Espressif vs SparkFun:Which is more popular?
In October 2026, Espressif had more branded searches than SparkFun among development board brands worldwide. Espressif had about 873,000 branded searches, while SparkFun had 22,200. Espressif made up 20.2% of all development board brand searches we track, and SparkFun accounted for 0.51%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about development board brands, Espressif appeared in three of the five answers and SparkFun in one. Espressif was mentioned before SparkFun in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Espressif, about 39 searches for every 1 for SparkFun
Who does AI mention more?
Espressif, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, SparkFun in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Espressif, named ahead of SparkFun in 2 of 2 answers
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Top development board brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Espressif was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. SparkFun was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Espressif was listed before SparkFun 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.
Raspberry Pi5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Arduino4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Espressif3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
SparkFun1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
BeagleBone1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- micro:bit0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
STM320 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Seeed Studio0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Adafruit0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Teensy0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about development board brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which microcontroller board should I start with?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best alternatives to Raspberry Pi?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best development board for electronics projects?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“microcontroller”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“single board computer”
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 27, 2026.
Is Espressif or SparkFun more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Espressif and SparkFun by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten development board brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Espressif, SparkFun. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Raspberry Pi | Arduino | Espressif | micro:bit | STM32 | Seeed Studio | Adafruit | SparkFun | Teensy | BeagleBone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 25.8% | 29.4% | 14.4% | 24.1% | 2.6% | 0.7% | 1.8% | 0.53% | 0.44% | 0.24% |
| Dec 2025 | 30.5% | 28.7% | 14.3% | 19.3% | 3.2% | 0.82% | 1.7% | 0.64% | 0.52% | 0.28% |
| Jan 2026 | 32.5% | 25.1% | 15.3% | 20.7% | 2.8% | 0.73% | 1.5% | 0.68% | 0.45% | 0.25% |
| Feb 2026 | 27.8% | 26.2% | 13.1% | 26.2% | 2.9% | 0.76% | 1.6% | 0.58% | 0.48% | 0.26% |
| Mar 2026 | 31% | 24% | 14.4% | 24% | 2.6% | 0.84% | 1.8% | 0.65% | 0.43% | 0.29% |
| Apr 2026 | 27.4% | 25.5% | 15.3% | 25.5% | 2.8% | 0.75% | 1.5% | 0.57% | 0.38% | 0.25% |
| May 2026 | 27.4% | 25.5% | 15.3% | 25.5% | 2.8% | 0.9% | 1.5% | 0.57% | 0.38% | 0.25% |
| Jun 2026 | 30.4% | 23.3% | 17% | 23.3% | 2.6% | 0.82% | 1.4% | 0.51% | 0.42% | 0.23% |
| Jul 2026 | 31.5% | 23.6% | 20.7% | 15.8% | 3.9% | 1.2% | 1.7% | 0.64% | 0.52% | 0.28% |
| Aug 2026 | 31.5% | 24.2% | 21.2% | 16.1% | 3.2% | 1% | 1.5% | 0.53% | 0.43% | 0.29% |
| Sep 2026 | 27.8% | 25.9% | 18.7% | 21.3% | 2.8% | 0.92% | 1.3% | 0.57% | 0.38% | 0.26% |
| Oct 2026 | 31.3% | 23.1% | 20.2% | 19% | 2.5% | 1.5% | 1.1% | 0.51% | 0.42% | 0.23% |
How has branded search for Espressif and SparkFun changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Espressif was ahead of SparkFun in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Espressif’s share of searches among development board brands worldwide moved from 14.4% to 20.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 600K to 873K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, SparkFun’s share of searches among development board brands worldwide moved from 0.53% to 0.51%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 22.2K.
How did search popularity change for development board brands worldwide in October 2026?
1 change
In October 2026, Espressif overtook micro:bit to rank 3rd among development board brands worldwide, with 20.2% of the searches.
How are Espressif’s and SparkFun’s branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Espressif’s and SparkFun’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 development board brands
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