Hastings Direct vs RAC:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Hastings Direct had more branded searches than RAC among van insurance providers in the United Kingdom. Hastings Direct had about 1,600 branded searches, while RAC had 590. Hastings Direct made up 8.6% of all van insurance provider searches we track, and RAC accounted for 3.2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about van insurance providers, RAC appeared in two of the five answers and Hastings Direct in none.
Who do people search for more?
Hastings Direct, about 3 searches for every 1 for RAC
Who does AI mention more?
RAC, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, Hastings Direct in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
RAC, the only one of the two named
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Top van insurance providers in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, RAC was mentioned in two out of five: in two 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.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
The Van Insurer3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- RAC2 of 5Named in 2 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
Aviva1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
AXA1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Admiral0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Tradex Insurance0 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
Ageas0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
1st Central0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about van insurance providers
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Who has the best van insurance in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which company should I insure my van with?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the cheapest van insurance for a tradesperson in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“van insurance”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“van insurance quote”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 27, 2026.
Is Hastings Direct or RAC more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Hastings Direct and RAC by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten van insurance providers we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for Hastings Direct, RAC. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Admiral | Direct Line | Aviva | Tradex Insurance | Hastings Direct | AXA | RAC | Ageas | The Van Insurer | 1st Central |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 34% | 22.7% | 9.8% | 12.4% | 8.2% | 4.5% | 2.5% | 3.7% | 1.3% | 0.88% |
| Nov 2025 | 37.7% | 20.6% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 7.4% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 3.4% | 1.5% | 0.8% |
| Dec 2025 | 35.7% | 23.8% | 10.6% | 10.6% | 6.6% | 4.8% | 2.6% | 3.2% | 1.4% | 0.73% |
| Jan 2026 | 33.1% | 22.1% | 12% | 9.5% | 8% | 5% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 33.3% | 22.2% | 12.1% | 9.6% | 8.1% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2% | 1.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 36.2% | 19.7% | 10.7% | 10.7% | 8.5% | 4.5% | 3.2% | 3.9% | 1.7% | 0.76% |
| Apr 2026 | 33.8% | 22.5% | 12.3% | 9.7% | 8.2% | 4.5% | 3% | 3.7% | 1.6% | 0.72% |
| May 2026 | 36.9% | 20.1% | 10.6% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 5.6% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 0.78% |
| Jun 2026 | 35.4% | 19.3% | 12.9% | 10.2% | 8.6% | 4.7% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1.7% | 0.75% |
| Jul 2026 | 35.6% | 19.4% | 12.9% | 10.2% | 8.6% | 4.7% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 1.4% | 0.75% |
| Aug 2026 | 36.4% | 19.8% | 13.2% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 4.8% | 3.3% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.77% |
| Sep 2026 | 35.4% | 19.3% | 12.9% | 10.2% | 8.6% | 5.4% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 0.75% |
How has the Hastings Direct and RAC comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Hastings Direct was ahead of RAC in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hastings Direct’s share of searches among van insurance providers in the United Kingdom moved from 8.2% to 8.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, RAC’s share of searches among van insurance providers in the United Kingdom moved from 2.5% to 3.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 480 to 590.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom van insurance providers in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Tradex Insurance overtook Hastings Direct to rank 4th among van insurance providers in the United Kingdom, with 10.2% of the searches.
Estimated monthly branded searches for RAC in the United Kingdom rose 22.9% over 12 measured months, from 480 to 590 in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hastings Direct’s and RAC’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.
Hastings Direct
1 branded search term
- hastings van insurance
RAC
1 branded search term
- rac van insurance
Other head-to-heads among van insurance providers
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