Barebells vs BUILT:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Barebells had more branded searches than BUILT among protein bar brands worldwide. Barebells had about 386,000 branded searches, while BUILT had 174,000. Barebells made up 48.2% of all protein bar brand searches we track, and BUILT accounted for 21.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about protein bar brands, Barebells appeared in all five answers and BUILT in none.
Who do people search for more?
Barebells, about 2 searches for every 1 for BUILT
Who does AI mention more?
Barebells, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Barebells, the only one of the two named
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Top protein bar brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Barebells appeared in all five answers. BUILT did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Barebells1st
- Quest Nutrition2nd
RXBAR3rd
Pure Protein4th
ALOHA5th
BUILT–
TRUBAR–
GoMacro–
Misfits–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Barebells5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- RXBAR5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Quest Nutrition4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Pure Protein3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- ALOHA1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- BUILT0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- TRUBAR0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- GoMacro0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Misfits0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about protein bar brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which protein bar brand should I go to?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best protein bar brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best protein bar brand for a post-workout snack?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best protein bars”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“high protein snack bars”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Barebells or BUILT more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Barebells and BUILT by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine protein bar brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Barebells, BUILT. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Barebells | BUILT | ALOHA | TRUBAR | RXBAR | GoMacro | Pure Protein | Misfits | Quest Nutrition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 44.1% | 28.9% | 8.5% | 5.9% | 2.6% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 2% | 1.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 44.5% | 29.2% | 7.8% | 5.4% | 2.9% | 4.1% | 2.9% | 2.1% | 1.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 40.2% | 32.1% | 8.3% | 4.8% | 3.5% | 4.7% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 1.3% |
| Jan 2026 | 42.9% | 31.3% | 7.6% | 5.2% | 2.9% | 3.4% | 2.9% | 2.6% | 1.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 43.1% | 29.2% | 8% | 7.5% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.3% | 1% |
| Mar 2026 | 43% | 29.9% | 8.6% | 5.8% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.3% | 1% |
| Apr 2026 | 44.9% | 27.2% | 10.1% | 4.9% | 2.8% | 3.7% | 2.8% | 2.4% | 1% |
| May 2026 | 46.7% | 23.1% | 11.9% | 5.1% | 2.9% | 3.8% | 2.9% | 2.5% | 1.1% |
| Jun 2026 | 51.1% | 22.5% | 10.2% | 4.5% | 2.9% | 3.7% | 2.4% | 2% | 0.86% |
| Jul 2026 | 50% | 21.7% | 10.6% | 4.7% | 3% | 3.9% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1.1% |
| Aug 2026 | 48.8% | 22.3% | 10.9% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 4.3% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 0.92% |
| Sep 2026 | 48.2% | 21.7% | 11.2% | 4.6% | 4.1% | 3.9% | 3.4% | 1.9% | 1% |
How has the Barebells and BUILT comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Barebells was ahead of BUILT in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Barebells’ share of searches among protein bar brands worldwide moved from 44.1% to 48.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 384K to 386K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, BUILT’s share of searches among protein bar brands worldwide moved from 28.9% to 21.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 252K to 174K.
How did search popularity change for protein bar brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, BUILT lost share of searches among protein bar brands worldwide, from 22.3% to 21.7%.
In September 2026, Barebells lost share of searches among protein bar brands worldwide, from 48.8% to 48.2%.
How are branded searches counted?
10 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Barebells’ and BUILT’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.
Other head-to-heads among protein bar brands
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