Direct Line vs Hastings Direct:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Direct Line had more branded searches than Hastings Direct among home insurance brands in the United Kingdom. Direct Line had about 12,100 branded searches, while Hastings Direct had 6,300. Direct Line made up 9.8% of all home insurance brand searches we track, and Hastings Direct accounted for 5.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about home insurance brands, Direct Line appeared in one of the five answers and Hastings Direct in none.
Who do people search for more?
Direct Line, about 92% more searches than Hastings Direct
Who does AI mention more?
Direct Line, mentioned in 1 of 5 answers, Hastings Direct in 0
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Top home insurance brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Direct Line was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Hastings Direct 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.
NFU Mutual1st
Aviva2nd
Tesco Insurance3rd
Admiral4th- Direct Line4th
Churchill6th
LV=–
Hastings Direct–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Tesco Insurance3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Aviva3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- NFU Mutual3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Admiral1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Direct Line1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Churchill1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- LV=0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Hastings Direct0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about home insurance brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which home insurance should I get in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best home insurance companies in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best value buildings and contents insurance in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“home insurance”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“buildings and contents insurance”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.
Is Direct Line or Hastings Direct more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Direct Line and Hastings Direct by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight home insurance brands we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Direct Line, Hastings Direct. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Tesco Insurance | Admiral | Aviva | LV= | Direct Line | NFU Mutual | Hastings Direct | Churchill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 23.6% | 19.4% | 15.8% | 12.9% | 12.9% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 4.7% |
| Nov 2025 | 24.5% | 20.1% | 16.4% | 10.9% | 13.4% | 6.1% | 4.7% | 4% |
| Dec 2025 | 25.1% | 20.5% | 16.8% | 11.2% | 11.2% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 5% |
| Jan 2026 | 25.4% | 20.8% | 17% | 11.3% | 11.3% | 5.2% | 4.8% | 4.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 24.5% | 20.1% | 16.4% | 10.9% | 13.4% | 5% | 5% | 4.9% |
| Mar 2026 | 23.8% | 19.5% | 15.9% | 13% | 13% | 5.3% | 4.8% | 4.7% |
| Apr 2026 | 27.4% | 18.3% | 15% | 12.2% | 12.2% | 4.9% | 4.6% | 5.5% |
| May 2026 | 26.3% | 17.6% | 17.6% | 11.8% | 11.8% | 4.7% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 26.3% | 17.6% | 17.6% | 11.7% | 11.7% | 5.8% | 5% | 4.3% |
| Jul 2026 | 26.1% | 17.4% | 17.4% | 11.6% | 11.6% | 6.3% | 5.3% | 4.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 24.7% | 16.5% | 16.5% | 13.5% | 11% | 7.3% | 5.7% | 4.9% |
| Sep 2026 | 26.7% | 17.9% | 17.9% | 11.9% | 9.8% | 6.4% | 5.1% | 4.4% |
How has the Direct Line and Hastings Direct comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Direct Line was ahead of Hastings Direct in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Direct Line’s share of searches among home insurance brands in the United Kingdom moved from 12.9% to 9.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 14.8K to 12.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hastings Direct’s share of searches among home insurance brands in the United Kingdom moved from 4.8% to 5.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 5.5K to 6.3K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom home insurance brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Direct Line lost share of searches among home insurance brands in the United Kingdom, from 11% to 9.8%.
In September 2026, Hastings Direct lost share of searches among home insurance brands in the United Kingdom, from 5.7% to 5.1%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Direct Line’s and Hastings Direct’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.
Direct Line
1 branded search term
- direct line home insurance
Hastings Direct
2 branded search terms
- hastings direct home insurance
- hastings home insurance
Other head-to-heads among home insurance brands
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