Kernel vs Westpac:Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?
In August 2026, Westpac had more branded searches than Kernel among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand. Westpac was estimated to have 467K branded searches compared to Kernel’s 30.8K, and held a 22.7% Share of Search versus Kernel’s 1.5%.
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Which is more popular in search, Kernel or Westpac?
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 Westpac, Kernel. 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 Kernel and Westpac comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Westpac was ahead of Kernel in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Westpac’s estimated Share of Search among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand moved from 19.3% to 22.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 468K to 467K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand KiwiSaver providers in August 2026?
2 changes
In August 2026, Westpac gained estimated Share of Search among KiwiSaver providers in New Zealand, from 19.5% to 22.7%.
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 Kernel’s and Westpac’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
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
Westpac
13 branded search terms
- Westpac
- westpac banking
- westpac credit card
- westpac home loan
- westpac home loans
- westpac kiwi saver
- westpac kiwisaver
- westpac mortgage
- westpac mortgages
- westpac personal loan
- westpac savings
- westpac savings account
- westpac term deposit
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