Brandwave

The RealReal vs ThredUp:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, The RealReal had more branded searches than ThredUp among resale fashion platforms worldwide. The RealReal had about 1 million branded searches, while ThredUp had 823,000. The RealReal made up 2.2% of all resale fashion platform searches we track, and ThredUp accounted for 1.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about resale fashion platforms, both The RealReal and ThredUp appeared in all four answers. The RealReal was mentioned before ThredUp in three out of four answers.

Among resale fashion platforms worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

The RealReal, about 24% more searches than ThredUp

The RealReal 1M searchesThredUp 823K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.

The RealReal in 4 of 4ThredUp in 4 of 4

Who does AI recommend more?

The RealReal, named ahead of ThredUp in 3 of 4 answers

The RealReal first in 3ThredUp first in 1

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Top resale fashion platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, both The RealReal and ThredUp showed up in all four answers. The RealReal was listed before ThredUp in three of them.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Poshmark1st
  2. Depop2nd
  3. The RealReal3rd
  4. ThredUp4th
  5. Vestiaire Collective5th
  6. Vinted6th

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Depop4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Poshmark4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • The RealReal4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • ThredUp4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Vinted1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Vestiaire Collective1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about resale fashion platforms

4 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.

Is The RealReal or ThredUp more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for The RealReal and ThredUp by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six resale fashion platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

The RealReal and ThredUp among resale fashion platforms worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for The RealReal, ThredUp. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthVintedDepopPoshmarkThe RealRealThredUpVestiaire Collective
Oct 202581.9%6%4.9%2.7%2.7%1.8%
Nov 202581.9%6%4.9%2.7%2.7%1.8%
Dec 202579.4%7.1%5.8%3.3%2.6%1.8%
Jan 202676.7%6.9%6.9%3.7%3.8%2.1%
Feb 202677.5%7%7%3.1%3.8%1.7%
Mar 202679.7%7.2%5.9%2.6%3.2%1.4%
Apr 202682.1%6.1%4.9%2.7%2.7%1.5%
May 202682.1%6%4.9%2.8%2.7%1.5%
Jun 202681.7%7.4%4.9%2.7%2.2%1.2%
Jul 202677%10.4%5.7%3.1%2.5%1.4%
Aug 202678.8%8.7%5.8%2.7%2.6%1.4%
Sep 202681.7%9%4%2.2%1.8%1.2%

How has the The RealReal and ThredUp comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • The lead changed hands 3 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: The RealReal took it in December 2025, ThredUp took it in January 2026, The RealReal took it in May 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, The RealReal’s share of searches among resale fashion platforms worldwide moved from 2.7% to 2.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 988K to 1M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, ThredUp’s share of searches among resale fashion platforms worldwide moved from 2.7% to 1.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1M to 823K.

How did search popularity change for resale fashion platforms worldwide in September 2026?

1 change

  1. In September 2026, ThredUp lost share of searches among resale fashion platforms worldwide, from 2.6% to 1.8%.

How are branded searches counted?

3 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using The RealReal’s and ThredUp’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.

The RealReal

2 branded search terms

  • the realreal
  • therealreal

ThredUp

1 branded search term

  • thredup

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among resale fashion platforms

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