McDonald's vs Shake Shack:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, McDonald's had more branded searches than Shake Shack among burger chains in the United Kingdom. McDonald's had about 9.1 million branded searches, while Shake Shack had 90,500. McDonald's made up 86.8% of all burger chain searches we track, and Shake Shack accounted for 0.86%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about burger chains, Shake Shack appeared in all three answers and McDonald's in two. Shake Shack was mentioned before McDonald's in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
McDonald's, about 101 searches for every 1 for Shake Shack
Who does AI mention more?
Shake Shack, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Shake Shack, named ahead of McDonald's in every answer
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Top burger chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions, Shake Shack appeared in all three answers. McDonald's was mentioned in two out of three: in two of the three ChatGPT answers. Shake Shack was listed before McDonald's in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Five Guys1st
Honest Burgers2nd- Shake Shack3rd
Burger King4th- McDonald's5th
GBK–
Byron–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Burger King3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Five Guys3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Shake Shack3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Honest Burgers3 of 3Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- McDonald's2 of 3Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- GBK0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
- Byron0 of 3Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answers
See every answer about burger chains
3 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which burger chain has the best burgers in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best burger chains in the UK?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Where can I get the best burger from a chain restaurant in the UK?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“burger places”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Searched Google, AI Overview
“burger restaurants”
Google showed no AI Overview for this search.
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United Kingdom on October 22, 2026.
Is McDonald's or Shake Shack more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for McDonald's and Shake Shack by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven burger chains we track, month by month, from searches in United Kingdom.
Share of searches by month for McDonald's, Shake Shack. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | McDonald's | Burger King | Five Guys | Shake Shack | Honest Burgers | GBK | Byron |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 85.4% | 9.3% | 2.8% | 0.85% | 1% | 0.46% | 0.14% |
| Nov 2025 | 84.2% | 9.3% | 3.4% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.46% | 0.17% |
| Dec 2025 | 84.6% | 9.3% | 3.4% | 1.2% | 1% | 0.37% | 0.14% |
| Jan 2026 | 82.8% | 11.1% | 3.3% | 1.2% | 1% | 0.45% | 0.16% |
| Feb 2026 | 84.7% | 9.3% | 3.4% | 1% | 1% | 0.37% | 0.14% |
| Mar 2026 | 85.5% | 9.4% | 2.8% | 1% | 0.85% | 0.31% | 0.11% |
| Apr 2026 | 86.6% | 9.5% | 1.9% | 0.86% | 0.7% | 0.31% | 0.09% |
| May 2026 | 84.5% | 11.3% | 2.3% | 0.84% | 0.68% | 0.31% | 0.07% |
| Jun 2026 | 87% | 9.5% | 1.9% | 0.7% | 0.58% | 0.26% | 0.06% |
| Jul 2026 | 86.4% | 9.5% | 2.3% | 0.86% | 0.57% | 0.31% | 0.08% |
| Aug 2026 | 86.8% | 9.5% | 1.9% | 0.86% | 0.58% | 0.26% | 0.09% |
| Sep 2026 | 86.8% | 9.5% | 1.9% | 0.86% | 0.57% | 0.26% | 0.08% |
How has the McDonald's and Shake Shack comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- McDonald's was ahead of Shake Shack in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, McDonald's’ share of searches among burger chains in the United Kingdom moved from 85.4% to 86.8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 9.1M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Shake Shack’s share of searches among burger chains in the United Kingdom moved from 0.85% to 0.86%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 90.5K.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom burger chains in September 2026?
0 changes
Neither McDonald's nor Shake Shack moved beyond provider rounding among burger chains in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using McDonald's’ and Shake Shack’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.
McDonald's
2 branded search terms
- mcdonald's
- mcdonalds
Shake Shack
1 branded search term
- shake shack
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