ESL vs start.gg:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, ESL had more branded searches than start.gg among esports platforms worldwide. ESL had about 246,000 branded searches, while start.gg had 40,500. ESL made up 4.6% of all esports platform searches we track, and start.gg accounted for 0.76%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about esports platforms, start.gg appeared in four of the five answers and ESL in none.
Who do people search for more?
ESL, about 6 searches for every 1 for start.gg
Who does AI mention more?
start.gg, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, ESL in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
start.gg, the only one of the two named
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Top esports platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, start.gg was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. ESL did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Battlefy1st
FACEIT2nd- start.gg3rd
Challengermode4th
Toornament5th- ESL–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Battlefy5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- start.gg4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Challengermode4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- FACEIT3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Toornament3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- ESL0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about esports platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which esports platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best esports platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best esports platform for tournament management?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“esports platform”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“competitive gaming 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 19, 2026.
Is ESL or start.gg more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for ESL and start.gg by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six esports platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for ESL, start.gg. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | FACEIT | ESL | start.gg | Battlefy | Challengermode | Toornament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 86.7% | 9.5% | 1.6% | 1% | 0.86% | 0.31% |
| Nov 2025 | 90.2% | 6.6% | 1.6% | 0.6% | 0.73% | 0.22% |
| Dec 2025 | 91% | 6.7% | 0.9% | 0.49% | 0.74% | 0.22% |
| Jan 2026 | 90.5% | 6.7% | 1.3% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.27% |
| Feb 2026 | 92% | 5.5% | 0.91% | 0.61% | 0.74% | 0.22% |
| Mar 2026 | 90.3% | 6.6% | 1.3% | 0.73% | 0.73% | 0.27% |
| Apr 2026 | 91.4% | 5.5% | 1.4% | 0.74% | 0.74% | 0.22% |
| May 2026 | 91.5% | 5.5% | 1.7% | 0.61% | 0.61% | 0.18% |
| Jun 2026 | 90% | 6.6% | 2% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.15% |
| Jul 2026 | 92.2% | 5.5% | 1.1% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.18% |
| Aug 2026 | 93.2% | 4.6% | 0.92% | 0.62% | 0.51% | 0.12% |
| Sep 2026 | 93.5% | 4.6% | 0.76% | 0.51% | 0.51% | 0.1% |
How has the ESL and start.gg comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- ESL was ahead of start.gg in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, ESL’s share of searches among esports platforms worldwide moved from 9.5% to 4.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 301K to 246K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, start.gg’s share of searches among esports platforms worldwide moved from 1.6% to 0.76%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 49.5K to 40.5K.
How did search popularity change for esports platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
start.gg’s share of searches among esports platforms worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 2% to 0.76% in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for ESL worldwide fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 301K to 246K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using ESL’s and start.gg’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 esports platforms
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