Burger King vs McDonald's:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, McDonald's had more branded searches than Burger King among burger chains in the United Kingdom. McDonald's had about 9.1 million branded searches, while Burger King had 1 million. McDonald's made up 86.8% of all burger chain searches we track, and Burger King accounted for 9.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about burger chains, Burger King appeared in all three answers and McDonald's in two. Burger King was mentioned before McDonald's in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
McDonald's, about 9 searches for every 1 for Burger King
Who does AI mention more?
Burger King, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Burger King, 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, Burger King appeared in all three answers. McDonald's was mentioned in two out of three: in two of the three ChatGPT answers. Burger King 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 Burger King or McDonald's more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Burger King and McDonald's 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, Burger King. 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 Burger King and McDonald's comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- McDonald's was ahead of Burger King in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Burger King’s share of searches among burger chains in the United Kingdom moved from 9.3% to 9.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1M.
- 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.
How did search popularity change for United Kingdom burger chains in September 2026?
0 changes
Neither Burger King nor McDonald's 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 Burger King’s and McDonald'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.
Burger King
1 branded search term
- burger king
McDonald's
2 branded search terms
- mcdonald's
- mcdonalds
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