Brandwave

KFC vs McDonald's:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, KFC had more branded searches than McDonald's among fast food chains in New Zealand. KFC had about 231,000 branded searches, while McDonald's had 183,000. KFC made up 26.5% of all fast food chain searches we track, and McDonald's accounted for 21%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about fast food chains, both KFC and McDonald's appeared in all three answers. McDonald's was mentioned before KFC in two out of three answers.

Among fast food chains in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

KFC, about 26% more searches than McDonald's

KFC 231K searchesMcDonald's 183K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.

KFC in 3 of 3McDonald's in 3 of 3

Who does AI recommend more?

McDonald's, named ahead of KFC in 2 of 3 answers

McDonald's first in 2KFC first in 1

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Top fast food chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions, both KFC and McDonald's showed up in all three answers. McDonald's was listed before KFC in two of them.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. BurgerFuel1st
  2. McDonald's2nd
  3. KFC3rd
  4. Wendy's4th
  5. Subway5th
  6. Hell Pizza6th
  7. Carl's Jr.7th
  8. Taco Bell8th
  9. Pita Pit9th
  10. Burger King–
  11. +4 more

Mentioned by AI

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

  • KFC3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • McDonald's3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • BurgerFuel3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Subway3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Wendy's2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Hell Pizza1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Taco Bell1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Carl's Jr.1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Pita Pit1 of 3Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answers
  • Burger King0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers

+4 more

See every answer about fast food chains

3 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.

Is KFC or McDonald's more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for KFC and McDonald's by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 14 fast food chains we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

KFC and McDonald's among fast food chains in New Zealand, by month

Share of searches by month for KFC, McDonald's. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthKFCMcDonald'sBurger KingHell PizzaTaco BellNando'sWendy'sCarl's Jr.BurgerFuelPopeyesPita PitZambreroSubwayMexicali Fresh
Oct 202531%21.6%11.9%10.1%3.6%3.9%3.6%4%2.8%3.4%2.2%0.84%0.59%0.48%
Nov 202528.7%23.8%11.4%9.4%4%4.3%3.9%3.1%3.1%3.6%2.5%0.95%0.64%0.54%
Dec 202526.5%25.6%11.8%10%5.4%3.9%3.6%2.7%2.8%3.3%2.3%1%0.48%0.48%
Jan 202621.6%28%12.9%9.1%5.7%4.3%4.1%3%3.1%3.6%2.5%0.96%0.64%0.53%
Feb 202623.8%26.5%12.2%10.2%5.2%4%3.6%3.3%2.8%3.3%2.9%1%0.61%0.59%
Mar 202623.5%26.6%12.3%9.8%5.2%4.2%4.2%3.3%2.7%3.3%2.7%1%0.7%0.56%
Apr 202623.6%26.7%12.3%9.8%5.4%4.3%3.6%3.4%3.3%3.3%2.2%1%0.67%0.46%
May 202624.7%23.2%14.2%9.9%5.5%4.5%3.5%3.4%3.3%3.5%2.2%1%0.69%0.47%
Jun 202626.2%21%13.5%10.5%5.7%4.2%3.8%3.5%3.6%3.6%2.3%1.1%0.74%0.5%
Jul 202626.6%21.3%11.7%10.5%6%4.8%3.9%3.6%3.6%3.5%2.3%0.91%0.73%0.51%
Aug 202626.2%21%11.9%11%5.9%4.8%4%3.7%3.1%3.7%2.4%0.96%0.82%0.53%
Sep 202626.5%21%13.8%9.1%5.8%4.8%4.1%3.8%3.1%3%2.4%0.98%0.89%0.54%

How has the KFC and McDonald's comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: McDonald's took it in January 2026, KFC took it in May 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, KFC’s share of searches among fast food chains in New Zealand moved from 31% to 26.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 368K to 231K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, McDonald's’ share of searches among fast food chains in New Zealand moved from 21.6% to 21%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 257K to 183K.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand fast food chains in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. Estimated monthly branded searches for KFC in New Zealand fell 37.2% over 12 measured months, from 368K to 231K in September 2026.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for McDonald's in New Zealand fell 28.6% over 12 measured months, from 257K to 183K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

35 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using KFC’s and McDonald'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.

KFC

16 branded search terms

  • kfc
  • kfc bombay
  • kfc botany
  • kfc bucket
  • kfc c
  • kfc delivery
  • kfc eastgate
  • kfc henderson
  • kfc lynfield
  • kfc menu
  • kfc pakuranga
  • kfc panmure
  • kfc richmond
  • kfc snack box
  • kfc sylvia park
  • kfc trading hours

McDonald's

19 branded search terms

  • big mac mcdonalds
  • mcdonald s
  • mcdonald's menu
  • mcdonalds
  • mcdonalds airport
  • mcdonalds albany
  • mcdonalds apps
  • mcdonalds belmont
  • mcdonalds burgers
  • mcdonalds delivery
  • mcdonalds egg mcmuffin
  • mcdonalds fries
  • mcdonalds happy meal
  • mcdonalds linwood
  • mcdonalds mcflurry
  • mcdonalds menu
  • mcdonalds restaurant
  • mcdonalds richmond
  • mcdonalds toy

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among fast food chains

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