---
title: "Pencil vs Smartly: Which is more popular by branded search?"
description: "Which is more popular in search, Pencil or Smartly? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the AI ad creative tools set worldwide. 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."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/pencil-vs-smartly"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Pencil vs Smartly: Which is more popular by branded search?

Which is more popular in search, Pencil or Smartly? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the AI ad creative tools set worldwide. 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.

## Key facts

- **Compared**: Pencil and Smartly
- **Competitive set**: AI ad creative tools
- **Market**: Global
- **Month measured**: Aug 2026
- **Pencil Share of Search**: 9.6%
- **Smartly Share of Search**: 48.2%

## Which is more popular in search, Pencil or Smartly?

- In August 2026, Smartly had more branded searches than Pencil among AI ad creative tools worldwide. Smartly was estimated to have 33.1K branded searches compared to Pencil’s 6.6K, and held a 48.2% Share of Search versus Pencil’s 9.6%.
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 11 months ending August 2026: Pencil took it in March 2026, Smartly took it in April 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Pencil’s estimated Share of Search among AI ad creative tools worldwide moved from 5.6% to 9.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 6.6K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Smartly’s estimated Share of Search among AI ad creative tools worldwide moved from 34.5% to 48.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 40.5K to 33.1K.

## How did search popularity change for AI ad creative tools worldwide in August 2026?

- In August 2026, Smartly gained estimated Share of Search among AI ad creative tools worldwide, from 46.4% to 48.2%.
- In August 2026, Pencil lost estimated Share of Search among AI ad creative tools worldwide, from 11.4% to 9.6%.

## Month by month

| Month | Pencil estimated searches | Pencil Share of Search | Pencil rank | Smartly estimated searches | Smartly Share of Search | Smartly rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | 6.6K | 5.6% | 4 | 40.5K | 34.5% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | 6.6K | 6.3% | 4 | 33.1K | 31.5% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | 5.4K | 5.9% | 4 | 33.1K | 35.9% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | 18.1K | 12.7% | 3 | 60.5K | 42.6% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | 33.1K | 27.6% | 2 | 33.1K | 27.6% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | 49.5K | 32.2% | 2 | 40.5K | 26.4% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | 22.2K | 19.3% | 3 | 40.5K | 35.3% | 2 |
| May 2026 | 14.8K | 15% | 3 | 40.5K | 41% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | 12.1K | 13.7% | 3 | 40.5K | 45.9% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | 8.1K | 11.4% | 3 | 33.1K | 46.4% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | 6.6K | 9.6% | 3 | 33.1K | 48.2% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — |

## How each brand is measured

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Pencil’s and Smartly’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.

- **Pencil**: Measured on the search term “pencil ai”.
- **Smartly**: Measured on the search term “smartly”.

- [Pencil profile](/demand/global-en/brands/pencil)
- [Smartly profile](/demand/global-en/brands/smartly)
- [All AI ad creative tools worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/ai-ad-creative-tools): The set both shares are measured inside, 4 brands.

## Methodology

- [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which is more popular in search, Pencil or Smartly?

In August 2026, Smartly had more branded searches than Pencil among AI ad creative tools worldwide. Smartly was estimated to have 33.1K branded searches compared to Pencil’s 6.6K, and held a 48.2% Share of Search versus Pencil’s 9.6%.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Pencil vs Smartly: Which is more popular by branded search?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/pencil-vs-smartly

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/pencil-vs-smartly. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.