STL Tones vs TONEX:Which is more popular?
In October 2026, TONEX had more branded searches than STL Tones among guitar amp simulators worldwide. TONEX had about 55,300 branded searches, while STL Tones had 5,400. TONEX made up 24.9% of all guitar amp simulator searches we track, and STL Tones accounted for 2.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about guitar amp simulators, STL Tones and TONEX each appeared in one of the five answers. STL Tones and TONEX were each mentioned first in one of the two answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
TONEX, about 10 searches for every 1 for STL Tones
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 1 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 1 of 2 answers.
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Top guitar amp simulators in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, STL Tones and TONEX were each mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. STL Tones and TONEX were each listed first in one of the two answers that named either.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Neural DSP5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Neural Amp Modeler5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- AmpliTube4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Guitar Rig2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Helix Native2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- TONEX1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
STL Tones1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
BIAS FX0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Overloud0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Nembrini Audio0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about guitar amp simulators
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best guitar amp simulator plugin?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which amp sim should I use to record guitar at home?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best amp sims for metal?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“amp sim”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“guitar amp simulator”
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 27, 2026.
Share of searches by month for TONEX, STL Tones. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Neural DSP | TONEX | AmpliTube | Neural Amp Modeler | Guitar Rig | STL Tones | BIAS FX | Helix Native | Overloud | Nembrini Audio | Kuassa | Mercuriall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 51.1% | 17.2% | 10.3% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1.1% | 0.61% | 0.25% | 0.25% |
| Dec 2025 | 51.9% | 15.1% | 12.8% | 7% | 5.7% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 0.93% | 0.62% | 0.26% | 0.23% |
| Jan 2026 | 41.8% | 18.1% | 15.3% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.4% | 0.59% | 0.27% | 0.22% |
| Feb 2026 | 36.1% | 22% | 16.1% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 2.2% | 2.6% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 0.96% | 0.29% | 0.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 34.5% | 21.1% | 15.4% | 10.3% | 8.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 0.91% | 0.34% | 0.27% |
| Apr 2026 | 44.8% | 18.4% | 13.4% | 9% | 6% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 0.96% | 0.24% | 0.24% |
| May 2026 | 41.3% | 20.7% | 12.4% | 10.2% | 6.8% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 0.9% | 0.27% | 0.22% |
| Jun 2026 | 31.5% | 23.6% | 14.1% | 14.1% | 7.7% | 2.8% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.2% | 0.68% | 0.25% | 0.31% |
| Jul 2026 | 31.3% | 19.1% | 14% | 20.9% | 6.3% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1% | 0.8% | 0.25% | 0.25% |
| Aug 2026 | 34.9% | 21.3% | 12.8% | 15.6% | 7% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 2.5% | 0.93% | 0.73% | 0.23% | 0.23% |
| Sep 2026 | 30.9% | 28.2% | 13.8% | 11.3% | 7.6% | 2.3% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1% | 0.79% | 0.25% | 0.25% |
| Oct 2026 | 33.3% | 24.9% | 14.9% | 10% | 8.2% | 2.4% | 2% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.86% | 0.27% | 0.27% |
How has branded search for STL Tones and TONEX changed worldwide over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- TONEX was ahead of STL Tones in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, STL Tones’ share of searches among guitar amp simulators worldwide moved from 2.5% to 2.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 9.9K to 5.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, TONEX’s share of searches among guitar amp simulators worldwide moved from 17.2% to 24.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 67.6K to 55.3K.
How did search popularity change for guitar amp simulators worldwide in October 2026?
2 changes
In October 2026, TONEX lost share of searches among guitar amp simulators worldwide, from 28.2% to 24.9%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for STL Tones worldwide fell 45.5% over 12 measured months, from 9.9K to 5.4K in October 2026.
How are STL Tones’ and TONEX’s branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using STL Tones’ and TONEX’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.
Other head-to-heads among guitar amp simulators
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