Brandwave

HubSpot vs Instantly:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Instantly had more branded searches than HubSpot among cold email and sales engagement platforms worldwide. Instantly had about 33,800 branded searches, while HubSpot had 1,900. Instantly made up 6.9% of all cold email and sales engagement platform searches we track, and HubSpot accounted for 0.39%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cold email and sales engagement platforms, HubSpot appeared in all five answers and Instantly in two. HubSpot was mentioned before Instantly in every answer.

Among cold email and sales engagement platforms worldwide in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Instantly, about 18 searches for every 1 for HubSpot

Instantly 33.8K searchesHubSpot 1.9K searches

Who does AI mention more?

HubSpot, mentioned in every answer we collected

HubSpot in 5 of 5Instantly in 2 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

HubSpot, named ahead of Instantly in every answer

HubSpot first in 5Instantly never first

Follow HubSpot vs Instantly and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Track your brand against a rival →

Top cold email and sales engagement platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, HubSpot appeared in all five answers. Instantly was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. HubSpot was listed before Instantly in every answer.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. HubSpot1st
  2. Instantly2nd

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • HubSpot5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Instantly2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about cold email and sales engagement platforms

5 answers
  • Asked ChatGPT

    “Which sales engagement platform should I use?”

    1. 4HubSpot
    2. 6Instantly
  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What are the best sales engagement platforms?”

    1. 4HubSpot
  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best sales engagement platform for an outbound sales team?”

    1. 4HubSpot
  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “sales engagement platforms”

    1. 5HubSpot
  • Searched Google, AI Overview

    “sales engagement software”

    1. 1HubSpot
    2. 5Instantly

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.

Is HubSpot or Instantly more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for HubSpot and Instantly by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine cold email and sales engagement platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.

HubSpot and Instantly among cold email and sales engagement platforms worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Instantly, HubSpot. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthInstantlyHubSpot
Nov 20258.3%0.59%
Dec 20258.5%0.74%
Jan 20268.6%0.73%
Feb 20268.2%0.7%
Mar 20267.8%0.55%
Apr 20266.9%0.49%
May 20268.2%0.48%
Jun 20267.6%0.54%
Jul 20267.6%0.43%
Aug 20268.3%0.47%
Sep 20266.9%0.39%
Oct 2026——

HubSpot sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “hubspot sales hub”.

How has branded search for HubSpot and Instantly changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for cold email and sales engagement platforms worldwide in September 2026?

2 changes
  1. In September 2026, Instantly lost share of searches among cold email and sales engagement platforms worldwide, from 8.3% to 6.9%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for HubSpot worldwide fell 20.8% over 11 measured months, from 2.4K to 1.9K in September 2026.

How are HubSpot’s and Instantly’s branded searches counted?

5 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using HubSpot’s and Instantly’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.

HubSpot

1 branded search term

  • hubspot sales hub

Instantly

4 branded search terms

  • instantly ai
  • instantly cold email
  • Instantly.ai
  • instantlyai

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

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.