Megabus vs redBus:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, redBus had more branded searches than Megabus among bus booking platforms worldwide. redBus had about 7.5 million branded searches, while Megabus had 301,000. redBus made up 35.7% of all bus booking platform searches we track, and Megabus accounted for 1.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about bus booking platforms, redBus appeared in two of the five answers and Megabus in one. redBus was mentioned before Megabus in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
redBus, about 25 searches for every 1 for Megabus
Who does AI mention more?
redBus, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Megabus in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
redBus, named ahead of Megabus in 2 of 3 answers
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Top bus booking platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, redBus was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Megabus was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. redBus was listed before Megabus in two out of three answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
FlixBus5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Greyhound5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Wanderu5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Busbud4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- redBus2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Megabus1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
BlaBlaCar0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about bus booking platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which bus booking platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best bus booking platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best bus booking platform for coach tickets?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“book bus tickets”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“bus tickets online”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is Megabus or redBus more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Megabus and redBus by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven bus booking platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for redBus, Megabus. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | FlixBus | redBus | BlaBlaCar | Busbud | Greyhound | Megabus | Wanderu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 31.3% | 38.3% | 25.6% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.9% | 0.31% |
| Nov 2025 | 35.5% | 35.5% | 23.7% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.7% | 0.35% |
| Dec 2025 | 33.8% | 33.8% | 27.6% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 1.7% | 0.33% |
| Jan 2026 | 35.7% | 35.7% | 23.9% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 0.24% |
| Feb 2026 | 35.6% | 35.6% | 23.8% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.8% | 0.29% |
| Mar 2026 | 35.6% | 35.6% | 23.8% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.29% |
| Apr 2026 | 31.6% | 38.6% | 25.9% | 1.3% | 1% | 1.3% | 0.26% |
| May 2026 | 31.6% | 38.6% | 25.8% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.26% |
| Jun 2026 | 33.8% | 33.8% | 27.7% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.27% |
| Jul 2026 | 38.5% | 31.5% | 25.8% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1% | 0.26% |
| Aug 2026 | 31.6% | 38.6% | 25.8% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.26% |
| Sep 2026 | 35.7% | 35.7% | 23.9% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.29% |
How has the Megabus and redBus comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- redBus was ahead of Megabus in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Megabus’ share of searches among bus booking platforms worldwide moved from 1.9% to 1.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 450K to 301K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, redBus’ share of searches among bus booking platforms worldwide moved from 38.3% to 35.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 9.1M to 7.5M.
How did search popularity change for bus booking platforms worldwide in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, FlixBus overtook redBus to become the leader among bus booking platforms worldwide, with 35.7% of the searches.
In September 2026, redBus lost share of searches among bus booking platforms worldwide, from 38.6% to 35.7%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Megabus worldwide fell 33.1% over 12 measured months, from 450K to 301K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Megabus’ and redBus’ 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 bus booking platforms
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