Banks in the United States:Which are most popular?
In September 2026, Wells Fargo was the most searched bank in the United States, accounting for 23.3% of all searches among the nine banks we track. When we checked with ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, Bank of America and Chase were mentioned most often, in four of the five answers. Chase was recommended most often, coming first in all four responses that gave a list.
Wells FargoShare of searches 23.3%Mentioned in 1 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
Capital OneShare of searches 19.2%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
Bank of AmericaShare of searches 15.7%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
ChaseShare of searches 15.7%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
PNC BankShare of searches 8.9%Mentioned in 0 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations –
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Top banks in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Bank of America and Chase were mentioned most often, in four of the five answers. Chase was recommended most often, coming first in all four answers that gave a list. Bank of America was second, and Capital One was third. PNC Bank, which ranked fifth in searches, was not mentioned at all.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Chase1st
- Bank of America2nd
- Capital One3rd
- Ally Bank4th
- Wells Fargo5th
Citi6th
U.S. Bank7th- PNC Bank–
Truist–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Bank of America4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Chase4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Capital One3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Ally Bank2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Wells Fargo1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- U.S. Bank1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Citi1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- PNC Bank0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Truist0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about banks
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which bank should I use for checking in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best banks in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best big bank in the US for a checking account?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“checking account”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“bank accounts”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.
Which banks do people search for most?
This chart shows how often people search Google for each bank by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine banks we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Wells Fargo, Capital One, Bank of America, Chase, PNC Bank, U.S. Bank, Citi, Truist. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Wells Fargo | Capital One | Bank of America | Chase | PNC Bank | U.S. Bank | Citi | Truist | Ally Bank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 24% | 16.1% | 19.6% | 16.1% | 8.6% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 4% | 0.79% |
| Nov 2025 | 22.4% | 18.5% | 18.5% | 15.1% | 8% | 6.8% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 0.74% |
| Dec 2025 | 24.1% | 16.2% | 19.6% | 16.2% | 8.6% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 4% | 0.65% |
| Jan 2026 | 22.3% | 18.3% | 18.3% | 15% | 8.5% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 0.9% |
| Feb 2026 | 22.3% | 18.4% | 18.4% | 15% | 8.5% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 0.74% |
| Mar 2026 | 24.3% | 16.3% | 19.8% | 16.3% | 7.6% | 6% | 4.9% | 4% | 0.8% |
| Apr 2026 | 22.3% | 18.3% | 18.3% | 15% | 8.5% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 0.9% |
| May 2026 | 21.8% | 17.9% | 17.9% | 17.9% | 8.3% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 0.88% |
| Jun 2026 | 21.3% | 17.5% | 17.5% | 17.5% | 9.3% | 6.4% | 5.3% | 4.3% | 0.86% |
| Jul 2026 | 22.3% | 18.3% | 18.3% | 15% | 9.7% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 0.9% |
| Aug 2026 | 21.3% | 17.5% | 17.5% | 17.5% | 9.3% | 6.4% | 5.3% | 4.3% | 0.86% |
| Sep 2026 | 23.3% | 19.2% | 15.7% | 15.7% | 8.9% | 7% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 0.77% |
| Rank | Brand | Share of searches | Estimated monthly branded searches | vs prior month | Share change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, held 1st | 23.3% | 11.1M | 0% | +2 points | |
| 2, moved from 3rd to 2nd | 19.2% | 9.1M | 0% | +1.6 pointsmoved from 3rd to 2nd | |
| 3, moved from 2nd to 3rd | 15.7% | 7.5M | -18.2% | -1.9 pointsmoved from 2nd to 3rd | |
| 4, held 4th | 15.7% | 7.5M | -18.2% | -1.9 points | |
| 5, held 5th | 8.9% | 4.2M | -12.6% | -0.4 points | |
| 6, held 6th | 7% | 3.4M | 0% | +0.6 points | |
| 7, held 7th | 5.7% | 2.7M | 0% | +0.5 points | |
| 8, held 8th | 3.8% | 1.8M | -18.3% | -0.5 points | |
| 9, held 9th | 0.77% | 368K | -18.2% | -0.1 points |
23.3%
Held 1st. 11.1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +2 points.
19.2%
Moved from 3rd to 2nd. 9.1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +1.6 points.
15.7%
Moved from 2nd to 3rd. 7.5M estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -1.9 points.
4.
Chase15.7%
Held 4th. 7.5M estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -1.9 points.
5.
PNC Bank8.9%
Held 5th. 4.2M estimated branded searches, -12.6% vs prior month. Share -0.4 points.
7%
Held 6th. 3.4M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.
7.
Citi5.7%
Held 7th. 2.7M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.5 points.
8.
Truist3.8%
Held 8th. 1.8M estimated branded searches, -18.3% vs prior month. Share -0.5 points.
0.77%
Held 9th. 368K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.
Which brand is most popular in search among banks in the United States?
9 brands
In September 2026, Wells Fargo was the most searched among banks in the United States, with an estimated 11.1M branded searches, 23.3% of all searches for the nine we track. Capital One is in 2nd place, 4.1 percentage points behind at 19.2%.
| Brand | Share of searches | Peak | Low | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wells Fargo | 24% → 23.3% | 24.3%Mar 2026 | 21.3%Jun 2026 | 1st |
| Capital One | 16.1% → 19.2% | 19.2%Sep 2026 | 16.1%Oct 2025 | 3rd → 2nd |
| Bank of America | 19.6% → 15.7% | 19.8%Mar 2026 | 15.7%Sep 2026 | 2nd → 3rd |
| Chase | 16.1% → 15.7% | 17.9%May 2026 | 15%Jan 2026 | 4th |
| PNC Bank | 8.6% → 8.9% | 9.7%Jul 2026 | 7.6%Mar 2026 | 5th |
| U.S. Bank | 5.9% → 7% | 7%Sep 2026 | 5.4%May 2026 | 6th |
| Citi | 4.8% → 5.7% | 5.7%Sep 2026 | 4.8%Oct 2025 | 7th |
| Truist | 4% → 3.8% | 4.5%Nov 2025 | 3.8%Sep 2026 | 8th |
| Ally Bank | 0.79% → 0.77% | 0.9%Jan 2026 | 0.65%Dec 2025 | 9th |
Each finding as a sentence
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wells Fargo’s share of searches among banks in the United States decreased from 24% to 23.3%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Capital One’s share of searches among banks in the United States increased from 16.1% to 19.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bank of America’s share of searches among banks in the United States decreased from 19.6% to 15.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, U.S. Bank’s share of searches among banks in the United States increased from 5.9% to 7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Citi’s share of searches among banks in the United States increased from 4.8% to 5.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wells Fargo’s share of searches among banks in the United States peaked at 24.3% in March 2026 and was lowest at 21.3% in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bank of America’s share of searches among banks in the United States peaked at 19.8% in March 2026 and was lowest at 15.7% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Chase’s share of searches among banks in the United States peaked at 17.9% in May 2026 and was lowest at 15% in January 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, PNC Bank’s share of searches among banks in the United States peaked at 9.7% in July 2026 and was lowest at 7.6% in March 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, U.S. Bank’s share of searches among banks in the United States peaked at 7% in September 2026 and was lowest at 5.4% in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Capital One rose from 3rd to 2nd among banks in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Bank of America fell from 2nd to 3rd among banks in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Chase, PNC Bank, Truist and Ally Bank held steady: their share of searches among banks in the United States each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.
How did search popularity change for United States banks in September 2026?
8 changes
In September 2026, Capital One overtook Bank of America to rank 2nd among banks in the United States, with 19.2% of the searches.
In September 2026, Wells Fargo gained share of searches among banks in the United States, from 21.3% to 23.3%.
In September 2026, U.S. Bank gained share of searches among banks in the United States, from 6.4% to 7%.
In September 2026, Bank of America lost share of searches among banks in the United States, from 17.5% to 15.7%.
In September 2026, Chase lost share of searches among banks in the United States, from 17.5% to 15.7%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Truist in the United States fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 2.2M to 1.8M in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Ally Bank in the United States fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 450K to 368K in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for PNC Bank in the United States fell 12.6% over 12 measured months, from 4.8M to 4.2M in September 2026.
Compare popularity between leading brands
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