--- title: "InvestNow vs Kernel: Which is searched more in New Zealand?" description: "Is InvestNow or Kernel more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the KiwiSaver providers set in New Zealand. 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." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-kiwisaver-providers/compare/investnow-vs-kernel" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # InvestNow vs Kernel: Which is searched more in New Zealand? Is InvestNow or Kernel more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the KiwiSaver providers set in New Zealand. 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. ## Key facts - **Compared**: InvestNow and Kernel - **Competitive set**: KiwiSaver providers - **Market**: New Zealand - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **InvestNow Share of Search**: 10.6% - **Kernel Share of Search**: 16% ## Is InvestNow or Kernel more popular in search? - In September 2026, Kernel had more branded searches than InvestNow among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand. Kernel had about 27,200 branded searches, while InvestNow had 18,100. Kernel made up 16% of all KiwiSaver provider searches we track, and InvestNow accounted for 10.6%. - The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: InvestNow took it in December 2025, Kernel took it in January 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, InvestNow’s share of searches among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand moved from 9.9% to 10.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 18.1K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kernel’s share of searches among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand moved from 10.1% to 16%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 18.5K to 27.2K. ## Top KiwiSaver providers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Kernel was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. InvestNow was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Kernel was listed before InvestNow in every answer. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Simplicity | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Kernel | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Milford | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | InvestNow | 4th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | ANZ | 5th | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | ASB | 6th | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Fisher Funds | 7th | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Booster | 8th | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Generate KiwiSaver | 9th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Westpac | 10th | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | SuperLife | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | AMP | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Mercer KiwiSaver | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | BNZ | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Juno KiwiSaver | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about KiwiSaver providers - Asked ChatGPT "Which KiwiSaver provider should I switch to in New Zealand?": 1. Simplicity, 2. Kernel, 3. InvestNow, 4. Milford - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand?": 1. Simplicity, 2. Kernel, 3. Milford, 4. Generate KiwiSaver - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best KiwiSaver provider in New Zealand for low fees?": 1. Simplicity, 2. Kernel, 3. InvestNow - Searched Google, AI Overview "kiwisaver providers": 1. ANZ, 2. ASB, 3. Milford, 4. Fisher Funds, 5. Simplicity, 6. Kernel, 7. Booster, 8. Westpac, 9. InvestNow, 10. Generate KiwiSaver - Searched Google, AI Overview "switch kiwisaver provider": named none of the brands we track Not named in any answer: SuperLife, AMP, Mercer KiwiSaver, BNZ and Juno KiwiSaver. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in New Zealand on October 19, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for New Zealand KiwiSaver providers in September 2026? - In September 2026, Kernel lost share of searches among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand, from 16.7% to 16%. - InvestNow’s share of searches among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 11.6% to 10.6% in September 2026. ## Month by month | Month | InvestNow estimated searches | InvestNow Share of Search | InvestNow rank | Kernel estimated searches | Kernel Share of Search | Kernel rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 18.1K | 9.9% | 5 | 18.5K | 10.1% | 4 | | Nov 2025 | 14.8K | 9% | 5 | 15.2K | 9.2% | 4 | | Dec 2025 | 14.8K | 10.9% | 4 | 14.7K | 10.8% | 5 | | Jan 2026 | 18.1K | 10.7% | 5 | 18.7K | 11.1% | 4 | | Feb 2026 | 14.8K | 9.8% | 5 | 15.2K | 10.1% | 4 | | Mar 2026 | 14.8K | 8.8% | 5 | 17.8K | 10.5% | 4 | | Apr 2026 | 18.1K | 11.2% | 5 | 19.5K | 12% | 4 | | May 2026 | 22.2K | 11.6% | 5 | 27.5K | 14.3% | 3 | | Jun 2026 | 22.2K | 11.6% | 5 | 27.5K | 14.3% | 3 | | Jul 2026 | 18.1K | 11% | 5 | 27.3K | 16.7% | 3 | | Aug 2026 | 18.1K | 10.8% | 5 | 28K | 16.7% | 3 | | Sep 2026 | 18.1K | 10.6% | 5 | 27.2K | 16% | 2 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using InvestNow’s and Kernel’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. - **InvestNow**: Measured on the search term “InvestNow”. - **Kernel**: Measured on the search terms “kernel cash fund”, “kernel fund”, “kernel funds”, “kernel invest”, “kernel investment funds”, “kernel kiwisaver”, “kernel kiwisaver funds”, “kernel wealth”, “kernel wealth funds”, “kernel wealth kiwisaver” and “kiwisaver kernel”, summed into one figure. - [InvestNow profile](/demand/nz/brands/investnow) - [Kernel profile](/demand/nz/brands/kernel) - [All KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand](/demand/nz/categories/nz-kiwisaver-providers): The set both shares are measured inside, 15 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is InvestNow or Kernel more popular in search? In September 2026, Kernel had more branded searches than InvestNow among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand. Kernel had about 27,200 branded searches, while InvestNow had 18,100. Kernel made up 16% of all KiwiSaver provider searches we track, and InvestNow accounted for 10.6%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "InvestNow vs Kernel: Which is searched more in New Zealand?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-kiwisaver-providers/compare/investnow-vs-kernel This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/nz/categories/nz-kiwisaver-providers/compare/investnow-vs-kernel. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.