McDonald's vs Shake Shack:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, McDonald's had more branded searches than Shake Shack among fast food chains worldwide. McDonald's had about 101 million branded searches, while Shake Shack had 2.2 million. McDonald's made up 41.7% of all fast food chain searches we track, and Shake Shack accounted for 0.92%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Is McDonald's or Shake Shack more popular in search?
Compare the fast food chains people choose between for burgers, chicken, subs and tacos. 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 searches by month for McDonald's, Shake Shack. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | McDonald's | Burger King | Chick-fil-A | KFC | Subway | Taco Bell | Wendy's | Popeyes | Carl's Jr. | Raising Cane’s | Shake Shack | Nando's |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 41% | 12.4% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 8.3% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 3% | 0.91% | 0.74% | 1.1% | 0.02% |
| Nov 2025 | 43.8% | 10.8% | 8.8% | 10.8% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 1.2% | 0.97% | 1.2% | 0.02% |
| Dec 2025 | 46.1% | 11.3% | 9.2% | 11.3% | 6.2% | 6.2% | 4.1% | 2.8% | 1% | 0.83% | 1% | 0.02% |
| Jan 2026 | 42% | 12.7% | 10.4% | 10.4% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 0.93% | 0.93% | 1.1% | 0.02% |
| Feb 2026 | 40.3% | 12.1% | 9.9% | 12.1% | 8.1% | 6.6% | 4.4% | 3% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 0.02% |
| Mar 2026 | 41.4% | 12.5% | 10.2% | 10.2% | 8.4% | 6.8% | 4.5% | 3.1% | 0.92% | 0.92% | 1.1% | 0.02% |
| Apr 2026 | 41.5% | 12.5% | 10.2% | 10.2% | 8.4% | 6.8% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 0.92% | 0.75% | 1.1% | 0.02% |
| May 2026 | 41.6% | 12.5% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 8.4% | 6.8% | 4.6% | 2.5% | 0.92% | 0.92% | 1.1% | 0.02% |
| Jun 2026 | 41.8% | 12.6% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 4.6% | 2.5% | 0.93% | 0.76% | 0.93% | 0.02% |
| Jul 2026 | 46.4% | 11.4% | 9.3% | 9.3% | 7.6% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 2.3% | 0.84% | 0.68% | 0.84% | 0.02% |
| Aug 2026 | 45.3% | 11.1% | 9.1% | 11.1% | 7.5% | 6.1% | 5% | 2.2% | 0.82% | 0.82% | 1% | 0.02% |
| Sep 2026 | 41.7% | 12.6% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 4.6% | 2.5% | 0.92% | 0.92% | 0.92% | 0.02% |
How has the McDonald's and Shake Shack comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- McDonald's was ahead of Shake Shack in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, McDonald's’ share of searches among fast food chains worldwide moved from 41% to 41.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 101M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Shake Shack’s share of searches among fast food chains worldwide moved from 1.1% to 0.92%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.7M to 2.2M.
How did search popularity change for fast food chains worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, McDonald's lost share of searches among fast food chains worldwide, from 45.3% to 41.7%.
In September 2026, Shake Shack fell from 9th to 11th among fast food chains worldwide.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using McDonald's’ and Shake Shack’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.
McDonald's
1 branded search term
- mcdonalds
Shake Shack
1 branded search term
- shake shack
Other head-to-heads among fast food chains
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