Brandwave

CND vs Gelish:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, CND had more branded searches than Gelish among gel polish brands worldwide. CND had about 165,000 branded searches, while Gelish had 49,500. CND made up 23.4% of all gel polish brand searches we track, and Gelish accounted for 7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about gel polish brands, Gelish appeared in four of the five answers and CND in two. Gelish was mentioned before CND in three out of four answers that named either.

Among gel polish brands worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

CND, about 3 searches for every 1 for Gelish

CND 165K searchesGelish 49.5K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Gelish, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, CND in 2

Gelish in 4 of 5CND in 2 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Gelish, named ahead of CND in 3 of 4 answers

Gelish first in 3CND first in 1

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Top gel polish brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Gelish was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. CND was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Gelish was listed before CND in three out of four answers that named either.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. OPI1st
  2. Gelish2nd
  3. DND3rd
  4. Kiara Sky4th
  5. Olive & June5th
  6. Sally Hansen6th
  7. CND7th
  8. Madam Glam8th
  9. Essie9th

Mentioned by AI

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

  • OPI4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Gelish4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • DND3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Kiara Sky3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Madam Glam3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • CND2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Olive & June2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Sally Hansen2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Essie1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about gel polish brands

5 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.

Is CND or Gelish more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for CND and Gelish by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine gel polish brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

CND and Gelish among gel polish brands worldwide, by month

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

View monthly share of searches table
MonthCNDOPIDNDEssieOlive & JuneGelishSally HansenKiara SkyMadam Glam
Oct 202522.2%22.2%15.2%10%12.2%8.2%6.7%2%1.3%
Nov 202520.2%20.2%16.2%9.1%16.6%7.4%6.1%2.7%1.5%
Dec 202521%17.2%16.3%9.4%14%11.5%6.3%2.8%1.3%
Jan 202621.2%21.2%16.5%9.5%11.6%9.5%6.4%2.9%1.3%
Feb 202623.3%23.3%15.3%8.5%10.4%8.5%7%2.6%1.1%
Mar 202621.9%21.9%14.4%9.8%12%9.8%6.6%2.4%1.1%
Apr 202624.4%20%16.1%8.9%10.9%8.9%7.3%2.2%1.2%
May 202621.6%21.6%14.2%9.7%11.9%9.7%7.9%2.4%0.87%
Jun 202622%18%20.9%9.9%9.9%8.1%8.1%2.4%0.88%
Jul 202620.6%20.6%19.1%13.7%7.5%9.2%6.2%2.3%0.82%
Aug 202621.4%21.4%20.4%9.6%9.6%7.9%6.4%2.4%0.86%
Sep 202623.4%19.2%18.8%10.5%10.5%7%7%2.6%0.94%

How has the CND and Gelish comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • CND was ahead of Gelish in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CND’s share of searches among gel polish brands worldwide moved from 22.2% to 23.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 165K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Gelish’s share of searches among gel polish brands worldwide moved from 8.2% to 7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.5K to 49.5K.

How did search popularity change for gel polish brands worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, CND gained share of searches among gel polish brands worldwide, from 21.4% to 23.4%.

  2. In September 2026, Gelish lost share of searches among gel polish brands worldwide, from 7.9% to 7%.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using CND’s and Gelish’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.

CND

1 branded search term

  • cnd

Gelish

1 branded search term

  • gelish

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among gel polish brands

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