PayPal vs Western Union:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, PayPal had more branded searches than Western Union among send Money brands worldwide. PayPal was estimated to have 20.5M branded searches compared to Western Union’s 9.1M, and held a 57.9% Share of Search versus Western Union’s 25.8%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, PayPal or Western Union?
Compare the send money brands people buy. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for PayPal, Western Union. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | PayPal | Western Union | MoneyGram | Remitly | Wise | Xoom | Wave |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 62.5% | 22.9% | 9.1% | 3.1% | 1.5% | 0.75% | 0.22% |
| Nov 2025 | 62.8% | 22.9% | 9% | 3.1% | 1.4% | 0.62% | 0.18% |
| Dec 2025 | 58.6% | 26% | 10.3% | 2.9% | 1.4% | 0.71% | 0.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 58.6% | 26% | 10.2% | 2.9% | 1.5% | 0.58% | 0.25% |
| Feb 2026 | 54.2% | 29.4% | 11.5% | 2.6% | 1.5% | 0.65% | 0.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 53.7% | 29.1% | 11.5% | 3.2% | 1.6% | 0.79% | 0.21% |
| Apr 2026 | 54.9% | 29.8% | 9.5% | 3.3% | 1.7% | 0.66% | 0.2% |
| May 2026 | 55% | 29.8% | 9.5% | 3.3% | 1.6% | 0.66% | 0.17% |
| Jun 2026 | 58.4% | 26% | 10.1% | 2.8% | 1.7% | 0.7% | 0.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 55.3% | 30% | 9.6% | 2.7% | 1.6% | 0.66% | 0.16% |
| Aug 2026 | 53.8% | 29.2% | 11.3% | 3.2% | 1.7% | 0.65% | 0.18% |
| Sep 2026 | 57.9% | 25.8% | 10% | 3.4% | 1.8% | 0.7% | 0.3% |
How has the PayPal and Western Union comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- PayPal was ahead of Western Union in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, PayPal’s estimated Share of Search among send Money brands worldwide moved from 62.5% to 57.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 25M to 20.5M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Western Union’s estimated Share of Search among send Money brands worldwide moved from 22.9% to 25.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 9.1M.
How did search popularity change for send Money brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, PayPal gained estimated Share of Search among send Money brands worldwide, from 53.8% to 57.9%.
In September 2026, Western Union lost estimated Share of Search among send Money brands worldwide, from 29.2% to 25.8%.
Other head-to-heads among send Money brands
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using PayPal’s and Western Union’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.
PayPal
13 branded search terms
- paypal
- paypal business
- paypal business app
- paypal business charges
- paypal business cost
- paypal business fees
- paypal checkout
- paypal express checkout
- paypal for company
- paypal merchant
- paypal merchant services
- paypal payment processing
- paypal payments
Western Union
1 branded search term
- western union
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