a2 Milk vs Oatly:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, a2 Milk had more branded searches than Oatly among milk brands in New Zealand. a2 Milk had about 2,830 branded searches, while Oatly had 430. a2 Milk made up 23.1% of all milk brand searches we track, and Oatly accounted for 3.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about milk brands, a2 Milk appeared in two of the five answers and Oatly in none.
Who do people search for more?
a2 Milk, about 7 searches for every 1 for Oatly
Who does AI mention more?
a2 Milk, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Oatly in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
a2 Milk, the only one of the two named
Follow a2 Milk vs Oatly and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top milk brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, a2 Milk was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Oatly 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.
Anchor1st
Meadow Fresh2nd
Lewis Road Creamery3rd- a2 Milk4th
Puhoi Valley4th
Alpro–
Oatly–
Oob–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Lewis Road Creamery5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Meadow Fresh5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Anchor4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- a2 Milk2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Puhoi Valley2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Alpro0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Oatly0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Oob0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about milk brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which milk brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best milk brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best milk brand in New Zealand for everyday drinking?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“milk brands nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“fresh milk nz”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 21, 2026.
Is a2 Milk or Oatly more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for a2 Milk and Oatly by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight milk brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for a2 Milk, Oatly. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Anchor | a2 Milk | Lewis Road Creamery | Meadow Fresh | Puhoi Valley | Alpro | Oatly | Oob |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 26.8% | 24.7% | 9.9% | 17.3% | 12.6% | 3.7% | 4.4% | 0.59% |
| Nov 2025 | 27.2% | 28.7% | 8.2% | 17.7% | 10% | 3.4% | 4.2% | 0.6% |
| Dec 2025 | 31% | 21.3% | 9.3% | 18.2% | 11.4% | 4.7% | 3.6% | 0.49% |
| Jan 2026 | 27.1% | 27.6% | 9.6% | 15% | 12.7% | 3.4% | 4% | 0.57% |
| Feb 2026 | 23.7% | 28.9% | 9.4% | 19% | 9.6% | 2.8% | 6.3% | 0.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 27.9% | 25.6% | 10.8% | 19% | 9.1% | 3% | 4.2% | 0.38% |
| Apr 2026 | 23.5% | 39.9% | 7.8% | 14.4% | 7.7% | 2.8% | 3.5% | 0.2% |
| May 2026 | 21.2% | 36.9% | 10% | 14.7% | 10.2% | 2.8% | 3.9% | 0.28% |
| Jun 2026 | 24.8% | 32.5% | 10.9% | 16.4% | 9.1% | 2.6% | 3.5% | 0.3% |
| Jul 2026 | 27.1% | 30% | 13.1% | 14.2% | 9% | 2.7% | 3.7% | 0.22% |
| Aug 2026 | 26.5% | 29.5% | 12.4% | 12.4% | 11.9% | 2.3% | 4.6% | 0.49% |
| Sep 2026 | 32.2% | 23.1% | 14.4% | 11.8% | 10.8% | 3.9% | 3.5% | 0.33% |
How has the a2 Milk and Oatly comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- a2 Milk was ahead of Oatly in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, a2 Milk’s share of searches among milk brands in New Zealand moved from 24.7% to 23.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3K to 2.8K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Oatly’s share of searches among milk brands in New Zealand moved from 4.4% to 3.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 530 to 430.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand milk brands in September 2026?
4 changes
In September 2026, Anchor overtook a2 Milk to become the leader among milk brands in New Zealand, with 32.2% of the searches.
In September 2026, Alpro overtook Oatly to rank 6th among milk brands in New Zealand, with 3.9% of the searches.
In September 2026, a2 Milk lost share of searches among milk brands in New Zealand, from 29.5% to 23.1%.
In September 2026, Oatly lost share of searches among milk brands in New Zealand, from 4.6% to 3.5%.
How are branded searches counted?
11 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using a2 Milk’s and Oatly’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 milk brands
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.