Melissa & Doug vs Step2:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Melissa & Doug had more branded searches than Step2 among play kitchen brands worldwide. Melissa & Doug had about 135,000 branded searches, while Step2 had 60,500. Melissa & Doug made up 20.4% of all play kitchen brand searches we track, and Step2 accounted for 9.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about play kitchen brands, Melissa & Doug and Step2 each appeared in two of the five answers. Step2 was mentioned before Melissa & Doug in two out of three answers.
Who do people search for more?
Melissa & Doug, about 2 searches for every 1 for Step2
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Step2, named ahead of Melissa & Doug in 2 of 3 answers
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Top play kitchen brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Melissa & Doug and Step2 were each mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Step2 was listed before Melissa & Doug in two out of three answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
KidKraft1st- Step22nd
Hape3rd- Melissa & Doug4th
Little Tikes5th
Fisher-Price–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- KidKraft5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Melissa & Doug2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Step22 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Hape2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Little Tikes1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Fisher-Price0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about play kitchen brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which play kitchen brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best play kitchen brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best play kitchen brand for a toddler?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“kids play kitchen”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“wooden play kitchen”
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 21, 2026.
Is Melissa & Doug or Step2 more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Melissa & Doug and Step2 by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all six play kitchen brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Melissa & Doug, Step2. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Fisher-Price | Little Tikes | Melissa & Doug | Step2 | Hape | KidKraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 43.7% | 19.6% | 19.7% | 5.9% | 7.2% | 3.9% |
| Nov 2025 | 44.5% | 16.3% | 24.4% | 4.9% | 6% | 4% |
| Dec 2025 | 47% | 17.2% | 21.1% | 4.2% | 6.3% | 4.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 48.1% | 17.6% | 17.6% | 5.3% | 7.9% | 3.5% |
| Feb 2026 | 40.7% | 22.3% | 18.4% | 6.7% | 8.2% | 3.7% |
| Mar 2026 | 39.5% | 21.7% | 17.7% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 5.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 40% | 22% | 14.8% | 9.8% | 8% | 5.4% |
| May 2026 | 38.5% | 25.8% | 14.2% | 9.5% | 7.7% | 4.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 37.3% | 25% | 16.8% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 4.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 40.8% | 22.4% | 18.3% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 3.7% |
| Aug 2026 | 39.4% | 21.6% | 21.7% | 7.9% | 6.5% | 2.9% |
| Sep 2026 | 37% | 24.8% | 20.4% | 9.1% | 6.1% | 2.7% |
How has the Melissa & Doug and Step2 comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Melissa & Doug was ahead of Step2 in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Melissa & Doug’s share of searches among play kitchen brands worldwide moved from 19.7% to 20.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 135K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Step2’s share of searches among play kitchen brands worldwide moved from 5.9% to 9.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 40.5K to 60.5K.
How did search popularity change for play kitchen brands worldwide in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Little Tikes overtook Melissa & Doug to rank 2nd among play kitchen brands worldwide, with 24.8% of the searches.
In September 2026, Step2 gained share of searches among play kitchen brands worldwide, from 7.9% to 9.1%.
In September 2026, Melissa & Doug lost share of searches among play kitchen brands worldwide, from 21.7% to 20.4%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Melissa & Doug’s and Step2’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.
Melissa & Doug
2 branded search terms
- melissa doug
- melissadoug toys
Step2
1 branded search term
- step2
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