Tylenol vs Vicks:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, Vicks had more branded searches than Tylenol among cold and flu brands worldwide. Vicks had about 1.1 million branded searches, while Tylenol had 1 million. Vicks made up 24.8% of all cold and flu brand searches we track, and Tylenol accounted for 21.7%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Is Tylenol or Vicks more popular in search?
Compare the cold, flu and sore throat remedy brands people reach. 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.
Share of searches by month for Vicks, Tylenol. 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 Tylenol and Vicks comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 5 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Vicks took it in December 2025, Tylenol took it in April 2026, Vicks took it in May 2026, Tylenol took it in August 2026, Vicks took it in September 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Vicks’ share of searches among cold and flu brands worldwide moved from 26.9% to 24.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.4M to 1.1M.
How did search popularity change for cold and flu brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Tylenol lost share of searches among cold and flu brands worldwide, from 26.8% to 21.7%.
Vicks’ share of searches among cold and flu brands worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 26.2% to 24.8% in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
5 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Tylenol’s and Vicks’ 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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