Kahoot! vs Top Hat:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Kahoot! had more branded searches than Top Hat among student engagement platforms worldwide. Kahoot! had about 45.5 million branded searches, while Top Hat had 695,000. Kahoot! made up 85.4% of all student engagement platform searches we track, and Top Hat accounted for 1.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about student engagement platforms, Kahoot! appeared in four of the five answers and Top Hat in two. Kahoot! was mentioned before Top Hat in every answer that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Kahoot!, about 65 searches for every 1 for Top Hat
Who does AI mention more?
Kahoot!, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Top Hat in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Kahoot!, named ahead of Top Hat in 4 of 4 answers
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Top student engagement platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Kahoot! was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Top Hat was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Kahoot! was listed before Top Hat in every answer that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentimeter1st- Kahoot!2nd
Nearpod3rd
Ready Education4th
Poll Everywhere5th- Padlet6th
Modern Campus Involve7th
Vevox8th
Top Hat9th
Wooclap10th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Kahoot!4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Mentimeter4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Padlet2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Nearpod2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Top Hat2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Vevox2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Modern Campus Involve2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Ready Education2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Wooclap1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Poll Everywhere1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about student engagement platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which student engagement platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best student engagement platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best student engagement platform for classroom polling?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“student engagement platform”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“student response system”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is Kahoot! or Top Hat more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Kahoot! and Top Hat by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten student engagement platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Kahoot!, Top Hat. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Kahoot! | Padlet | Mentimeter | Nearpod | Wooclap | Top Hat | Poll Everywhere | Vevox | Modern Campus Involve | Ready Education |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 86.7% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 1.6% | 0.88% | 0.21% | 0.14% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 86.1% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 2.8% | 1.6% | 0.72% | 0.17% | 0.11% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 91% | 3% | 2.4% | 2% | 0.9% | 0.51% | 0.1% | 0.05% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 84.6% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.31% | 0.11% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 88% | 3.5% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.17% | 0.12% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 86.5% | 4.3% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 1.3% | 0.72% | 0.17% | 0.09% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 88.7% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 0.88% | 0.75% | 0.14% | 0.06% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 90.6% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 2% | 0.73% | 0.42% | 0.08% | 0.05% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 91.1% | 3.7% | 3% | 0.9% | 0.74% | 0.43% | 0.08% | 0.04% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jul 2026 | 87.6% | 4.3% | 5.3% | 1.1% | 0.71% | 0.78% | 0.17% | 0.08% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 85.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 3.4% | 1% | 1.6% | 0.31% | 0.08% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 85.4% | 4.2% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 0.21% | 0.14% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
How has the Kahoot! and Top Hat comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Kahoot! was ahead of Top Hat in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kahoot!’s share of searches among student engagement platforms worldwide moved from 86.7% to 85.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 55.6M to 45.5M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Top Hat’s share of searches among student engagement platforms worldwide moved from 0.88% to 1.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 565K to 695K.
How did search popularity change for student engagement platforms worldwide in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Wooclap overtook Top Hat to rank 5th among student engagement platforms worldwide, with 1.9% of the searches.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Top Hat worldwide rose 23.1% over 12 measured months, from 565K to 695K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Kahoot! worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 55.6M to 45.5M in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Kahoot!’s and Top Hat’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 student engagement platforms
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