Google News vs SmartNews:Which is searched more?
In August 2026, Google News had more branded searches than SmartNews among news apps worldwide. Google News was estimated to have 7.5M branded searches compared to SmartNews’ 33.1K, and held a 94.4% Share of Search versus SmartNews’ 0.42%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Google News or SmartNews?
Compare the news apps brands and creators work with. 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 Search by month for Google News, SmartNews. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Google News | SmartNews |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 93.7% | 0.42% |
| Nov 2025 | 94.7% | 0.42% |
| Dec 2025 | 95.6% | 0.42% |
| Jan 2026 | 93.7% | 0.42% |
| Feb 2026 | 94.7% | 0.42% |
| Mar 2026 | 93.3% | 0.34% |
| Apr 2026 | 94.7% | 0.42% |
| May 2026 | 94.7% | 0.42% |
| Jun 2026 | 95.3% | 0.35% |
| Jul 2026 | 94.7% | 0.42% |
| Aug 2026 | 94.4% | 0.42% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — |
How has the Google News and SmartNews comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Google News was ahead of SmartNews in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Google News’ estimated Share of Search among news apps worldwide moved from 93.7% to 94.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 9.1M to 7.5M.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, SmartNews’ estimated Share of Search among news apps worldwide held steady at 0.42%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 40.5K to 33.1K.
How did search popularity change for news apps worldwide in August 2026?
2 changes
Estimated monthly branded searches for SmartNews worldwide fell 18.3% over 11 measured months, from 40.5K to 33.1K in August 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Google News worldwide fell 18.2% over 11 measured months, from 9.1M to 7.5M in August 2026.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Google News’ and SmartNews’ 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.
Google News
1 branded search term
- google news
SmartNews
1 branded search term
- smart news
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.