Sudafed vs Tylenol:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Tylenol had more branded searches than Sudafed among cold and flu brands worldwide. Tylenol had about 1 million branded searches, while Sudafed had 450,000. Tylenol made up 21.7% of all cold and flu brand searches we track, and Sudafed accounted for 9.8%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cold and flu brands, Sudafed and Tylenol each appeared in three of the five answers. Tylenol was mentioned before Sudafed in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Tylenol, about 2 searches for every 1 for Sudafed
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 3 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Tylenol, named ahead of Sudafed in 2 of 3 answers
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Top cold and flu brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Sudafed and Tylenol were each mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Tylenol was listed before Sudafed in two out of three 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.
Mucinex4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Tylenol3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Sudafed3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- NyQuil3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- DayQuil3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Vicks1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Strepsils0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Difflam0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Coldrex0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about cold and flu brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which cold and flu brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best cold and flu brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best cold and flu brand for cold symptoms?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best cold medicine”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“sore throat relief”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Sudafed or Tylenol more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Sudafed and Tylenol by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine cold and flu brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Tylenol, Sudafed. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Vicks | Tylenol | Strepsils | Mucinex | Sudafed | NyQuil | DayQuil | Difflam | Coldrex |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 26.9% | 28.9% | 15.8% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 4.7% | 3.2% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 24.5% | 25.4% | 17.1% | 11.4% | 9.4% | 6.3% | 3.4% | 1.5% | 1% |
| Dec 2025 | 26% | 18.6% | 15.3% | 15.3% | 10.2% | 6.9% | 4.6% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 26% | 22.7% | 15.3% | 12.5% | 10.2% | 6.8% | 3.7% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 25.3% | 22.1% | 14.9% | 12.2% | 12.2% | 6.7% | 3.7% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 24.2% | 22.9% | 15.4% | 12.6% | 12.6% | 5.6% | 3.8% | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 22.3% | 25.9% | 17.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 1.6% | 0.86% |
| May 2026 | 23.7% | 23.1% | 18.9% | 12.7% | 10.3% | 5.7% | 3.1% | 1.7% | 0.76% |
| Jun 2026 | 26.2% | 25% | 20.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 5% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.55% |
| Jul 2026 | 26.2% | 25% | 20.4% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 5% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.55% |
| Aug 2026 | 25% | 26.8% | 18% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 5.4% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 0.59% |
| Sep 2026 | 24.8% | 21.7% | 17.9% | 12% | 9.8% | 6.5% | 4.4% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
How has the Sudafed and Tylenol comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Tylenol was ahead of Sudafed in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sudafed’s share of searches among cold and flu brands worldwide moved from 8.7% to 9.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 450K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Tylenol’s share of searches among cold and flu brands worldwide moved from 28.9% to 21.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.5M to 1M.
How did search popularity change for cold and flu brands worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
In September 2026, Tylenol lost share of searches among cold and flu brands worldwide, from 26.8% to 21.7%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Sudafed’s and Tylenol’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 cold and flu brands
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