Brandwave

How popular isSelf?

In October 2026, people searched for Self by name about 9,900 times in the United States, an 18.2% decrease from the previous year. These searches made up 9.9% of all United States credit builder app searches, placing Self third out of five apps. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about credit builder apps, Self appeared in two of the five answers and was the second most recommended of the five.

Search and AI answers in October 2026

Self is the third most searched of 5 competitors and the second most recommended in the AI answers we collected.

  1. KikoffShare of searches 49.5%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. Credit StrongShare of searches 33.1%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
  3. SelfShare of searches 9.9%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  4. ChimeShare of searches 6.6%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  5. Grow CreditShare of searches 1%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 4th
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Top credit builder apps in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Self was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Self is the second most recommended of the five.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Kikoff1st
  2. Self2nd
  3. Chime3rd
  4. Grow Credit4th
  5. Credit Strong–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Kikoff3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Self2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Chime1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Grow Credit1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
  • Credit Strong0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about credit builder apps

5 answers

  • Asked ChatGPT

    “What's the best way to build credit from scratch?”

    1. Asked ChatGPT

      “What's the best credit builder app?”

      1. 1Kikoff
      2. 2Self
      3. 3Grow Credit

    2. Asked ChatGPT

      “How can I raise my credit score quickly?”

      1. Searched Google, AI Overview

        “credit builder”

        1. 1Chime
        2. 2Kikoff

      2. Searched Google, AI Overview

        “best credit builder”

        1. 1Self
        2. 2Kikoff

      Not named in any answer:

      Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 27, 2026.

      How often do people search for Self compared with other United States credit builder apps?

      Self against credit builder apps in the United States, by month

      Share of searches by month for Kikoff, Credit Strong, Self, Chime. The figures are in the table below the chart.

      View monthly share of searches table
      MonthKikoffCredit StrongSelfChimeGrow Credit
      Nov 202548.5%32.5%11.9%5.3%1.9%
      Dec 202547.4%31.7%14.2%5.2%1.5%
      Jan 202647.4%31.7%14.2%5.2%1.5%
      Feb 202647.6%31.8%14.2%5.2%1.2%
      Mar 202644.3%36.2%13.2%4.8%1.4%
      Apr 202652.9%28.9%12.9%3.8%1.4%
      May 202652.6%28.8%12.9%4.7%1.1%
      Jun 202656.1%25.1%13.7%4.1%0.93%
      Jul 202657.6%25.8%11.5%4.2%0.95%
      Aug 202654.3%29.7%10.9%3.9%1.2%
      Sep 202649.5%33.1%12.1%4.4%1%
      Oct 202649.5%33.1%9.9%6.6%1%

      1. 1.Kikoff

        49.5%

        Held 1st. 49.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

      2. 2.Credit Strong

        33.1%

        Held 2nd. 33.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

      3. 3.Self

        9.9%

        Held 3rd. 9.9K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -2.2 points.

      4. 4.Chime

        6.6%

        Held 4th. 6.6K estimated branded searches, +50% vs prior month. Share +2.2 points.

      5. 5.Grow Credit

        1%

        Held 5th. 1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

      Compare popularity between Self and its closest rivals

      Every comparison with Self

      4 comparisons

      How has branded search demand for Self changed in the United States over the last 12 months?

      3 findings
      • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Self in the United States fell from 12.1K to 9.9K.
      • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Self’s share of searches among credit builder apps in the United States decreased from 11.9% to 9.9%.
      • Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Self’s share of searches among credit builder apps in the United States peaked at 14.2% in February 2026 and was lowest at 9.9% in October 2026.

      How did search popularity change for United States credit builder apps in October 2026?

      3 changes

      1. In October 2026, Chime gained share of searches among credit builder apps in the United States, from 4.4% to 6.6%.

      2. In October 2026, Self lost share of searches among credit builder apps in the United States, from 12.1% to 9.9%.

      3. Estimated monthly branded searches for Grow Credit in the United States fell 47.4% over 12 measured months, from 1.9K to 1K in October 2026.

      How are Self’s branded searches counted?

      1 search term

      Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Self’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

      • self credit builder

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      How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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