McDonald's vs Wendy's:Which is more popular by branded search in New Zealand?
In August 2026, McDonald's had more branded searches than Wendy's among fast food chains in New Zealand. McDonald's was estimated to have 276K branded searches compared to Wendy's’ 46.9K, and held a 26.1% Share of Search versus Wendy's’ 4.4%.
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Which is more popular in search, McDonald's or Wendy'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 McDonald's, Wendy'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 McDonald's and Wendy's comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- McDonald's was ahead of Wendy's in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Wendy's’ estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand moved from 3.9% to 4.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 53K to 46.9K.
How did search popularity change for New Zealand fast food chains in August 2026?
2 changes
Wendy's’ estimated Share of Search among fast food chains in New Zealand has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 3.9% to 4.4% in August 2026.
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 McDonald's’ and Wendy'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.
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
Wendy's
24 branded search terms
- wendy's
- wendy's delivery
- wendy's menu
- wendy's near me
- wendy's nz
- wendys
- wendys burger
- wendys co nz
- wendys company
- wendys delivery
- wendys desert
- wendys dominion road
- wendys frosty
- wendys hours
- wendys menu
- wendys near me
- wendys new zealand
- wendys nz
- wendys prices
- wendys promo
- wendys restaurant
- wendys royal oak
- wendys te atatu
- wendys toy
Put your own brand in this comparison
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