Elecraft vs Kenwood:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Elecraft had more branded searches than Kenwood among ham radio brands worldwide. Elecraft had about 5,400 branded searches, while Kenwood had 2,600. Elecraft made up 2.7% of all ham radio brand searches we track, and Kenwood accounted for 1.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about ham radio brands, Kenwood appeared in three of the five answers and Elecraft in one. Kenwood was mentioned before Elecraft in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Elecraft, about 2 searches for every 1 for Kenwood
Who does AI mention more?
Kenwood, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Elecraft in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Kenwood, named ahead of Elecraft in 3 of 3 answers
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Top ham radio brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Kenwood was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Elecraft was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Kenwood was listed before Elecraft 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.
Baofeng5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Yaesu4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Kenwood3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
AnyTone2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Xiegu2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Icom1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Radioddity1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
TIDRADIO1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
FlexRadio1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Elecraft1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about ham radio brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best ham radio for beginners?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which handheld ham radio should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best amateur radio brands?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ham radio”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“handheld ham radio”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 27, 2026.
Is Elecraft or Kenwood more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Elecraft and Kenwood by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 ham radio brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Elecraft, Kenwood. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Baofeng | Yaesu | Icom | Radioddity | BTECH | TIDRADIO | FlexRadio | Quansheng | AnyTone | Elecraft | Xiegu | Kenwood |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 47% | 16% | 8% | 5.9% | 1.6% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 46.2% | 15.9% | 7.4% | 7.1% | 1.8% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 46.3% | 16% | 7.4% | 5.8% | 2.4% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 49.9% | 14.2% | 7.1% | 5.2% | 3% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 4.2% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.2% | 1.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 48.8% | 13.8% | 7.8% | 6.2% | 2.1% | 5% | 3.4% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 2.7% | 1.5% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 45.6% | 15.5% | 7.8% | 7% | 2.8% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Apr 2026 | 47.4% | 13.4% | 8.1% | 6% | 3.1% | 4.9% | 4% | 4% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1.2% | 1.4% |
| May 2026 | 43.8% | 14.7% | 9% | 6.6% | 2.3% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 3.6% | 1.3% | 1.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 45.6% | 15.6% | 8.8% | 5.7% | 2.2% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 3.8% | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| Jul 2026 | 46.3% | 13.1% | 9% | 7.1% | 2.7% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 1.4% |
| Aug 2026 | 43.4% | 14.8% | 8.4% | 8.1% | 5.6% | 4.4% | 3% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 3% | 2% | 1.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 48.5% | 13.7% | 7.7% | 6.1% | 4.2% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.3% |
How has the Elecraft and Kenwood comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Elecraft was ahead of Kenwood in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Elecraft’s share of searches among ham radio brands worldwide moved from 2.6% to 2.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 5.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kenwood’s share of searches among ham radio brands worldwide moved from 1.4% to 1.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.9K to 2.6K.
How did search popularity change for ham radio brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
Elecraft’s share of searches among ham radio brands worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 3.8% to 2.7% in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Kenwood worldwide fell 10.3% over 12 measured months, from 2.9K to 2.6K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Elecraft’s and Kenwood’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 ham radio brands
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