Circle vs Substack:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Substack had more branded searches than Circle among creator membership platforms worldwide. Substack had about 2.3 million branded searches, while Circle had 3,600. Substack made up 35.3% of all creator membership platform searches we track, and Circle accounted for 0.06%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about creator membership platforms, Circle and Substack each appeared in three of the five answers. Circle and Substack were each mentioned first in two of the four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Substack, about 639 searches for every 1 for Circle
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 3 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 2 of 4 answers.
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Top creator membership platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Circle was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Substack was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Circle and Substack were each listed first in two of the four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Patreon1st
Circle2nd
Ko-fi3rd- Substack4th
Mighty Networks5th
Fourthwall6th
Memberful7th
Kajabi8th
Buy Me a Coffee–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Patreon4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Substack3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Ko-fi3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Circle3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Memberful3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Fourthwall2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Kajabi2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Mighty Networks2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Buy Me a Coffee0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about creator membership platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which creator membership platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best creator membership platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best creator membership platform for paid fan memberships?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“creator membership platform”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best membership platform”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Circle or Substack more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Circle and Substack by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine creator membership platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Substack, Circle. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Patreon | Substack | Ko-fi | Buy Me a Coffee | Fourthwall | Kajabi | Mighty Networks | Circle | Memberful |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 61.8% | 23.2% | 8.3% | 2% | 1.4% | 2.5% | 0.61% | 0.12% | 0.04% |
| Nov 2025 | 61.9% | 23.3% | 8.3% | 2% | 1.4% | 2.5% | 0.5% | 0.1% | 0.04% |
| Dec 2025 | 58.9% | 27% | 7.9% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 2.4% | 0.48% | 0.08% | 0.04% |
| Jan 2026 | 58.8% | 27.1% | 7.9% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 2.4% | 0.48% | 0.08% | 0.03% |
| Feb 2026 | 58.3% | 26.9% | 7.8% | 1.9% | 1.6% | 2.9% | 0.47% | 0.09% | 0.04% |
| Mar 2026 | 57.4% | 26.4% | 7.7% | 1.9% | 4.2% | 1.9% | 0.38% | 0.08% | 0.03% |
| Apr 2026 | 54.6% | 30.5% | 9% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 2.2% | 0.44% | 0.09% | 0.03% |
| May 2026 | 59.3% | 27.1% | 8% | 2% | 1.3% | 2% | 0.32% | 0.06% | 0.03% |
| Jun 2026 | 59.5% | 27.8% | 8% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 1.6% | 0.32% | 0.06% | 0.03% |
| Jul 2026 | 54.6% | 30.9% | 9% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 0.36% | 0.06% | 0.03% |
| Aug 2026 | 55.7% | 31.5% | 7.5% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 0.25% | 0.06% | 0.02% |
| Sep 2026 | 51.4% | 35.3% | 8.4% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.28% | 0.06% | 0.02% |
How has the Circle and Substack comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Substack was ahead of Circle in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Circle’s share of searches among creator membership platforms worldwide moved from 0.12% to 0.06%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.6K to 3.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Substack’s share of searches among creator membership platforms worldwide moved from 23.2% to 35.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.3M to 2.3M.
How did search popularity change for creator membership platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Substack gained share of searches among creator membership platforms worldwide, from 31.5% to 35.3%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Circle worldwide fell 45.5% over 12 measured months, from 6.6K to 3.6K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
8 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Circle’s and Substack’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 creator membership platforms
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