Pilot, uni-ball. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | BIC | Faber-Castell | Parker | Pilot | Cross | Lamy | Pentel | Zebra | uni-ball |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 34.7% | 26.7% | 14.6% | 10.3% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 34.4% | 26.4% | 14.4% | 10.3% | 4.3% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 1.9% | 1.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 32.5% | 24.8% | 16.6% | 10.9% | 5% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 1.8% | 1% |
| Jan 2026 | 32.9% | 30.2% | 13.5% | 9.9% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 4.1% | 1.8% | 0.99% |
| Feb 2026 | 31.2% | 27.9% | 15.3% | 11.2% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 36% | 22.7% | 15.2% | 10.7% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 4.6% | 2% | 1.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 37.6% | 23.7% | 13% | 12% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 3.9% | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| May 2026 | 34.1% | 25% | 13.7% | 12.6% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 4.1% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 34.8% | 21.3% | 17.4% | 11.9% | 4.3% | 3.5% | 4.3% | 1.6% | 1% |
| Jul 2026 | 30.6% | 22.9% | 18.7% | 12.8% | 3.8% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Aug 2026 | 31.8% | 28.5% | 15.6% | 11.5% | 3.1% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 1.7% | 0.94% |
| Sep 2026 | 32.7% | 24% | 19.6% | 11.3% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1.8% | 0.96% |
How has the Pilot and uni-ball comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Pilot was ahead of uni-ball in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pilot’s share of searches among pen brands worldwide moved from 10.3% to 11.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 142K to 173K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, uni-ball’s share of searches among pen brands worldwide moved from 1.1% to 0.96%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 14.8K.
How did search popularity change for pen brands worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for Pilot worldwide rose 22.2% over 12 measured months, from 142K to 173K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
5 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Pilot’s and uni-ball’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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