KFC vs McDonald's:Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?
In August 2026, KFC had more branded searches than McDonald's among fast food chains in New Zealand. KFC was estimated to have 301K branded searches compared to McDonald's’ 276K, and held a 28.5% Share of Search versus McDonald's’ 26.1%.
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Which is more popular in search, KFC or McDonald's?
Compare the fast food chains New Zealanders choose between for burgers, chicken, subs and tacos. 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 KFC, McDonald's. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | KFC | McDonald's | Burger King | Taco Bell | Subway | Wendy's | Popeyes | Carl's Jr. | Pita Pit | Nando's | Zambrero | Mexicali Fresh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 34% | 25.7% | 14.5% | 4.4% | 3.8% | 3.9% | 3.5% | 3.8% | 2.7% | 2.1% | 0.83% | 0.62% |
| Nov 2025 | 31% | 28.5% | 13.5% | 4.8% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 3.8% | 3% | 3.1% | 2.2% | 0.93% | 0.66% |
| Dec 2025 | 28.2% | 31.8% | 13.5% | 6% | 4.2% | 3.9% | 3.4% | 2.5% | 2.7% | 2.1% | 1% | 0.59% |
| Jan 2026 | 23.8% | 32.5% | 14.8% | 6.4% | 4.8% | 4.4% | 3.7% | 2.8% | 3.1% | 2.2% | 0.93% | 0.65% |
| Feb 2026 | 25.8% | 32.1% | 14.2% | 6% | 4.3% | 3.9% | 3.4% | 3% | 3.5% | 2.2% | 1% | 0.7% |
| Mar 2026 | 25.2% | 31.1% | 14.3% | 6.1% | 5.1% | 4.7% | 3.3% | 2.9% | 3.3% | 2.4% | 0.99% | 0.67% |
| Apr 2026 | 25.5% | 31.4% | 14.4% | 6.2% | 5% | 4% | 3.6% | 3% | 2.8% | 2.5% | 0.99% | 0.57% |
| May 2026 | 27.4% | 27.1% | 16.7% | 6.4% | 4.4% | 3.9% | 3.7% | 3.1% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1% | 0.6% |
| Jun 2026 | 28.8% | 25.8% | 15.5% | 6.7% | 4.7% | 4.2% | 3.8% | 3.3% | 2.8% | 2.7% | 1% | 0.62% |
| Jul 2026 | 29.1% | 25.9% | 14.4% | 7.3% | 4.6% | 4.4% | 3.7% | 3.3% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 0.94% | 0.64% |
| Aug 2026 | 28.5% | 26.1% | 14.5% | 6.9% | 4.9% | 4.4% | 3.9% | 3.4% | 2.9% | 2.8% | 0.95% | 0.67% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the KFC and McDonald's comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 11 months ending August 2026: McDonald's took it in December 2025, KFC took it in May 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, KFC’s estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand moved from 34% to 28.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 458K to 301K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, McDonald's’ estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand moved from 25.7% to 26.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 346K to 276K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand fast food chains in August 2026?
2 changes
In August 2026, KFC lost estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand, from 29.1% to 28.5%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for McDonald's in New Zealand fell 20.4% over 11 measured months, from 346K to 276K in August 2026.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using KFC’s and McDonald'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.
KFC
23 branded search terms
- kfc
- kfc bombay
- kfc botany
- kfc bucket
- kfc c
- kfc chicken
- kfc co nz
- kfc deals
- kfc deals with prices
- kfc delivery
- kfc eastgate
- kfc henderson
- kfc lynfield
- kfc menu
- kfc near me
- kfc nz
- kfc online
- kfc pakuranga
- kfc panmure
- kfc richmond
- kfc snack box
- kfc sylvia park
- kfc trading hours
McDonald's
31 branded search terms
- big mac mcdonalds
- mcdonald's
- mcdonald's delivery
- mcdonald's menu
- mcdonald's near me
- mcdonald's nz
- mcdonalds
- mcdonalds airport
- mcdonalds albany
- mcdonalds apps
- mcdonalds belmont
- mcdonalds burgers
- mcdonalds co nz
- mcdonalds deals
- mcdonalds delivery
- mcdonalds egg mcmuffin
- mcdonalds fries
- mcdonalds happy meal
- mcdonalds linwood
- mcdonalds mcflurry
- mcdonalds menu
- mcdonalds near me
- mcdonalds new zealand
- mcdonalds nz
- mcdonalds online
- mcdonalds online ordering
- mcdonalds prices
- mcdonalds restaurant
- mcdonalds richmond
- mcdonalds toy
- mcdonalds wellington
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