Barclays vs HSBC:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Barclays and HSBC were level in searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 11.8K versus 11.7K branded searches, at 3.4% of the total each. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about personal loan lenders, HSBC appeared in one of the five answers and Barclays in none.
Who do people search for more?
Barclays and HSBC are searched for about as often as each other.
Who does AI mention more?
HSBC, mentioned in 1 of 5 answers, Barclays in 0
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Top personal loan lenders in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, HSBC was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Barclays 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.
M&S Bank1st
First Direct2nd
Nationwide3rd
Santander4th
Tesco Bank5th- HSBC6th
Sainsbury's Bank7th
Lloyds Bank8th
Zopa9th- +2 more
Barclays–- +3 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- M&S Bank3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Santander3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- First Direct3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Tesco Bank2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Nationwide2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Zopa1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- HSBC1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Lloyds Bank1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Sainsbury's Bank1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Barclays0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about personal loan lenders
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Where can I get the best personal loan in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which UK lenders have the lowest rates on a £10,000 loan?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best way to borrow money for a car or home improvements in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“personal loan”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best personal loans”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 27, 2026.
Is Barclays or HSBC more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Barclays and HSBC by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 personal loan lenders we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Barclays, HSBC. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Tesco Bank | Novuna | M&S Bank | Nationwide | Admiral | Zopa | Santander | Barclays | HSBC | NatWest | Lloyds Bank | Sainsbury's Bank | Monzo | First Direct | Halifax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 34.4% | 14.6% | 6.5% | 5.7% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 5.4% | 3.8% | 4.1% | 4.3% | 2.2% | 5.1% | 2.2% | 1.1% | 2.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 32.9% | 16.6% | 6.6% | 5.2% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 5.1% | 4.1% | 4.5% | 4.8% | 2.1% | 3.7% | 2.1% | 1% | 2.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 34.6% | 16.7% | 6.8% | 4.8% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 4.2% | 4.3% | 2.2% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.1% | 2.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 30.8% | 17.5% | 7.5% | 6% | 6.1% | 3.4% | 4.9% | 3.9% | 4.4% | 4.6% | 2.3% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 1.2% | 2.7% |
| Feb 2026 | 34.3% | 16% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 5.6% | 3.7% | 5.3% | 3.7% | 4% | 4.2% | 2.2% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 1.1% | 2.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 33% | 18.6% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 5.1% | 3.4% | 3.9% | 4.9% | 2.1% | 3.1% | 1.7% | 1.3% | 2.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 33.4% | 17.9% | 8.1% | 5.4% | 5.5% | 3.7% | 4.4% | 3.5% | 4% | 4.1% | 2.1% | 2.7% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 2.4% |
| May 2026 | 33.6% | 16.1% | 8.8% | 5.6% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 4.5% | 3.6% | 3.9% | 4.2% | 2.1% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 2.5% |
| Jun 2026 | 30.6% | 16.6% | 9.4% | 4.9% | 6.1% | 4.9% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 4.4% | 4.5% | 2.4% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.2% | 2.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 34.1% | 15.8% | 8.8% | 5.4% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 4.6% | 3.6% | 3.4% | 4.3% | 2.2% | 2.1% | 1.8% | 1.3% | 2.1% |
| Aug 2026 | 31.3% | 21.4% | 8.2% | 5.2% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 3.6% | 3.3% | 2.1% | 2% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 1.8% |
| Sep 2026 | 31.9% | 18.5% | 10.2% | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.3% | 4.2% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 3.3% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
Barclays and HSBC sell other things too, so only their searches that name this product count here, like “barclays loan”.
How has the Barclays and HSBC comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 3 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Barclays took it in July 2026, HSBC took it in August 2026, Barclays took it in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Barclays’ share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom moved from 3.8% to 3.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 12.3K to 11.8K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, HSBC’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom moved from 4.1% to 3.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 13.5K to 11.7K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom personal loan lenders in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Barclays rose from 9th to 8th among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom.
In September 2026, HSBC fell from 8th to 9th among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Barclays’ and HSBC’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.
Other head-to-heads among personal loan lenders
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