Faber-Castell vs uni-ball:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Faber-Castell had more branded searches than uni-ball among ballpoint pen brands in New Zealand. Faber-Castell had about 1,420 branded searches, while uni-ball had 870. Faber-Castell made up 26.6% of all ballpoint pen brand searches we track, and uni-ball accounted for 16.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about ballpoint pen brands, uni-ball appeared in four of the five answers and Faber-Castell in two. uni-ball was mentioned before Faber-Castell in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Faber-Castell, about 63% more searches than uni-ball
Who does AI mention more?
uni-ball, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Faber-Castell in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
uni-ball, named ahead of Faber-Castell in every answer
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Top ballpoint pen brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, uni-ball was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Faber-Castell was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. uni-ball was listed before Faber-Castell in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- uni-ball1st
Pilot2nd
BIC3rd
Parker4th- Faber-Castell5th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- uni-ball4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Pilot4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- BIC3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Parker3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Faber-Castell2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about ballpoint pen brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which ballpoint pen brand should I buy in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best ballpoint pen brands in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best ballpoint pen brand in New Zealand for everyday writing?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“pens nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cheap pens nz”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in New Zealand on October 20, 2026.
Is Faber-Castell or uni-ball more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Faber-Castell and uni-ball by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all five ballpoint pen brands we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Faber-Castell, uni-ball. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Faber-Castell | BIC | Parker | uni-ball | Pilot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 24.8% | 29.3% | 21% | 12.4% | 12.6% |
| Nov 2025 | 30.7% | 25.8% | 21.3% | 11.6% | 10.6% |
| Dec 2025 | 35.3% | 23.7% | 23.7% | 8.8% | 8.5% |
| Jan 2026 | 29.5% | 28.2% | 15.7% | 14.8% | 11.8% |
| Feb 2026 | 25.7% | 22.8% | 17.3% | 22.1% | 12.2% |
| Mar 2026 | 22.6% | 28.5% | 17.9% | 17.3% | 13.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 28% | 32.3% | 15.5% | 13.8% | 10.3% |
| May 2026 | 26% | 27.3% | 17.2% | 14.3% | 15.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 25.3% | 27.3% | 19.6% | 14.9% | 12.9% |
| Jul 2026 | 23.4% | 28.2% | 18.9% | 17.8% | 11.6% |
| Aug 2026 | 24% | 25.1% | 17.9% | 20.8% | 12.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 26.6% | 26.3% | 18.8% | 16.3% | 12% |
How has the Faber-Castell and uni-ball comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Faber-Castell was ahead of uni-ball in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Faber-Castell’s share of searches among ballpoint pen brands in New Zealand moved from 24.8% to 26.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1K to 1.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, uni-ball’s share of searches among ballpoint pen brands in New Zealand moved from 12.4% to 16.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 520 to 870.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand ballpoint pen brands in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Faber-Castell overtook BIC to become the leader among ballpoint pen brands in New Zealand, with 26.6% of the searches.
In September 2026, Parker overtook uni-ball to rank 3rd among ballpoint pen brands in New Zealand, with 18.8% of the searches.
In September 2026, uni-ball lost share of searches among ballpoint pen brands in New Zealand, from 20.8% to 16.3%.
How are branded searches counted?
12 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Faber-Castell’s and uni-ball’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.
Faber-Castell
5 branded search terms
- faber castell
- faber castell erasers
- faber castell pen
- faber castell polychromos
- fabercastell
uni-ball
7 branded search terms
- uni ball
- uni ball jetstream
- uni ball signo
- uniball
- uniball 207
- uniball ball pen
- uniball jetstream
Other head-to-heads among ballpoint pen brands
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