APM vs PMI:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, PMI had more branded searches than APM among project management certifications worldwide. PMI was estimated to have 9.9K branded searches compared to APM’s 5.4K, and held a 20.4% Share of Search versus APM’s 11.1%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, APM or PMI?
Compare the project management certifications operations teams choose between. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for PMI, APM. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Scrum Alliance | PRINCE2 | PMI | APM | EXIN | Axelos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 41.2% | 27.5% | 18.4% | 12.3% | 0.49% | 0.17% |
| Nov 2025 | 42.2% | 28.2% | 18.8% | 10.3% | 0.4% | 0.17% |
| Dec 2025 | 42.1% | 28.1% | 18.8% | 10.3% | 0.49% | 0.21% |
| Jan 2026 | 38.2% | 31.3% | 20.8% | 9.3% | 0.3% | 0.15% |
| Feb 2026 | 37.3% | 30.4% | 20.3% | 11.1% | 0.44% | 0.44% |
| Mar 2026 | 37.2% | 30.3% | 20.3% | 11.1% | 0.54% | 0.54% |
| Apr 2026 | 37.4% | 30.5% | 20.4% | 11.1% | 0.35% | 0.19% |
| May 2026 | 35.6% | 29.1% | 23.8% | 10.6% | 0.51% | 0.33% |
| Jun 2026 | 35.7% | 29.2% | 23.9% | 10.7% | 0.41% | 0.18% |
| Jul 2026 | 37.4% | 30.5% | 20.4% | 11.1% | 0.35% | 0.19% |
| Aug 2026 | 37.3% | 30.5% | 20.4% | 11.1% | 0.43% | 0.14% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the APM and PMI comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- PMI was ahead of APM in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, APM’s estimated Share of Search among project management certifications worldwide moved from 12.3% to 11.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.1K to 5.4K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, PMI’s estimated Share of Search among project management certifications worldwide moved from 18.4% to 20.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 12.1K to 9.9K.
How did search popularity change for project management certifications worldwide in August 2026?
2 changes
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using APM’s and PMI’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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