Faber-Castell vs Pentel:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Faber-Castell had more branded searches than Pentel among pencils brands worldwide. Faber-Castell had about 368,000 branded searches, while Pentel had 14,300. Faber-Castell made up 47.6% of all pencils brand searches we track, and Pentel accounted for 1.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about pencils brands, Faber-Castell appeared in four of the five answers and Pentel in three. Faber-Castell was mentioned before Pentel in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Faber-Castell, about 26 searches for every 1 for Pentel
Who does AI mention more?
Faber-Castell, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Pentel in 3
Who does AI recommend more?
Faber-Castell, named ahead of Pentel in 3 of 5 answers
Follow Faber-Castell vs Pentel and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top pencils brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Faber-Castell was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Pentel was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Faber-Castell was listed before Pentel in three out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Ticonderoga1st- Faber-Castell2nd
Staedtler3rd
Pentel4th
Prismacolor5th
Crayola–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Faber-Castell4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Ticonderoga4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Staedtler4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Pentel3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Prismacolor1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Crayola0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about pencils brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which pencils brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best pencils brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best pencils brand for school writing?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best pencils”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“art pencils”
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 Faber-Castell or Pentel more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Faber-Castell and Pentel by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven pencils brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Faber-Castell, Pentel. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Faber-Castell | Crayola | Ticonderoga | Prismacolor | Staedtler | Pentel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 47.5% | 26% | 9.3% | 9.6% | 6.4% | 1.3% |
| Nov 2025 | 47.4% | 25.9% | 10.7% | 9.5% | 5.2% | 1.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 48.7% | 26.6% | 8.9% | 9.8% | 4.4% | 1.5% |
| Jan 2026 | 54.8% | 20.1% | 8.7% | 9% | 6% | 1.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 51.9% | 23.3% | 8.8% | 10.4% | 3.8% | 1.7% |
| Mar 2026 | 44.6% | 29.8% | 10.6% | 9% | 4% | 2% |
| Apr 2026 | 44.4% | 29.7% | 11.3% | 8.9% | 4% | 1.7% |
| May 2026 | 44.7% | 29.9% | 11.4% | 9% | 3.3% | 1.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 40% | 32.7% | 13.4% | 8.1% | 4.4% | 1.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 39% | 26% | 19.6% | 9.6% | 4.3% | 1.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.6% | 23.8% | 16.5% | 10.7% | 3.9% | 1.5% |
| Sep 2026 | 47.6% | 26% | 10.7% | 9.6% | 4.3% | 1.8% |
How has the Faber-Castell and Pentel comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Faber-Castell was ahead of Pentel in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Faber-Castell’s share of searches among pencils brands worldwide moved from 47.5% to 47.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 368K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pentel’s share of searches among pencils brands worldwide moved from 1.3% to 1.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 10.2K to 14.3K.
How did search popularity change for pencils brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Faber-Castell gained share of searches among pencils brands worldwide, from 43.6% to 47.6%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Pentel worldwide rose 40.2% over 12 measured months, from 10.2K to 14.3K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Faber-Castell’s and Pentel’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.
Faber-Castell
1 branded search term
- faber castell
Pentel
2 branded search terms
- pentel mechanical pencil
- pentel pencil
Other head-to-heads among pencils brands
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.