Kernel vs Stake:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Kernel had more branded searches than Stake among investment platforms in New Zealand. Kernel had about 27,200 branded searches, while Stake had 380. Kernel made up 15.1% of all investment platform searches we track, and Stake accounted for 0.21%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about investment platforms, Kernel appeared in four of the five answers and Stake in none.
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Top investment platforms 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. Stake 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.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Sharesies5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
InvestNow5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Kernel4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Hatch4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
ASB Securities2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Tiger Brokers1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Craigs Investment Partners0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Forsyth Barr0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Jarden0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Stake0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about investment platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which investment platform should I use in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best investment platforms in New Zealand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best investment platform in New Zealand for a beginner investor?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“investment platforms nz”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“share trading app”
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 Kernel or Stake more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Kernel and Stake by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 investment platforms we track, month by month, from searches in New Zealand.
Share of searches by month for Kernel, Stake. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Sharesies | Kernel | Hatch | InvestNow | Craigs Investment Partners | Forsyth Barr | ASB Securities | Jarden | Tiger Brokers | Snowball Effect | Stake |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 47.6% | 7.9% | 16.3% | 7.9% | 8.2% | 4.7% | 5.2% | 0.7% | 0.82% | 0.21% | 0.42% |
| Nov 2025 | 44.6% | 9% | 15.1% | 9% | 9.8% | 5.4% | 4.8% | 0.76% | 0.78% | 0.36% | 0.28% |
| Dec 2025 | 41% | 9.8% | 16.9% | 10% | 9.1% | 6% | 5.4% | 0.62% | 0.68% | 0.27% | 0.27% |
| Jan 2026 | 46.1% | 9.4% | 15.5% | 9.2% | 8.3% | 4.5% | 5% | 0.55% | 0.96% | 0.25% | 0.25% |
| Feb 2026 | 45.8% | 9.3% | 12.7% | 9.2% | 10.1% | 5.5% | 4.9% | 0.93% | 0.8% | 0.54% | 0.25% |
| Mar 2026 | 43.5% | 10.3% | 13.5% | 8.7% | 9.6% | 6.3% | 5.8% | 0.92% | 0.77% | 0.42% | 0.23% |
| Apr 2026 | 42.8% | 11.1% | 14.5% | 10.5% | 9.4% | 5.1% | 4.6% | 0.63% | 0.75% | 0.34% | 0.23% |
| May 2026 | 42.5% | 12.7% | 14.5% | 10.4% | 8.9% | 4.2% | 4.6% | 0.72% | 0.89% | 0.34% | 0.24% |
| Jun 2026 | 42.4% | 12.7% | 14.4% | 10.5% | 8.5% | 5% | 4.6% | 0.5% | 0.89% | 0.28% | 0.21% |
| Jul 2026 | 37.2% | 16.6% | 12.7% | 11.2% | 9.5% | 5.4% | 4.9% | 1.1% | 0.8% | 0.3% | 0.18% |
| Aug 2026 | 40% | 14.9% | 11.1% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 5.8% | 5.3% | 2.1% | 0.54% | 0.39% | 0.23% |
| Sep 2026 | 41.8% | 15.1% | 11.6% | 10.2% | 9.9% | 5% | 4.5% | 0.83% | 0.5% | 0.33% | 0.21% |
How has the Kernel and Stake comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Kernel was ahead of Stake in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kernel’s share of searches among investment platforms in New Zealand moved from 7.9% to 15.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 18.5K to 27.2K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Stake’s share of searches among investment platforms in New Zealand moved from 0.42% to 0.21%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 980 to 380.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand investment platforms in September 2026?
2 changes
How are branded searches counted?
28 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Kernel’s and Stake’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.
Kernel
11 branded 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
- kiwisaver kernel
Stake
17 branded search terms
- hello stake
- hellostake
- stake brokerage
- stake etf
- stake invest
- stake investing
- stake investing app
- stake investment platform
- stake share trading
- stake shares
- stake stock
- stake stock app
- stake stocks
- stake trading
- stake trading platform
- stake wall st
- trading hellostake
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