Mercury vs Plaid:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Mercury had more branded searches than Plaid among fintech worldwide. Mercury had about 74,000 branded searches, while Plaid had 720. Mercury made up 1.7% of all fintech searches we track, and Plaid accounted for 0.02%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about fintech, Mercury and Plaid each appeared in two of the five answers. Mercury was mentioned before Plaid in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Mercury, about 103 searches for every 1 for Plaid
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Mercury, named ahead of Plaid in 2 of 3 answers
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Top fintech in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Mercury was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Plaid was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Mercury was listed before Plaid 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.
Stripe4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Wise3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
SoFi2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Adyen2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Mercury2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Plaid2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Marqeta1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Unit1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Rapyd0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about fintech
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which fintech platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best fintech platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best fintech platform for payments infrastructure?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“fintech platform”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“payment infrastructure”
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.
Share of searches by month for Mercury, Plaid. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Stripe | SoFi | Adyen | Mercury | Wise | Marqeta | Rapyd | Plaid | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 65.1% | 27.7% | 3.8% | 1.4% | 1.3% | 0.41% | 0.36% | 0.02% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 69% | 24.2% | 3.3% | 1.5% | 1.3% | 0.36% | 0.31% | 0.02% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 64.1% | 27.2% | 4.5% | 1.6% | 1.7% | 0.4% | 0.35% | 0.02% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 64.7% | 27.6% | 3.7% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 0.41% | 0.29% | 0.02% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 67.7% | 23.6% | 4.8% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.43% | 0.3% | 0.02% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 68.8% | 24% | 3.3% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 0.36% | 0.25% | 0.02% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 64.5% | 27.4% | 3.7% | 2% | 1.6% | 0.41% | 0.29% | 0.02% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 64.7% | 27.5% | 3.7% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 0.41% | 0.35% | 0.02% | <0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 64.1% | 27.3% | 4.5% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 0.41% | 0.29% | 0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jul 2026 | 65% | 27.8% | 3.1% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 0.41% | 0.36% | 0.01% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 64.5% | 27.6% | 3.8% | 1.7% | 1.9% | 0.33% | 0.29% | 0.01% | <0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 64.6% | 27.7% | 3.8% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 0.34% | 0.29% | 0.02% | <0.01% |
How has the Mercury and Plaid comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Mercury was ahead of Plaid in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mercury’s share of searches among fintech worldwide moved from 1.4% to 1.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.5K to 74K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Plaid’s share of searches among fintech worldwide held steady at 0.02%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 720.
How did search popularity change for fintech worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Mercury’s and Plaid’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.
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