Brandwave

LightStream vs Upstart:Which is more popular by branded search?

In August 2026, Upstart had more branded searches than LightStream among personal loan platforms worldwide. Upstart was estimated to have 165K branded searches compared to LightStream’s 135K, and held an 18% Share of Search versus LightStream’s 14.7%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.

Share of Search among personal loan platforms worldwide in August 2026Which is more popular in search, LightStream or Upstart?
LightStream14.7%135K searches
vs
Upstart18%165K searches

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Which is more popular in search, LightStream or Upstart?

Compare the personal loan platforms businesses choose between. 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.

LightStream and Upstart among personal loan platforms worldwide, by month

Share of Search by month for Upstart, LightStream. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of search table
MonthAvantUpstartLendingClubLightStreamSoFiProsper
Oct 202537.4%9.2%30.6%13.7%5%4.1%
Nov 202540.7%10%27.2%12.2%5.5%4.5%
Dec 202540.2%9.9%26.9%12%6.6%4.4%
Jan 202639.1%9.6%26.2%14.4%6.4%4.3%
Feb 202639.6%9.7%26.5%14.5%5.3%4.4%
Mar 202636.3%10.8%29.7%13.3%6%4%
Apr 202636.3%10.8%29.7%13.3%6%4%
May 202638.3%11.5%25.6%14.1%6.3%4.2%
Jun 202635.8%10.7%29.3%13.1%7.2%3.9%
Jul 202638.2%14%20.9%14%7.7%5.1%
Aug 202640.1%18%14.7%14.7%8.1%4.4%
Sep 2026——————

How has the LightStream and Upstart comparison changed over the last 12 months?

  • The lead changed hands once in the 11 months ending August 2026: Upstart took it in August 2026.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, LightStream’s estimated Share of Search among personal loan platforms worldwide moved from 13.7% to 14.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 135K.
  • Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Upstart’s estimated Share of Search among personal loan platforms worldwide moved from 9.2% to 18%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 90.5K to 165K.

How did search popularity change for personal loan platforms worldwide in August 2026?

  1. In August 2026, Upstart overtook LendingClub to rank 2nd among personal loan platforms worldwide, at 18%.

  2. In August 2026, LightStream gained estimated Share of Search among personal loan platforms worldwide, from 14% to 14.7%.

How each brand is measured

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using LightStream’s and Upstart’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.

LightStream

1 branded search term

  • lightstream

Upstart

1 branded search term

  • upstart loans

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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