Capital One vs Wells Fargo:Which is more popular in the United States?
In October 2026, Capital One had more branded searches than Wells Fargo among auto loan brands in the United States. Capital One had about 143,000 branded searches, while Wells Fargo had 40,500. Capital One made up 35.2% of all auto loan brand searches we track, and Wells Fargo accounted for 10%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about auto loan brands, Capital One appeared in four of the five answers and Wells Fargo in none.
Who do people search for more?
Capital One, about 4 searches for every 1 for Wells Fargo
Who does AI mention more?
Capital One, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, Wells Fargo in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Capital One, the only one of the two named
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Top auto loan brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Capital One was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Wells Fargo 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.
- Capital One4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Navy Federal Credit Union4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
PenFed Credit Union4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Bank of America2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
myAutoloan2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
LightStream0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Wells Fargo0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Chase0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Carvana0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Ally Bank0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about auto loan brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which auto loan brand should I use in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best auto loan brands in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best auto loan brand in the US for a used car?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“auto loan rates”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“car loan rates”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 19, 2026.
Is Capital One or Wells Fargo more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Capital One and Wells Fargo by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten auto loan brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Capital One, Wells Fargo. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Capital One | Navy Federal Credit Union | LightStream | Wells Fargo | Chase | Bank of America | PenFed Credit Union | Carvana | Ally Bank | myAutoloan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 31.5% | 17.8% | 24.2% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 4.9% | 1.2% | 0.8% | 1.5% | 0.19% |
| Dec 2025 | 28.4% | 24% | 21.8% | 8% | 8% | 5.4% | 2% | 0.75% | 1.3% | 0.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 29.2% | 25.7% | 19.1% | 7% | 7% | 7% | 2.6% | 0.8% | 1.4% | 0.23% |
| Feb 2026 | 32.8% | 22.6% | 20.5% | 7.6% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 0.73% | 1.5% | 0.24% |
| Mar 2026 | 34.4% | 23.8% | 17.7% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 2.4% | 0.74% | 1.3% | 0.21% |
| Apr 2026 | 30.5% | 25.7% | 19.1% | 7% | 7% | 5.8% | 2.6% | 0.61% | 1.4% | 0.17% |
| May 2026 | 30.2% | 21.7% | 19.8% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 8.9% | 2.2% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 0.18% |
| Jun 2026 | 31.2% | 22.5% | 20.4% | 6.2% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 0.19% |
| Jul 2026 | 28.3% | 24.9% | 18.5% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 10.2% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 0.17% |
| Aug 2026 | 29.8% | 21.4% | 19.5% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 10.7% | 1.8% | 1.1% | 1.2% | 0.18% |
| Sep 2026 | 34.5% | 20.3% | 18.6% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 2% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 0.27% |
| Oct 2026 | 35.2% | 19.9% | 18.2% | 10% | 8.1% | 3.6% | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.3% | 0.39% |
Capital One and Wells Fargo sell other things too, so only their searches that name this product count here, like “capital one auto loan”.
How has branded search for Capital One and Wells Fargo changed in the United States over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Capital One was ahead of Wells Fargo in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Capital One’s share of searches among auto loan brands in the United States moved from 31.5% to 35.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 143K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Wells Fargo’s share of searches among auto loan brands in the United States moved from 8.9% to 10%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 40.5K.
How did search popularity change for United States auto loan brands in October 2026?
2 changes
In October 2026, Wells Fargo gained share of searches among auto loan brands in the United States, from 8.3% to 10%.
In October 2026, Capital One gained share of searches among auto loan brands in the United States, from 34.5% to 35.2%.
How are Capital One’s and Wells Fargo’s branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Capital One’s and Wells Fargo’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.
Capital One
2 branded search terms
- capital one auto finance
- capital one auto loan
Wells Fargo
1 branded search term
- wells fargo auto loan
Other head-to-heads among auto loan brands
- Capital One vs Navy Federal Credit Union: compare popularity
- Capital One vs LightStream: compare popularity
- Capital One vs Chase: compare popularity
- Navy Federal Credit Union vs LightStream: compare popularity
- Navy Federal Credit Union vs Wells Fargo: compare popularity
- Navy Federal Credit Union vs Chase: compare popularity
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