Brandwave

How popular isCircle?

In September 2026, people searched for Circle by name about 100 times in New Zealand, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 0.08% of all New Zealand online community platform searches, placing Circle fourth out of five platforms. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about online community platforms, Circle appeared in four of the five answers and was the most recommended of the five.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Circle is the fourth most searched of 5 competitors and the most recommended in AI answers.

  1. DiscordShare of searches 97.8%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  2. SkoolShare of searches 2%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
  3. Mighty NetworksShare of searches 0.12%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  4. CircleShare of searches 0.08%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  5. DiscourseShare of searches <0.01%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
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Top online community platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Circle was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Circle is the most recommended of the five.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Circle1st
  2. Discord2nd
  3. Mighty Networks3rd
  4. Skool4th
  5. Discourse–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Discord5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Mighty Networks4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Circle4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Skool1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Discourse0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about online community platforms

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 19, 2026.

Which online community platforms compete with Circle?

Circle against online community platforms in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for Discord, Skool, Circle. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthDiscordSkoolMighty NetworksCircleDiscourse
Oct 202597.8%2%0.12%0.07%0.01%
Nov 202597.8%2.1%0.12%0.05%0.01%
Dec 202597.3%2.5%0.14%0.07%<0.01%
Jan 202696.8%3%0.18%0.06%<0.01%
Feb 202697.3%2.4%0.17%0.07%0.02%
Mar 202697.8%2%0.14%0.06%0.03%
Apr 202697.8%2%0.1%0.05%0.02%
May 202697.8%2%0.12%0.06%0.02%
Jun 202697.7%2%0.14%0.08%0.02%
Jul 202697.8%2%0.12%0.07%<0.01%
Aug 202697.7%2.1%0.12%0.07%0.02%
Sep 202697.8%2%0.12%0.08%<0.01%

  1. 1.Discord

    97.8%

    Held 1st. 119K estimated branded searches, +0.27% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  2. 2.Skool

    2%

    Held 2nd. 2.4K estimated branded searches, -1.6% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  3. 3.Mighty Networks

    0.12%

    Held 3rd. 140 estimated branded searches, -6.7% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  4. 4.Circle

    0.08%

    Held 4th. 100 estimated branded searches, +11.1% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

  5. 5.Discourse

    <0.01%

    Held 5th. 10 estimated branded searches, -50% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Circle and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Circle

3 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Circle changed in New Zealand over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Circle in New Zealand held steady at 100.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Circle’s share of searches among online community platforms in New Zealand held steady, from 0.07% to 0.08%.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand online community platforms in September 2026?

4 changes

  1. Estimated monthly branded searches for Discourse in New Zealand fell 50% over 12 measured months, from 20 to 10 in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for Mighty Networks in New Zealand fell 17.6% over 12 measured months, from 170 to 140 in September 2026.

  3. Estimated monthly branded searches for Skool in New Zealand fell 16.7% over 12 measured months, from 2.9K to 2.4K in September 2026.

  4. Estimated monthly branded searches for Discord in New Zealand fell 16.4% over 12 measured months, from 142K to 119K in September 2026.

How are Circle’s branded searches counted?

5 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Circle’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • circle community
  • circle community platform
  • circle forum
  • circle membership
  • circle so

Do you work for Circle? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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