Booster vs Kernel:Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?
In August 2026, Kernel had more branded searches than Booster among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand. Kernel was estimated to have 30.8K branded searches compared to Booster’s 6.1K, and held a 1.5% Share of Search versus Booster’s 0.3%.
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Which is more popular in search, Booster or Kernel?
Compare KiwiSaver scheme providers and the fund managers behind them, using branded searches made 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.
Share of Search by month for Kernel, Booster. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | ANZ | ASB | Westpac | BNZ | Fisher Funds | Milford | Kernel | Simplicity | Generate KiwiSaver | SuperLife | Booster | AMP | Mercer KiwiSaver | Juno KiwiSaver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 44.1% | 21.2% | 19.3% | 6.6% | 3% | 1.9% | 0.84% | 1% | 0.84% | 0.59% | 0.25% | 0.19% | 0.15% | 0.04% |
| Nov 2025 | 39.8% | 23.1% | 21% | 7.2% | 3.3% | 1.7% | 0.76% | 1.1% | 0.91% | 0.51% | 0.27% | 0.2% | 0.16% | 0.03% |
| Dec 2025 | 40.5% | 23.5% | 21.4% | 7.1% | 2.7% | 1.3% | 0.74% | 0.87% | 0.76% | 0.43% | 0.22% | 0.17% | 0.14% | 0.03% |
| Jan 2026 | 39.6% | 23.2% | 21.1% | 7.1% | 3.3% | 1.6% | 0.94% | 1.1% | 0.93% | 0.51% | 0.27% | 0.21% | 0.16% | 0.03% |
| Feb 2026 | 36.9% | 26.1% | 19.6% | 7.9% | 3.7% | 1.6% | 0.85% | 1.2% | 0.86% | 0.47% | 0.31% | 0.2% | 0.19% | 0.03% |
| Mar 2026 | 39% | 23.2% | 20.7% | 8.3% | 3.2% | 1.4% | 0.85% | 1% | 1.1% | 0.48% | 0.33% | 0.24% | 0.16% | 0.04% |
| Apr 2026 | 39.7% | 23.3% | 21.2% | 7% | 3.3% | 1.4% | 0.98% | 1.1% | 0.91% | 0.49% | 0.27% | 0.2% | 0.17% | 0.03% |
| May 2026 | 39.4% | 22.9% | 20.9% | 7% | 3.3% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.5% | 0.33% | 0.25% | 0.2% | 0.03% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.6% | 23% | 20.8% | 6.9% | 3.3% | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1% | 1.1% | 0.51% | 0.33% | 0.24% | 0.2% | 0.02% |
| Jul 2026 | 37.3% | 26% | 19.5% | 7.8% | 3% | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.1% | 1% | 0.48% | 0.31% | 0.23% | 0.19% | 0.02% |
| Aug 2026 | 35.6% | 24.9% | 22.7% | 7.4% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1% | 1% | 0.54% | 0.3% | 0.22% | 0.18% | 0.03% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the Booster and Kernel comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Kernel was ahead of Booster in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Booster’s estimated Share of Search among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand moved from 0.25% to 0.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.2K to 6.1K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Kernel’s estimated Share of Search among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand moved from 0.84% to 1.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 20.5K to 30.8K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand KiwiSaver providers in August 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for Kernel in New Zealand rose 50% over 11 measured months, from 20.5K to 30.8K in August 2026.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Booster’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.
Booster
13 branded search terms
- booster financial services
- booster funds
- booster investment management
- booster investments
- booster kiwi saver
- booster kiwisaver
- booster kiwisaver funds
- booster kiwisaver nz
- booster kiwisaver scheme
- booster managed funds
- kiwisaver booster
- kiwisaver booster co nz
- kiwisaver booster scheme
Kernel
18 branded search terms
- kernel cash fund
- kernel cash plus fund
- kernel fund
- kernel funds
- kernel global 100
- kernel high growth fund
- kernel invest
- kernel investment funds
- kernel kiwisaver
- kernel kiwisaver funds
- kernel nz
- kernel savings account
- kernel total world fund
- kernel wealth
- kernel wealth funds
- kernel wealth kiwisaver
- kernel wealth nz
- kiwisaver kernel
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.