Brandwave

Discord vs WeChat:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Discord had more branded searches than WeChat among messaging apps in New Zealand. Discord had about 119,000 branded searches, while WeChat had 7,520. Discord made up 35.1% of all messaging app searches we track, and WeChat accounted for 2.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about messaging apps, Discord appeared in three of the five answers and WeChat in none.

Among messaging apps in New Zealand in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Discord, about 16 searches for every 1 for WeChat

Discord 119K searchesWeChat 7.5K searches

Who does AI mention more?

Discord, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, WeChat in 0

Discord in 3 of 5WeChat in 0 of 5

Who does AI recommend more?

Discord, the only one of the two named

Discord first in 3WeChat never named

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Top messaging apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Discord was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. WeChat did not appear in any of the five answers.

Most recommended by AI

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

  1. WhatsApp1st
  2. Signal2nd
  3. Messenger3rd
  4. Telegram4th
  5. Discord5th
  6. WeChat–
  7. Viber–

Mentioned by AI

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

  • WhatsApp5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Signal5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Telegram4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Messenger4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Discord3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • WeChat0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Viber0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about messaging apps

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.

Is Discord or WeChat more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Discord and WeChat by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven messaging apps we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.

Discord and WeChat among messaging apps in New Zealand, by month

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

View monthly share of searches table
MonthWhatsAppDiscordTelegramWeChatMessengerViberSignal
Oct 202547.9%41%5%2.6%1.6%1.3%0.62%
Nov 202546.6%43.2%4.4%2.2%1.7%1.4%0.47%
Dec 202545.4%42.6%5.1%2.3%2%1.8%0.69%
Jan 202649.5%38.4%5.4%2.4%1.8%1.8%0.74%
Feb 202649.9%38.7%5.5%2.3%1.5%1.5%0.64%
Mar 202650%39%5.5%2.2%1.5%1.2%0.55%
Apr 202647.5%40.9%6%2.3%1.6%1.2%0.58%
May 202650.4%39%5.4%1.9%1.3%1.3%0.58%
Jun 202654%34.5%5.8%2.2%1.7%1.3%0.59%
Jul 202651.3%36.6%6.1%2.3%1.8%1.2%0.63%
Aug 202654.1%34.6%5.7%2.3%1.7%1.2%0.55%
Sep 202654.8%35.1%4.8%2.2%1.4%1.2%0.55%

How has the Discord and WeChat comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Discord was ahead of WeChat in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Discord’s share of searches among messaging apps in New Zealand moved from 41% to 35.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 142K to 119K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, WeChat’s share of searches among messaging apps in New Zealand moved from 2.6% to 2.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.9K to 7.5K.

How did search popularity change for New Zealand messaging apps in September 2026?

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Discord gained share of searches among messaging apps in New Zealand, from 34.6% to 35.1%.

  2. Estimated monthly branded searches for WeChat in New Zealand fell 15.3% over 12 measured months, from 8.9K to 7.5K in September 2026.

How are branded searches counted?

21 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Discord’s and WeChat’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.

Discord

13 branded search terms

  • browser discord
  • dating discord servers
  • desktop discord
  • discord
  • discord app
  • discord desktop site
  • discord link
  • discord me
  • discord messages
  • discord servers
  • discord web
  • discord web browser
  • sexting discord

WeChat

8 branded search terms

  • qr wechat
  • wechat
  • wechat app
  • wechat app desktop
  • wechat desktop
  • wechat dl
  • wechat pay
  • wechat web

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among messaging apps

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