Rick Steves vs Wikivoyage:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Rick Steves had more branded searches than Wikivoyage among travel guide platforms worldwide. Rick Steves had about 90,500 branded searches, while Wikivoyage had 14,800. Rick Steves made up 1.7% of all travel guide platform searches we track, and Wikivoyage accounted for 0.28%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about travel guide platforms, Rick Steves appeared in three of the five answers and Wikivoyage in none.
Who do people search for more?
Rick Steves, about 6 searches for every 1 for Wikivoyage
Who does AI mention more?
Rick Steves, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Wikivoyage in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Rick Steves, the only one of the two named
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Top travel guide platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Rick Steves was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Wikivoyage did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Lonely Planet1st
Wanderlog2nd- Rick Steves3rd
Tripadvisor4th- Atlas Obscura4th
Culture Trip6th
Rome2Rio7th
Time Out8th
Wikivoyage–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Lonely Planet5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Wanderlog3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Rick Steves3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Tripadvisor2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Rome2Rio2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Atlas Obscura2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Time Out1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Culture Trip1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Wikivoyage0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about travel guide platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which travel guide platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best travel guide platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best travel guide platform for trip ideas?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“travel guide sites”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best travel guide”
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 21, 2026.
Is Rick Steves or Wikivoyage more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Rick Steves and Wikivoyage by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine travel guide platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Rick Steves, Wikivoyage. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Tripadvisor | Rome2Rio | Time Out | Wanderlog | Lonely Planet | Atlas Obscura | Rick Steves | Wikivoyage | Culture Trip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 77.5% | 8.5% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 0.28% | 0.08% |
| Nov 2025 | 77% | 8.5% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 0.28% | 0.07% |
| Dec 2025 | 75.5% | 8.3% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3% | 2% | 2.5% | 0.33% | 0.07% |
| Jan 2026 | 76.5% | 8.4% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 0.34% | 0.07% |
| Feb 2026 | 77.5% | 8.5% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 0.34% | 0.07% |
| Mar 2026 | 72.4% | 9.7% | 3.6% | 5.3% | 4.4% | 1.9% | 2.4% | 0.21% | 0.06% |
| Apr 2026 | 74.8% | 10.1% | 3.7% | 4.5% | 3% | 1.7% | 2% | 0.22% | 0.07% |
| May 2026 | 80.1% | 7.2% | 3.2% | 3.9% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.24% | 0.06% |
| Jun 2026 | 81.2% | 7.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 0.2% | 0.05% |
| Jul 2026 | 80.6% | 7.3% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.24% | 0.05% |
| Aug 2026 | 80.4% | 7.2% | 3.2% | 4% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.19% | 0.05% |
| Sep 2026 | 77.8% | 7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 0.28% | 0.06% |
How has the Rick Steves and Wikivoyage comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Rick Steves was ahead of Wikivoyage in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Rick Steves’ share of searches among travel guide platforms worldwide moved from 2.1% to 1.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 110K to 90.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wikivoyage’s share of searches among travel guide platforms worldwide held steady at 0.28%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 14.8K.
How did search popularity change for travel guide platforms worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Lonely Planet overtook Atlas Obscura and Rick Steves to rank 5th among travel guide platforms worldwide, with 2.1% of the searches.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Rick Steves worldwide fell 17.7% over 12 measured months, from 110K to 90.5K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Rick Steves’ and Wikivoyage’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.
Rick Steves
1 branded search term
- rick steves
Wikivoyage
1 branded search term
- wikivoyage
Other head-to-heads among travel guide platforms
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