Illy vs La Colombe:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, La Colombe had more branded searches than Illy among coffee brands worldwide. La Colombe had about 160,000 branded searches, while Illy had 135,000. La Colombe made up 6.9% of all coffee brand searches we track, and Illy accounted for 5.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about coffee brands, La Colombe appeared in three of the five answers and Illy in none.
Who do people search for more?
La Colombe, about 18% more searches than Illy
Who does AI mention more?
La Colombe, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Illy in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
La Colombe, the only one of the two named
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Top coffee brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, La Colombe was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Illy 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.
Peet's Coffee1st
Lavazza2nd
Café Bustelo2nd
Stumptown4th
Nescafé5th- La Colombe5th
Kicking Horse Coffee7th
Illy–
Moccona–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Peet's Coffee4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Café Bustelo4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Lavazza3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- La Colombe3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Stumptown2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Kicking Horse Coffee2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Nescafé1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Illy0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Moccona0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about coffee brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which coffee brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best coffee brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best coffee brand for everyday drinking?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“coffee brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“instant coffee brands”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Illy or La Colombe more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Illy and La Colombe by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine coffee brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for La Colombe, Illy. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Nescafé | Peet's Coffee | Lavazza | La Colombe | Café Bustelo | Illy | Stumptown | Kicking Horse Coffee | Moccona |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 33.4% | 22.3% | 14.9% | 6.9% | 5.5% | 6.7% | 8.2% | 1.1% | 0.9% |
| Nov 2025 | 34.3% | 22.9% | 15.3% | 7.1% | 4.6% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 1.1% | 0.92% |
| Dec 2025 | 34.5% | 23.1% | 15.4% | 6.7% | 4.6% | 6.9% | 5.7% | 2.1% | 0.93% |
| Jan 2026 | 32.5% | 26.6% | 14.5% | 6.3% | 4.3% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 1.6% | 0.88% |
| Feb 2026 | 32.9% | 22% | 14.7% | 7.8% | 5.4% | 8.1% | 6.6% | 1.6% | 0.89% |
| Mar 2026 | 31.3% | 20.9% | 17.1% | 9.1% | 5.1% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 1.5% | 1% |
| Apr 2026 | 37.4% | 20.5% | 13.7% | 7.3% | 5% | 7.5% | 6.1% | 1.5% | 1% |
| May 2026 | 39.9% | 22% | 12% | 6.4% | 4.4% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 1.1% | 1.1% |
| Jun 2026 | 43.3% | 19.5% | 10.6% | 7.4% | 3.9% | 7.1% | 5.8% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 37.8% | 20.7% | 13.8% | 7.8% | 5% | 6.2% | 6.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 35.8% | 23.9% | 13.1% | 8% | 4.8% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 1.4% | 1.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 35.7% | 23.9% | 13.1% | 6.9% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
How has the Illy and La Colombe comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 4 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Illy took it in December 2025, La Colombe took it in March 2026, Illy took it in April 2026, La Colombe took it in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Illy’s share of searches among coffee brands worldwide moved from 6.7% to 5.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 165K to 135K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, La Colombe’s share of searches among coffee brands worldwide held steady at 6.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 171K to 160K.
How did search popularity change for coffee brands worldwide in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Café Bustelo overtook Illy and Stumptown to rank 5th among coffee brands worldwide, with 5.9% of the searches.
In September 2026, La Colombe lost share of searches among coffee brands worldwide, from 8% to 6.9%.
Illy’s share of searches among coffee brands worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 7.1% to 5.9% in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Illy’s and La Colombe’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.
Illy
1 branded search term
- illy
La Colombe
2 branded search terms
- la colombe
- la colombe coffee
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