HSBC vs Santander:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Santander had more branded searches than HSBC among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom. Santander had about 14,500 branded searches, while HSBC had 11,700. Santander made up 4.2% of all personal loan lender searches we track, and HSBC accounted for 3.4%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about personal loan lenders, Santander appeared in three of the five answers and HSBC in one. Santander was mentioned before HSBC in three out of four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Santander, about 24% more searches than HSBC
Who does AI mention more?
Santander, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, HSBC in 1
Who does AI recommend more?
Santander, named ahead of HSBC in 3 of 4 answers
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Top personal loan lenders in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Santander was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the 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. Santander was listed before HSBC in three out of four 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
Novuna–- +5 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
- Novuna0 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 HSBC or Santander more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for HSBC and Santander 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 Santander, 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% |
Santander and HSBC sell other things too, so only their searches that name this product count here, like “santander loan”.
How has the HSBC and Santander comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Santander was ahead of HSBC in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Santander’s share of searches among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom moved from 5.4% to 4.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 17.7K to 14.5K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom personal loan lenders in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, HSBC fell from 8th to 9th among personal loan lenders in the United Kingdom.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Santander in the United Kingdom fell 18.1% over 12 measured months, from 17.7K to 14.5K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using HSBC’s and Santander’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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