Makita vs Milwaukee:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Milwaukee had more branded searches than Makita among sander brands worldwide. Milwaukee had about 46,600 branded searches, while Makita had 27,600. Milwaukee made up 19.8% of all sander brand searches we track, and Makita accounted for 11.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about sander brands, Makita appeared in all five answers and Milwaukee in one. Makita was mentioned before Milwaukee in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Milwaukee, about 69% more searches than Makita
Who does AI mention more?
Makita, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Makita, named ahead of Milwaukee in every answer
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Top sander brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Makita appeared in all five answers. Milwaukee was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Makita was listed before Milwaukee in every answer.
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.
DeWalt5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Makita5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Bosch4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Ryobi2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Mirka2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Festool2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Milwaukee1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about sander brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which sander brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best sander brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best sander brand for woodworking projects?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“orbital sander”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“random orbital sander”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Makita or Milwaukee more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Makita and Milwaukee by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven sander brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Milwaukee, Makita. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | DeWalt | Milwaukee | Ryobi | Makita | Mirka | Festool | Bosch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 23.5% | 18.4% | 15.7% | 11.6% | 8.1% | 14.7% | 8% |
| Nov 2025 | 26% | 17.6% | 16% | 11.7% | 7.5% | 13.3% | 7.9% |
| Dec 2025 | 25% | 18.9% | 14.5% | 11.3% | 7.8% | 13.2% | 9.3% |
| Jan 2026 | 26.9% | 18.5% | 14.9% | 11.3% | 7.9% | 12.5% | 8.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 30.3% | 18% | 13.1% | 11% | 8.4% | 11.3% | 7.9% |
| Mar 2026 | 32.8% | 17% | 14% | 10.1% | 7.2% | 11.2% | 7.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 30.8% | 17.8% | 14.3% | 11% | 7.8% | 10.6% | 7.8% |
| May 2026 | 31.1% | 18.3% | 15% | 10.6% | 8.4% | 9.1% | 7.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 27.2% | 18.5% | 16.4% | 11% | 9.2% | 10.2% | 7.5% |
| Jul 2026 | 24.5% | 19% | 17.8% | 11.3% | 9.6% | 10.2% | 7.7% |
| Aug 2026 | 24% | 19.7% | 16% | 11.6% | 10% | 10.7% | 7.9% |
| Sep 2026 | 26.9% | 19.8% | 15.7% | 11.7% | 10.1% | 9.1% | 6.7% |
Milwaukee and Makita sell other things too, so only their searches that name this product count here, like “milwaukee sander”.
How has the Makita and Milwaukee comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Milwaukee was ahead of Makita in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Makita’s share of searches among sander brands worldwide moved from 11.6% to 11.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 23.1K to 27.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Milwaukee’s share of searches among sander brands worldwide moved from 18.4% to 19.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 36.5K to 46.6K.
How did search popularity change for sander brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
Milwaukee’s share of searches among sander brands worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 18.5% to 19.8% in September 2026.
Makita’s share of searches among sander brands worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 11% to 11.7% in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
9 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Makita’s and Milwaukee’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 sander brands
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