dbt vs SQLMesh:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, dbt had more branded searches than SQLMesh among analytics engineering platforms worldwide. dbt had about 6,600 branded searches, while SQLMesh had 2,400. dbt made up 25.7% of all analytics engineering platform searches we track, and SQLMesh accounted for 9.4%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Is dbt or SQLMesh more popular in search?
Compare the tools used to model data for analysis. 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 searches by month for dbt, SQLMesh. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Lightdash | Dataform | dbt | SQLMesh | Coalesce |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 21% | 25.8% | 31.5% | 21% | 0.67% |
| Nov 2025 | 26.3% | 26.3% | 32.3% | 14.4% | 0.68% |
| Dec 2025 | 26.3% | 26.3% | 32.3% | 14.4% | 0.68% |
| Jan 2026 | 24.8% | 30.4% | 30.4% | 13.5% | 0.79% |
| Feb 2026 | 28.9% | 28.9% | 28.9% | 12.8% | 0.61% |
| Mar 2026 | 30.5% | 24.9% | 30.5% | 13.5% | 0.65% |
| Apr 2026 | 34.9% | 23.3% | 28.6% | 12.7% | 0.6% |
| May 2026 | 30.5% | 24.8% | 30.5% | 13.5% | 0.64% |
| Jun 2026 | 28.6% | 23.3% | 34.9% | 12.7% | 0.49% |
| Jul 2026 | 29.3% | 23.9% | 35.8% | 10.5% | 0.51% |
| Aug 2026 | 35.9% | 23.9% | 29.3% | 10.5% | 0.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 38.6% | 25.7% | 25.7% | 9.4% | 0.55% |
How has the dbt and SQLMesh comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- dbt was ahead of SQLMesh in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, dbt’s share of searches among analytics engineering platforms worldwide moved from 31.5% to 25.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 9.9K to 6.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, SQLMesh’s share of searches among analytics engineering platforms worldwide moved from 21% to 9.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.6K to 2.4K.
How did search popularity change for analytics engineering platforms worldwide in September 2026?
3 changes

In September 2026, Dataform overtook dbt to rank 2nd among analytics engineering platforms worldwide, with 25.7% of the searches.

In September 2026, dbt lost share of searches among analytics engineering platforms worldwide, from 29.3% to 25.7%.

In September 2026, SQLMesh lost share of searches among analytics engineering platforms worldwide, from 10.5% to 9.4%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using dbt’s and SQLMesh’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 analytics engineering platforms

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