Halifax vs Starling Bank:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Halifax had more branded searches than Starling Bank among banks in the United Kingdom. Halifax had about 256,000 branded searches, while Starling Bank had 74,000. Halifax made up 2.6% of all bank searches we track, and Starling Bank accounted for 0.75%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about banks, Starling Bank appeared in three of the five answers and Halifax in none.
Who do people search for more?
Halifax, about 3 searches for every 1 for Starling Bank
Who does AI mention more?
Starling Bank, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Halifax in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Starling Bank, the only one of the two named
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Top banks in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Starling Bank was mentioned in three out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Halifax 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.
Barclays1st
First Direct2nd- Starling Bank3rd
Monzo4th
HSBC5th
Chase UK6th
Nationwide7th
Lloyds Bank8th
Santander9th- +1 more
- Halifax–
- +1 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Barclays4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- HSBC4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- First Direct4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Monzo3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Starling Bank3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Nationwide2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Chase UK2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Lloyds Bank1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Santander1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Halifax0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about banks
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which bank should I open a current account with in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best banks in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best UK bank account for switching incentives?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“bank account”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best bank account”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.
Is Halifax or Starling Bank more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Halifax and Starling Bank by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 banks we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Halifax, Starling Bank. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Lloyds Bank | Santander | Barclays | NatWest | HSBC | Nationwide | Halifax | Monzo | First Direct | TSB | Starling Bank | Chase UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 33.1% | 18.4% | 12.8% | 13.3% | 9.5% | 4% | 3.9% | 1.8% | 1.6% | 0.97% | 0.65% | 0.18% |
| Nov 2025 | 33.6% | 19.6% | 13.7% | 11.5% | 8.5% | 4.2% | 3.6% | 1.9% | 1.7% | 0.85% | 0.7% | 0.15% |
| Dec 2025 | 30.5% | 21.2% | 12.7% | 12.2% | 8.8% | 5.5% | 3.8% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 0.6% | 0.15% |
| Jan 2026 | 31.4% | 23% | 12.8% | 10.8% | 7.8% | 4.8% | 3.4% | 2.2% | 1.9% | 0.97% | 0.8% | 0.22% |
| Feb 2026 | 31.1% | 22.7% | 12.7% | 10.7% | 7.7% | 5.9% | 3.3% | 2.1% | 1.9% | 0.96% | 0.79% | 0.22% |
| Mar 2026 | 31% | 21.1% | 13.9% | 11.7% | 8.5% | 4.3% | 3.9% | 1.9% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 0.71% | 0.19% |
| Apr 2026 | 30.6% | 21.5% | 12% | 11.5% | 8.2% | 6.4% | 3.9% | 1.9% | 1.7% | 1.3% | 0.85% | 0.18% |
| May 2026 | 30.7% | 22% | 11.9% | 10% | 7.2% | 8.2% | 3.8% | 2% | 1.8% | 1.4% | 0.74% | 0.19% |
| Jun 2026 | 31.3% | 21.8% | 13% | 12.5% | 7.4% | 4.6% | 3.6% | 2.1% | 1.8% | 0.93% | 0.76% | 0.16% |
| Jul 2026 | 32% | 22.3% | 13.3% | 10.4% | 7.5% | 4.7% | 4% | 2.1% | 1.9% | 0.95% | 0.77% | 0.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 32.4% | 21.9% | 13.5% | 10.6% | 7.5% | 4.8% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 0.78% | 0.16% |
| Sep 2026 | 35.9% | 20.9% | 12.8% | 10.1% | 7.3% | 4.5% | 2.6% | 2.5% | 1.5% | 0.91% | 0.75% | 0.14% |
How has the Halifax and Starling Bank comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Halifax was ahead of Starling Bank in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Halifax’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom moved from 3.9% to 2.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 436K to 256K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Starling Bank’s share of searches among banks in the United Kingdom moved from 0.65% to 0.75%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 74K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom banks in September 2026?
1 change
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Halifax’s and Starling Bank’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.
Halifax
2 branded search terms
- halifax bank
- halifax online banking
Starling Bank
2 branded search terms
- bank starling
- starling bank
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