Cargo vs NuGet:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, NuGet had more branded searches than Cargo among package managers worldwide. NuGet had about 49,500 branded searches, while Cargo had 4,400. NuGet made up 9.7% of all package manager searches we track, and Cargo accounted for 0.86%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about package managers, Cargo appeared in three of the five answers and NuGet in one. Cargo was mentioned before NuGet in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
NuGet, about 11 searches for every 1 for Cargo
Who does AI mention more?
Cargo, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, NuGet in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Cargo, named ahead of NuGet in 3 of 3 answers
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Top package managers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Cargo was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. NuGet was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Cargo was listed before NuGet in every answer that named either.
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.
npm4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
pnpm4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
uv4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Homebrew4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Yarn4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Conda3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Cargo3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- APT2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- NuGet1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about package managers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which package manager should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best package managers?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best package manager for software dependencies?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“package managers”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“python package manager”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Cargo or NuGet more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Cargo and NuGet by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine package managers we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for NuGet, Cargo. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | npm | pnpm | uv | Conda | NuGet | Homebrew | APT | Cargo | Yarn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 48.7% | 12% | 13.5% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 3.6% | 1.6% | 0.87% | 0.26% |
| Nov 2025 | 50.9% | 12.5% | 11.5% | 8.4% | 10.2% | 3.8% | 1.6% | 0.74% | 0.27% |
| Dec 2025 | 51% | 12.5% | 11.6% | 8.4% | 10.2% | 3.8% | 1.3% | 0.91% | 0.27% |
| Jan 2026 | 50.1% | 12.3% | 12% | 8.2% | 10.1% | 4.5% | 1.6% | 0.9% | 0.27% |
| Feb 2026 | 50.2% | 12.4% | 12.1% | 8.3% | 10.1% | 4.5% | 1.3% | 0.9% | 0.22% |
| Mar 2026 | 53.1% | 13.1% | 11% | 7.1% | 8.7% | 4.8% | 1.1% | 0.78% | 0.19% |
| Apr 2026 | 53.9% | 13.3% | 10.6% | 7.2% | 8.9% | 4% | 1.2% | 0.79% | 0.19% |
| May 2026 | 49.2% | 18% | 10.4% | 6.6% | 8.1% | 5.4% | 1.1% | 0.88% | 0.21% |
| Jun 2026 | 46.3% | 13.9% | 11.7% | 11.4% | 9.3% | 5.1% | 1.3% | 0.83% | 0.19% |
| Jul 2026 | 47.8% | 14.4% | 10.1% | 11.7% | 9.6% | 4.3% | 1.1% | 0.85% | 0.19% |
| Aug 2026 | 46.1% | 13.9% | 9.7% | 13.9% | 9.3% | 5.1% | 1.1% | 0.82% | 0.24% |
| Sep 2026 | 48.3% | 14.5% | 10.2% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 5.3% | 1.1% | 0.86% | 0.17% |
How has the Cargo and NuGet comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- NuGet was ahead of Cargo in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cargo’s share of searches among package managers worldwide moved from 0.87% to 0.86%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5.4K to 4.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, NuGet’s share of searches among package managers worldwide moved from 9.8% to 9.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.5K to 49.5K.
How did search popularity change for package managers worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cargo’s and NuGet’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 package managers
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