Xref vs Zinc:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, Zinc had more branded searches than Xref among reference checking software worldwide. Zinc had about 3,600 branded searches, while Xref had 480. Zinc made up 22.3% of all reference checking software searches we track, and Xref accounted for 3%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Is Xref or Zinc more popular in search?
Compare the software hiring teams use to collect and check candidate references. 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 Zinc, Xref. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Zinc | Checkster | Referoo | Crosschq | HiPeople | SkillSurvey | RefNow | Xref | Checkmate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 18.1% | 15% | 18.1% | 15% | 15% | 10% | 5.5% | 2.4% | 1.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 19.8% | 16.4% | 19.8% | 11% | 16.4% | 6.8% | 6% | 2.7% | 0.96% |
| Dec 2025 | 19.4% | 15.3% | 15.3% | 12.9% | 19.4% | 8.1% | 5.8% | 2.6% | 1.1% |
| Jan 2026 | 20.2% | 16.7% | 16.7% | 13.3% | 16.7% | 9.1% | 5% | 1.2% | 0.98% |
| Feb 2026 | 20.5% | 17% | 20.5% | 13.4% | 13.4% | 7.1% | 5.1% | 1.8% | 1.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 18.3% | 18.3% | 18.3% | 15.2% | 12% | 8.2% | 5.6% | 3% | 1.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 19.1% | 19.1% | 15.8% | 15.8% | 12.5% | 8.6% | 4.7% | 3.2% | 1.1% |
| May 2026 | 19.1% | 23.8% | 15.8% | 12.5% | 12.5% | 6.6% | 4.8% | 3.9% | 0.92% |
| Jun 2026 | 19.1% | 19.1% | 19.1% | 12.5% | 12.5% | 8.6% | 4.7% | 3.2% | 1.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 23.2% | 23.2% | 15.5% | 12.2% | 12.2% | 6.4% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 0.9% |
| Aug 2026 | 22.7% | 22.7% | 15.1% | 12% | 12% | 8.2% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 1.1% |
| Sep 2026 | 22.3% | 18% | 18% | 11.8% | 11.8% | 9.9% | 4.5% | 3% | 0.87% |
How has the Xref and Zinc comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Zinc was ahead of Xref in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Xref’s share of searches among reference checking software worldwide moved from 2.4% to 3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 390 to 480.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zinc’s share of searches among reference checking software worldwide moved from 18.1% to 22.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.9K to 3.6K.
How did search popularity change for reference checking software worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Xref gained share of searches among reference checking software worldwide, from 2.5% to 3%.
In September 2026, Zinc rose from 2nd to 1st among reference checking software worldwide.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Xref’s and Zinc’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 reference checking software
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