Nerds vs Starburst:Which is more popular?
In October 2026, Nerds had more branded searches than Starburst among candy brands worldwide. Nerds had about 262,000 branded searches, while Starburst had 39,700. Nerds made up 9.5% of all candy brand searches we track, and Starburst accounted for 1.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about candy brands, Nerds and Starburst each appeared in two of the five answers. Nerds was mentioned before Starburst in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Nerds, about 7 searches for every 1 for Starburst
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Nerds, named ahead of Starburst in 2 of 3 answers
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Top candy brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Nerds and Starburst were each mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Nerds was listed before Starburst 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.
Sour Patch Kids1st
Haribo2nd
Skittles3rd- Nerds4th
Jolly Rancher5th
Warheads6th
Starburst7th
Trolli8th
Mike and Ike9th
Airheads10th- +5 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Sour Patch Kids5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Haribo3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Skittles3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Nerds2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Jolly Rancher2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Mike and Ike2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Warheads2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Starburst2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Airheads2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Hi-Chew1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about candy brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best candy brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which sour candy should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the most popular candy right now?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“candy brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best candy”
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 26, 2026.
Is Nerds or Starburst more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Nerds and Starburst by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 candy brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Nerds, Starburst. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Haribo | Skittles | Sour Patch Kids | Nerds | Jolly Rancher | Twizzlers | Hi-Chew | Swedish Fish | Jelly Belly | Mike and Ike | Trolli | Warheads | Starburst | Airheads | Maynards Bassetts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 23.2% | 18.9% | 10.4% | 11.6% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 3.8% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.05% |
| Dec 2025 | 23.8% | 19.4% | 10.6% | 9.7% | 8.7% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.06% |
| Jan 2026 | 24.7% | 20.2% | 11% | 8.8% | 9% | 4.9% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 1% | 0.06% |
| Feb 2026 | 24.4% | 20% | 10.9% | 10% | 8.9% | 4.9% | 4% | 3.3% | 4% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 1.2% | 1.3% | 0.99% | 0.04% |
| Mar 2026 | 23.8% | 19.5% | 10.7% | 9.8% | 8.7% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 0.96% | 0.06% |
| Apr 2026 | 24.2% | 19.8% | 10.8% | 8.6% | 8.9% | 4.8% | 4% | 4% | 4.8% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1.2% | 1.3% | 0.98% | 0.06% |
| May 2026 | 23.6% | 19.3% | 10.6% | 9.7% | 8.6% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 4.7% | 2.6% | 3.9% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.95% | 0.04% |
| Jun 2026 | 23.4% | 19.2% | 10.5% | 9.6% | 8.6% | 5.7% | 4.7% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.1% | 3.9% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.07% |
| Jul 2026 | 23% | 18.8% | 10.3% | 10% | 8.4% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 4.6% | 3.1% | 3.8% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 0.05% |
| Aug 2026 | 21.7% | 21.7% | 9.7% | 8.9% | 9.7% | 5.3% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 0.06% |
| Sep 2026 | 20.8% | 20.8% | 11.4% | 8.5% | 9.3% | 6.3% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1% | 0.05% |
| Oct 2026 | 20% | 20% | 13.4% | 9.5% | 9% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1.5% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 0.05% |
How has branded search for Nerds and Starburst changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Nerds was ahead of Starburst in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Nerds’ share of searches among candy brands worldwide moved from 11.6% to 9.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 275K to 262K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Starburst’s share of searches among candy brands worldwide held steady at 1.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 33.7K to 39.7K.
How did search popularity change for candy brands worldwide in October 2026?
2 changes
In October 2026, Nerds overtook Jolly Rancher to rank 4th among candy brands worldwide, with 9.5% of the searches.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Starburst worldwide rose 17.8% over 12 measured months, from 33.7K to 39.7K in October 2026.
How are Nerds’ and Starburst’s branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Nerds’ and Starburst’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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