Starburst vs Swedish Fish:Which is more popular?
In October 2026, Swedish Fish had more branded searches than Starburst among candy brands worldwide. Swedish Fish had about 110,000 branded searches, while Starburst had 39,700. Swedish Fish made up 4% of all candy brand searches we track, and Starburst accounted for 1.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about candy brands, Starburst appeared in two of the five answers and Swedish Fish in none.
Who do people search for more?
Swedish Fish, about 3 searches for every 1 for Starburst
Who does AI mention more?
Starburst, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Swedish Fish in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Starburst, the only one of the two named
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Top candy brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Starburst was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Swedish Fish 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.
Sour Patch Kids1st
Haribo2nd
Skittles3rd
Nerds4th
Jolly Rancher5th
Warheads6th- Starburst7th
Trolli8th
Mike and Ike9th- +3 more
- Swedish Fish–
- +2 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- Swedish Fish0 of 5Named in 0 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 Starburst or Swedish Fish more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Starburst and Swedish Fish 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 Swedish Fish, 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 Starburst and Swedish Fish changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Swedish Fish was ahead of Starburst in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Swedish Fish’s share of searches among candy brands worldwide moved from 3.8% to 4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 90.5K to 110K.
How did search popularity change for candy brands worldwide in October 2026?
2 changes
In October 2026, Swedish Fish rose from 9th to 8th among candy brands worldwide.
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 Starburst’s and Swedish Fish’s branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Starburst’s and Swedish Fish’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.
Starburst
2 branded search terms
- starburst candy
- starburst gummies
Swedish Fish
1 branded search term
- swedish fish
Other head-to-heads among candy brands
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