Burger King vs Shake Shack:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Burger King had more branded searches than Shake Shack among burger chains in the United Kingdom. Burger King had about 1 million branded searches, while Shake Shack had 90,500. Burger King made up 9.5% of all burger chain searches we track, and Shake Shack accounted for 0.86%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about burger chains, both Burger King and Shake Shack appeared in all three answers. Shake Shack was mentioned before Burger King in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Burger King, about 11 searches for every 1 for Shake Shack
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Shake Shack, named ahead of Burger King in every answer
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Top burger chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, both Burger King and Shake Shack showed up in all three answers. Shake Shack was listed before Burger King in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Five Guys1st
Honest Burgers2nd- Shake Shack3rd
- Burger King4th
McDonald's5th
GBK–
Byron–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Burger King3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Five Guys3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Shake Shack3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Honest Burgers3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- McDonald's2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- GBK0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Byron0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
See every answer about burger chains
3 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which burger chain has the best burgers in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best burger chains in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Where can I get the best burger from a chain restaurant in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“burger places”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“burger restaurants”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.
Is Burger King or Shake Shack more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Burger King and Shake Shack by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven burger chains we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Burger King, Shake Shack. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | McDonald's | Burger King | Five Guys | Shake Shack | Honest Burgers | GBK | Byron |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 85.4% | 9.3% | 2.8% | 0.85% | 1% | 0.46% | 0.14% |
| Nov 2025 | 84.2% | 9.3% | 3.4% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.46% | 0.17% |
| Dec 2025 | 84.6% | 9.3% | 3.4% | 1.2% | 1% | 0.37% | 0.14% |
| Jan 2026 | 82.8% | 11.1% | 3.3% | 1.2% | 1% | 0.45% | 0.16% |
| Feb 2026 | 84.7% | 9.3% | 3.4% | 1% | 1% | 0.37% | 0.14% |
| Mar 2026 | 85.5% | 9.4% | 2.8% | 1% | 0.85% | 0.31% | 0.11% |
| Apr 2026 | 86.6% | 9.5% | 1.9% | 0.86% | 0.7% | 0.31% | 0.09% |
| May 2026 | 84.5% | 11.3% | 2.3% | 0.84% | 0.68% | 0.31% | 0.07% |
| Jun 2026 | 87% | 9.5% | 1.9% | 0.7% | 0.58% | 0.26% | 0.06% |
| Jul 2026 | 86.4% | 9.5% | 2.3% | 0.86% | 0.57% | 0.31% | 0.08% |
| Aug 2026 | 86.8% | 9.5% | 1.9% | 0.86% | 0.58% | 0.26% | 0.09% |
| Sep 2026 | 86.8% | 9.5% | 1.9% | 0.86% | 0.57% | 0.26% | 0.08% |
How has the Burger King and Shake Shack comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Burger King was ahead of Shake Shack in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Burger King’s share of searches among burger chains in the United Kingdom moved from 9.3% to 9.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Shake Shack’s share of searches among burger chains in the United Kingdom moved from 0.85% to 0.86%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 90.5K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom burger chains in September 2026?
0 changes
Neither Burger King nor Shake Shack moved beyond provider rounding among burger chains in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Burger King’s and Shake Shack’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.
Burger King
1 branded search term
- burger king
Shake Shack
1 branded search term
- shake shack
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