Muji vs Paper Mate:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Muji had more branded searches than Paper Mate among stationery worldwide. Muji had about 60,500 branded searches, while Paper Mate had 40,500. Muji made up 5.1% of all stationery searches we track, and Paper Mate accounted for 3.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about stationery, Muji appeared in four of the five answers and Paper Mate in none.
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Top stationery in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Muji was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Paper Mate did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Muji1st
Leuchtturm19172nd
Midori2nd
BIC4th
Staedtler5th
Rhodia5th
Moleskine–
Sharpie–
Paper Mate–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Muji4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Leuchtturm19173 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Midori2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Rhodia2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- BIC1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Staedtler1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Moleskine0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Sharpie0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Paper Mate0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about stationery
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which stationery should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best stationery brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best stationery for school and office?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“stationery brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best stationery”
- 1Muji
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 Muji or Paper Mate more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Muji and Paper Mate by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine stationery we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Muji, Paper Mate. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | BIC | Moleskine | Sharpie | Leuchtturm1917 | Staedtler | Muji | Paper Mate | Midori | Rhodia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 41.5% | 17.5% | 14.3% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% |
| Nov 2025 | 38.9% | 20% | 13.4% | 8.9% | 6% | 6% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.8% |
| Dec 2025 | 35.7% | 22.3% | 12.2% | 12.2% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1.6% |
| Jan 2026 | 37.2% | 18.6% | 12.5% | 12.5% | 6.8% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 3% | 1.7% |
| Feb 2026 | 40.8% | 16.4% | 13.4% | 9% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 4% | 2.4% | 1.8% |
| Mar 2026 | 42.2% | 14.6% | 17.7% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 2.9% | 2.2% | 2% |
| Apr 2026 | 44.8% | 15.4% | 15.4% | 6.9% | 5.7% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 2.3% | 1.7% |
| May 2026 | 41.4% | 16.6% | 16.6% | 7.5% | 6.1% | 5% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.8% |
| Jun 2026 | 42.2% | 17.3% | 14.2% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 5.2% | 2.8% | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Jul 2026 | 41.1% | 16.9% | 13.8% | 9.2% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 3.4% | 2.5% | 1.8% |
| Aug 2026 | 40.7% | 16.3% | 13.4% | 8.9% | 6% | 6% | 4% | 2.9% | 1.8% |
| Sep 2026 | 42.2% | 16.9% | 13.8% | 7.6% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 3.4% | 3% | 1.9% |
How has the Muji and Paper Mate comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Muji was ahead of Paper Mate in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Muji’s share of searches among stationery worldwide moved from 4.3% to 5.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 49.5K to 60.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Paper Mate’s share of searches among stationery worldwide moved from 2.9% to 3.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 33.1K to 40.5K.
How did search popularity change for stationery worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Muji lost share of searches among stationery worldwide, from 6% to 5.1%.
In September 2026, Paper Mate lost share of searches among stationery worldwide, from 4% to 3.4%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Muji’s and Paper Mate’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.
Muji
1 branded search term
- muji pen
Paper Mate
1 branded search term
- papermate
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