--- title: "CalMac vs DFDS: Which is searched more in the United Kingdom?" description: "Is CalMac or DFDS more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Ferry companies set in the United Kingdom. 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." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/compare/calmac-vs-dfds" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # CalMac vs DFDS: Which is searched more in the United Kingdom? Is CalMac or DFDS more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Ferry companies set in the United Kingdom. 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. ## Key facts - **Compared**: CalMac and DFDS - **Competitive set**: Ferry companies - **Market**: United Kingdom - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **CalMac Share of Search**: 18.8% - **DFDS Share of Search**: 8.4% ## Is CalMac or DFDS more popular in search? - In September 2026, CalMac had more branded searches than DFDS among ferry companies in the United Kingdom. CalMac had about 110,000 branded searches, while DFDS had 49,500. CalMac made up 18.8% of all ferry company searches we track, and DFDS accounted for 8.4%. - CalMac was ahead of DFDS in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CalMac’s share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom moved from 17.5% to 18.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 110K. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, DFDS’s share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom moved from 9.6% to 8.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.5K to 49.5K. ## Top ferry companies in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, DFDS was mentioned in three out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in the Google AI Overview. CalMac was mentioned in one out of four: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. DFDS was listed before CalMac in every answer that named either. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | DFDS | 1st | 2 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | P&O Ferries | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 | | Brittany Ferries | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | Stena Line | 4th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 | | Irish Ferries | 5th | 2 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 3 of 4 | | CalMac | 6th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 1 of 4 | | Wightlink | 7th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 1 of 4 | | Red Funnel | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | | Condor Ferries | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 0 of 4 | ## Every AI answer about ferry companies - Asked ChatGPT "Which ferry company should I use to get to France from the UK?": 1. DFDS, 2. P&O Ferries, 3. Brittany Ferries, 4. Irish Ferries - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best ferry companies in the UK?": 1. Brittany Ferries, 2. DFDS, 3. Stena Line, 4. P&O Ferries, 5. CalMac, 6. Wightlink - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best ferry company for taking a car to Ireland from the UK?": 1. Stena Line, 2. Irish Ferries, 3. P&O Ferries - Searched Google, AI Overview "ferry to france": 1. P&O Ferries, 2. DFDS, 3. Irish Ferries, 4. Brittany Ferries Not named in any answer: Red Funnel and Condor Ferries. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for United Kingdom ferry companies in September 2026? - In September 2026, CalMac overtook P&O Ferries and Stena Line to rank 2nd among ferry companies in the United Kingdom, with 18.8% of the searches. - Estimated monthly branded searches for DFDS in the United Kingdom fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 60.5K to 49.5K in September 2026. ## Month by month | Month | CalMac estimated searches | CalMac Share of Search | CalMac rank | DFDS estimated searches | DFDS Share of Search | DFDS rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 110K | 17.5% | 2 | 60.5K | 9.6% | 5 | | Nov 2025 | 74K | 14.1% | 3 | 60.5K | 11.5% | 5 | | Dec 2025 | 90.5K | 16.5% | 2 | 60.5K | 11% | 5 | | Jan 2026 | 90.5K | 14.3% | 3 | 60.5K | 9.6% | 5 | | Feb 2026 | 90.5K | 15.4% | 2 | 60.5K | 10.3% | 5 | | Mar 2026 | 135K | 19.1% | 2 | 60.5K | 8.5% | 5 | | Apr 2026 | 135K | 19.1% | 2 | 60.5K | 8.5% | 5 | | May 2026 | 110K | 14.4% | 2 | 74K | 9.7% | 5 | | Jun 2026 | 110K | 15% | 2 | 60.5K | 8.2% | 5 | | Jul 2026 | 135K | 16.3% | 2 | 90.5K | 10.9% | 5 | | Aug 2026 | 110K | 13.2% | 4 | 74K | 8.9% | 5 | | Sep 2026 | 110K | 18.8% | 2 | 49.5K | 8.4% | 5 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using CalMac’s and DFDS’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. - **CalMac**: Measured on the search term “calmac”. - **DFDS**: Measured on the search term “dfds”. - [CalMac profile](/demand/uk/brands/calmac) - [DFDS profile](/demand/uk/brands/dfds) - [All ferry companies in the United Kingdom](/demand/uk/categories/uk-ferry-companies): The set both shares are measured inside, 9 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is CalMac or DFDS more popular in search? In September 2026, CalMac had more branded searches than DFDS among ferry companies in the United Kingdom. CalMac had about 110,000 branded searches, while DFDS had 49,500. CalMac made up 18.8% of all ferry company searches we track, and DFDS accounted for 8.4%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "CalMac vs DFDS: Which is searched more in the United Kingdom?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/compare/calmac-vs-dfds This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/compare/calmac-vs-dfds. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.