PayPal vs Zelle:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, PayPal had more branded searches than Zelle among money transfer apps worldwide. PayPal was estimated to have 20.6M branded searches compared to Zelle’s 823K, and held a 69.5% Share of Search versus Zelle’s 2.8%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, PayPal or Zelle?
Compare the money transfer apps finance teams use. 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, Zelle. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | PayPal | Revolut | Cash App | Venmo | Wise | Zelle |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 72.8% | 11.5% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 2.2% | 2.9% |
| Nov 2025 | 75% | 9.9% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 2.2% | 3% |
| Dec 2025 | 74.9% | 9.8% | 4.5% | 5.5% | 2.3% | 3% |
| Jan 2026 | 73.3% | 11.6% | 5.3% | 4.4% | 2.5% | 2.9% |
| Feb 2026 | 70.3% | 11.2% | 6.2% | 6.2% | 2.6% | 3.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 69.3% | 13.4% | 6.2% | 5% | 2.7% | 3.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 70.8% | 11.5% | 6.3% | 5.2% | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| May 2026 | 69.4% | 13.3% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 70.2% | 13.4% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 3.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 70.5% | 13.7% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 2.7% | 2.8% |
| Aug 2026 | 69.5% | 13.5% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 3% | 2.8% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the PayPal and Zelle comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- PayPal was ahead of Zelle in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, PayPal’s estimated Share of Search among money transfer apps worldwide moved from 72.8% to 69.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 25.1M to 20.6M.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Zelle’s estimated Share of Search among money transfer apps worldwide moved from 2.9% to 2.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1M to 823K.
How did search popularity change for money transfer apps worldwide in August 2026?
2 changes
In August 2026, PayPal lost estimated Share of Search among money transfer apps worldwide, from 70.5% to 69.5%.
In August 2026, Zelle fell from 5th to 6th among money transfer apps worldwide.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using PayPal’s and Zelle’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
24 branded search terms
- paypal
- paypal business
- paypal business account
- paypal business account charges
- paypal business account cost
- paypal business account fees
- paypal business account price
- paypal business app
- paypal business charges
- paypal business cost
- paypal business fees
- paypal checkout
- paypal commercial account
- paypal company account
- paypal corporate account
- paypal express checkout
- paypal for business
- paypal for company
- paypal merchant
- paypal merchant account
- paypal merchant services
- paypal payment processing
- paypal payments
- paypal to business account
Zelle
1 branded search term
- zelle
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