--- title: "DFDS vs Wightlink: Which is searched more in the United Kingdom?" description: "Is DFDS or Wightlink 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/dfds-vs-wightlink" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # DFDS vs Wightlink: Which is searched more in the United Kingdom? Is DFDS or Wightlink 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**: DFDS and Wightlink - **Competitive set**: Ferry companies - **Market**: United Kingdom - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **DFDS Share of Search**: 8.4% - **Wightlink Share of Search**: 8.4% ## Is DFDS or Wightlink more popular in search? - In September 2026, DFDS and Wightlink were level in searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 49.5K branded searches each, at 8.4% of the total each. - DFDS was ahead of Wightlink in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026. - 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. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wightlink’s share of searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom moved from 7.9% to 8.4%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 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. Wightlink 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 Wightlink 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, Wightlink rose from 7th to 6th among ferry companies in the United Kingdom. - 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 | DFDS estimated searches | DFDS Share of Search | DFDS rank | Wightlink estimated searches | Wightlink Share of Search | Wightlink rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 60.5K | 9.6% | 5 | 49.5K | 7.9% | 7 | | Nov 2025 | 60.5K | 11.5% | 5 | 40.5K | 7.7% | 8 | | Dec 2025 | 60.5K | 11% | 5 | 49.5K | 9% | 7 | | Jan 2026 | 60.5K | 9.6% | 5 | 49.5K | 7.8% | 7 | | Feb 2026 | 60.5K | 10.3% | 5 | 49.5K | 8.4% | 7 | | Mar 2026 | 60.5K | 8.5% | 5 | 60.5K | 8.5% | 7 | | Apr 2026 | 60.5K | 8.5% | 5 | 60.5K | 8.5% | 7 | | May 2026 | 74K | 9.7% | 5 | 74K | 9.7% | 6 | | Jun 2026 | 60.5K | 8.2% | 5 | 60.5K | 8.2% | 7 | | Jul 2026 | 90.5K | 10.9% | 5 | 60.5K | 7.3% | 7 | | Aug 2026 | 74K | 8.9% | 5 | 74K | 8.9% | 7 | | Sep 2026 | 49.5K | 8.4% | 5 | 49.5K | 8.4% | 6 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using DFDS’s and Wightlink’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. - **DFDS**: Measured on the search term “dfds”. - **Wightlink**: Measured on the search term “wightlink”. - [DFDS profile](/demand/uk/brands/dfds) - [Wightlink profile](/demand/uk/brands/wightlink) - [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 DFDS or Wightlink more popular in search? In September 2026, DFDS and Wightlink were level in searches among ferry companies in the United Kingdom, with an estimated 49.5K branded searches each, at 8.4% of the total each. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "DFDS vs Wightlink: Which is searched more in the United Kingdom?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/compare/dfds-vs-wightlink This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/uk/compare/dfds-vs-wightlink. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.