Native Instruments vs Waves:Which is more popular?
In October 2026, Waves had more branded searches than Native Instruments among audio plugin brands worldwide. Waves had about 22,200 branded searches, while Native Instruments had 9,800. Waves made up 5.5% of all audio plugin brand searches we track, and Native Instruments accounted for 2.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about audio plugin brands, Waves appeared in three of the five answers and Native Instruments in two. Native Instruments and Waves were each mentioned first in two of the four answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Waves, about 2 searches for every 1 for Native Instruments
Who does AI mention more?
Waves, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Native Instruments in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 2 of 4 answers.
Follow Native Instruments vs Waves and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top audio plugin brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Waves was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Native Instruments was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Native Instruments and Waves were each listed first in two of the four answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
FabFilter1st- Waves2nd
Soundtoys3rd
Universal Audio4th
iZotope5th
Native Instruments6th
Xfer Records7th
Plugin Alliance8th
Valhalla DSP9th
u-he10th- +5 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- FabFilter3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- iZotope3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Soundtoys3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Waves3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Plugin Alliance2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Universal Audio2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Native Instruments2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- u-he1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Valhalla DSP1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Xfer Records1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about audio plugin brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best VST plugins for mixing?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which companies make the best audio plugins?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What plugins should I buy for music production?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“vst plugins”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“audio plugins”
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 27, 2026.
Is Native Instruments or Waves more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Native Instruments and Waves by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 audio plugin brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Waves, Native Instruments. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | FabFilter | Plugin Alliance | Slate Digital | iZotope | u-he | Soundtoys | Valhalla DSP | Waves | Universal Audio | Xfer Records | Kilohearts | Spectrasonics | Native Instruments | Output | Eventide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 15.1% | 12.4% | 5.6% | 12.4% | 8.6% | 12.4% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 2.6% | 2% | 3.1% | 2% | 1.4% | 0.26% |
| Dec 2025 | 9.1% | 9.1% | 4% | 13.5% | 6.4% | 36.8% | 5% | 3.3% | 5% | 2% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 0.23% |
| Jan 2026 | 16.2% | 13.2% | 7.2% | 13.2% | 8.1% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 5.9% | 4.9% | 3.6% | 2.2% | 2.6% | 2.9% | 2% | 0.22% |
| Feb 2026 | 16.4% | 13.4% | 7.3% | 13.4% | 8.2% | 7.3% | 9% | 6% | 4.9% | 3.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.9% | 2% | 0.27% |
| Mar 2026 | 15.3% | 12.5% | 6.9% | 15.3% | 8.9% | 8.4% | 8.4% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 3.6% | 2.5% | 3.1% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.25% |
| Apr 2026 | 15% | 12.3% | 6.7% | 12.3% | 10.2% | 10.1% | 8.2% | 5.5% | 6.7% | 3.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.4% | 1.8% | 0.25% |
| May 2026 | 16.2% | 10.8% | 7.2% | 13.2% | 11% | 7.2% | 8.8% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 3.8% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 0.27% |
| Jun 2026 | 17.7% | 11.8% | 7.9% | 11.8% | 10.3% | 7.9% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 3.4% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.6% | 2% | 0.29% |
| Jul 2026 | 14.5% | 11.9% | 6.5% | 14.5% | 10.3% | 9.7% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 3.4% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.6% | 1.8% | 0.29% |
| Aug 2026 | 15.2% | 12.5% | 6.8% | 12.5% | 10.8% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 3% | 3% | 3% | 2.1% | 0.31% |
| Sep 2026 | 15.6% | 10.4% | 7% | 12.8% | 11.1% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 4.7% | 3.9% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 0.31% |
| Oct 2026 | 15% | 15% | 15% | 10% | 8.7% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 3.7% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.25% |
Native Instruments sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “native instruments kontakt”.
How has branded search for Native Instruments and Waves changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Waves was ahead of Native Instruments in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Native Instruments’ share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide moved from 2% to 2.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 14.7K to 9.8K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Waves’ share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide moved from 6.8% to 5.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 49.5K to 22.2K.
How did search popularity change for audio plugin brands worldwide in October 2026?
2 changes
In October 2026, Native Instruments lost share of searches among audio plugin brands worldwide, from 3.1% to 2.4%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Waves worldwide fell 55.2% over 12 measured months, from 49.5K to 22.2K in October 2026.
How are Native Instruments’ and Waves’ branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Native Instruments’ and Waves’ 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.
Native Instruments
2 branded search terms
- native instruments komplete
- native instruments kontakt
Waves
1 branded search term
- waves plugins
Other head-to-heads among audio plugin brands
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.