---
title: "Burger chains in the United States: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the burger chains people in the US eat at. Share of Search among McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Culver's, Five Guys, Whataburger, Shake Shack, In-N-Out Burger, Smashburger and The Habit Burger Grill, the burger chains Brandwave compares in the United States, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-burger-chains"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Burger chains in the United States: Which are searched most?

Compare the burger chains people in the US eat at. Share of Search among McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Culver's, Five Guys, Whataburger, Shake Shack, In-N-Out Burger, Smashburger and The Habit Burger Grill, the burger chains Brandwave compares in the United States, using the same methodology, market, and reporting period. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Competitive set**: Burger chains
- **Market**: United States
- **Brands compared**: 10
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: McDonald's, 45.6%

## Which brand is most popular in search among burger chains in the United States?

- In September 2026, McDonald's was the most searched among burger chains in the United States, with an estimated 30.4M branded searches, 45.6% of all searches for the ten we track.
- Burger King is in 2nd place, 29 percentage points behind at 16.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, McDonald's’ share of searches among burger chains in the United States decreased from 51.7% to 45.6%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Burger King’s share of searches among burger chains in the United States increased from 12.7% to 16.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wendy's’ share of searches among burger chains in the United States increased from 12.7% to 13.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Culver's’ share of searches among burger chains in the United States increased from 7% to 7.5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Five Guys’ share of searches among burger chains in the United States increased from 4.7% to 6.1%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Whataburger’s share of searches among burger chains in the United States decreased from 5.7% to 5%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, McDonald's’ share of searches among burger chains in the United States peaked at 51.7% in October 2025 and was lowest at 44.5% in March 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Burger King’s share of searches among burger chains in the United States peaked at 16.7% in September 2026 and was lowest at 12.2% in January 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wendy's’ share of searches among burger chains in the United States peaked at 14.2% in November 2025 and was lowest at 12.2% in January 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Culver's’ share of searches among burger chains in the United States peaked at 9.2% in May 2026 and was lowest at 6.3% in November 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Five Guys’ share of searches among burger chains in the United States peaked at 6.1% in September 2026 and was lowest at 4.5% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Whataburger’s share of searches among burger chains in the United States peaked at 6.7% in January 2026 and was lowest at 5% in September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Five Guys rose from 6th to 5th among burger chains in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Whataburger fell from 5th to 6th among burger chains in the United States.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Shake Shack, In-N-Out Burger, Smashburger and The Habit Burger Grill held steady: their share of searches among burger chains in the United States each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Top burger chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, In-N-Out Burger appeared every time. In-N-Out Burger was recommended most often, coming first in three out of four answers. Five Guys was second, and Culver's was third.

Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options.

| Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| In-N-Out Burger | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 4 of 4 |
| Five Guys | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 3 of 4 |
| Culver's | 3rd | 3 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 3 of 4 |
| Shake Shack | 4th | 3 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 3 of 4 |
| Whataburger | 5th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 |
| Wendy's | 6th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 1 | 2 of 4 |
| The Habit Burger Grill | 7th | 3 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 3 of 4 |
| McDonald's | 8th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 |
| Burger King | 9th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 2 of 4 |
| Smashburger | 10th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 1 | 1 of 4 |

## Every AI answer about burger chains

- Asked ChatGPT "Which burger chain has the best burgers in the US?": 1. Five Guys, 2. In-N-Out Burger, 3. Shake Shack, 4. Culver's, 5. The Habit Burger Grill, 6. Burger King
- Asked ChatGPT "What are the best fast food burger chains in the US?": 1. In-N-Out Burger, 2. Five Guys, 3. Culver's, 4. Shake Shack, 5. Whataburger, 6. Wendy's, 7. Burger King, 8. McDonald's, 9. The Habit Burger Grill
- Asked ChatGPT "Where can I get the best fast food burger and fries in the US?": 1. In-N-Out Burger, 2. Five Guys, 3. Culver's, 4. Shake Shack, 5. Whataburger, 6. McDonald's, 7. The Habit Burger Grill, 8. Smashburger
- Searched Google, AI Overview "fast food burgers": 1. In-N-Out Burger, 2. Wendy's

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United States on October 22, 2026.

## Compare search popularity between leading brands

- [McDonald's vs Burger King: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/burger-king-vs-mcdonalds): 45.6% against 16.7% Share of Search.
- [McDonald's vs Wendy's: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/mcdonalds-vs-wendys): 45.6% against 13.7% Share of Search.
- [McDonald's vs Culver's: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/culvers-vs-mcdonalds): 45.6% against 7.5% Share of Search.
- [McDonald's vs Five Guys: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/five-guys-vs-mcdonalds): 45.6% against 6.1% Share of Search.
- [Burger King vs Wendy's: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/burger-king-vs-wendys): 16.7% against 13.7% Share of Search.
- [Burger King vs Culver's: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/burger-king-vs-culvers): 16.7% against 7.5% Share of Search.
- [Burger King vs Five Guys: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/burger-king-vs-five-guys): 16.7% against 6.1% Share of Search.
- [Wendy's vs Culver's: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/culvers-vs-wendys): 13.7% against 7.5% Share of Search.
- [Wendy's vs Five Guys: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/five-guys-vs-wendys): 13.7% against 6.1% Share of Search.
- [Culver's vs Five Guys: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/culvers-vs-five-guys): 7.5% against 6.1% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for United States burger chains in September 2026?

- In September 2026, Five Guys overtook Whataburger to rank 5th among burger chains in the United States, with 6.1% of the searches.
- In September 2026, Burger King gained share of searches among burger chains in the United States, from 12.5% to 16.7%.
- In September 2026, Wendy's gained share of searches among burger chains in the United States, from 12.5% to 13.7%.
- In September 2026, McDonald's lost share of searches among burger chains in the United States, from 50.8% to 45.6%.
- In September 2026, Culver's lost share of searches among burger chains in the United States, from 8.4% to 7.5%.
- In September 2026, Whataburger lost share of searches among burger chains in the United States, from 5.6% to 5%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Smashburger in the United States fell 18.3% over 12 measured months, from 673K to 550K in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Shake Shack in the United States fell 18% over 12 measured months, from 1.8M to 1.5M in September 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | McDonald's | 45.6% | 30.4M | -18.3% | McDonald's |
| 2 | Burger King | 16.7% | 11.1M | +21.4% | Burger King |
| 3 | Wendy's | 13.7% | 9.1M | 0.0% | Wendy's |
| 4 | Culver's | 7.5% | 5M | -18.3% | Culver's |
| 5 | Five Guys | 6.1% | 4.1M | +22.1% | Five Guys |
| 6 | Whataburger | 5% | 3.4M | -18.1% | Whataburger |
| 7 | Shake Shack | 2.3% | 1.5M | -18.0% | Shake Shack |
| 8 | In-N-Out Burger | 1.8% | 1.2M | -18.7% | In-N-Out Burger |
| 9 | Smashburger | 0.83% | 550K | 0.0% | Smashburger |
| 10 | The Habit Burger Grill | 0.37% | 246K | -18.3% | The Habit Burger Grill |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | McDonald's | 37.2M | 51.7% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Burger King | 9.1M | 12.7% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Wendy's | 9.1M | 12.7% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Culver's | 5M | 7% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Whataburger | 4.1M | 5.7% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Five Guys | 3.4M | 4.7% | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | Shake Shack | 1.8M | 2.5% | 7 |
| Oct 2025 | In-N-Out Burger | 1.2M | 1.7% | 8 |
| Oct 2025 | Smashburger | 673K | 0.94% | 9 |
| Oct 2025 | The Habit Burger Grill | 246K | 0.34% | 10 |
| Nov 2025 | McDonald's | 30.4M | 47.2% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Burger King | 9.1M | 14.2% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Wendy's | 9.1M | 14.2% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Culver's | 4.1M | 6.3% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Whataburger | 4.1M | 6.3% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Five Guys | 3.4M | 5.2% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Shake Shack | 1.8M | 2.8% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | In-N-Out Burger | 1.5M | 2.3% | 8 |
| Nov 2025 | Smashburger | 673K | 1% | 9 |
| Nov 2025 | The Habit Burger Grill | 246K | 0.38% | 10 |
| Dec 2025 | McDonald's | 37.2M | 50% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Burger King | 11.1M | 14.9% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Wendy's | 9.1M | 12.3% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Culver's | 5M | 6.7% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Whataburger | 4.1M | 5.5% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Five Guys | 3.4M | 4.5% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | In-N-Out Burger | 1.8M | 2.5% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | Shake Shack | 1.8M | 2.5% | 8 |
| Dec 2025 | Smashburger | 673K | 0.9% | 9 |
| Dec 2025 | The Habit Burger Grill | 246K | 0.33% | 10 |
| Jan 2026 | McDonald's | 30.4M | 49.7% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Burger King | 7.5M | 12.2% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Wendy's | 7.5M | 12.2% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Culver's | 4.1M | 6.7% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Whataburger | 4.1M | 6.7% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Five Guys | 3.4M | 5.5% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Shake Shack | 1.8M | 3% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | In-N-Out Burger | 1.5M | 2.5% | 8 |
| Jan 2026 | Smashburger | 673K | 1.1% | 9 |
| Jan 2026 | The Habit Burger Grill | 246K | 0.4% | 10 |
| Feb 2026 | McDonald's | 30.4M | 50.6% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Burger King | 7.5M | 12.4% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Wendy's | 7.5M | 12.4% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Culver's | 4.1M | 6.8% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Five Guys | 3.4M | 5.6% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Whataburger | 3.4M | 5.6% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Shake Shack | 1.8M | 3% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | In-N-Out Burger | 1.2M | 2% | 8 |
| Feb 2026 | Smashburger | 673K | 1.1% | 9 |
| Feb 2026 | The Habit Burger Grill | 246K | 0.41% | 10 |
| Mar 2026 | McDonald's | 30.4M | 44.5% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Burger King | 11.1M | 16.3% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Wendy's | 9.1M | 13.4% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Culver's | 5M | 7.3% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Five Guys | 4.1M | 6% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Whataburger | 4.1M | 6% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | Shake Shack | 1.8M | 2.7% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | In-N-Out Burger | 1.5M | 2.2% | 8 |
| Mar 2026 | Smashburger | 823K | 1.2% | 9 |
| Mar 2026 | The Habit Burger Grill | 301K | 0.44% | 10 |
| Apr 2026 | McDonald's | 30.4M | 46.9% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Burger King | 9.1M | 14.1% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Wendy's | 9.1M | 14.1% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Culver's | 5M | 7.7% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Whataburger | 4.1M | 6.3% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Five Guys | 3.4M | 5.2% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Shake Shack | 1.5M | 2.3% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | In-N-Out Burger | 1.2M | 1.9% | 8 |
| Apr 2026 | Smashburger | 673K | 1% | 9 |
| Apr 2026 | The Habit Burger Grill | 246K | 0.38% | 10 |
| May 2026 | McDonald's | 30.4M | 45.9% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Burger King | 9.1M | 13.8% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Wendy's | 9.1M | 13.8% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Culver's | 6.1M | 9.2% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Whataburger | 4.1M | 6.2% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Five Guys | 3.4M | 5.1% | 6 |
| May 2026 | Shake Shack | 1.8M | 2.8% | 7 |
| May 2026 | In-N-Out Burger | 1.2M | 1.8% | 8 |
| May 2026 | Smashburger | 673K | 1% | 9 |
| May 2026 | The Habit Burger Grill | 301K | 0.45% | 10 |
| Jun 2026 | McDonald's | 30.4M | 47% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Burger King | 9.1M | 14.1% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Wendy's | 9.1M | 14.1% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Culver's | 5M | 7.7% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Whataburger | 4.1M | 6.3% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Five Guys | 3.4M | 5.2% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Shake Shack | 1.5M | 2.3% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | In-N-Out Burger | 1.2M | 1.9% | 8 |
| Jun 2026 | Smashburger | 550K | 0.85% | 9 |
| Jun 2026 | The Habit Burger Grill | 301K | 0.47% | 10 |
| Jul 2026 | McDonald's | 37.2M | 51.2% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Burger King | 9.1M | 12.6% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Wendy's | 9.1M | 12.6% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Culver's | 6.1M | 8.4% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Whataburger | 4.1M | 5.6% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Five Guys | 3.4M | 4.6% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | Shake Shack | 1.5M | 2.1% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | In-N-Out Burger | 1.2M | 1.7% | 8 |
| Jul 2026 | Smashburger | 550K | 0.76% | 9 |
| Jul 2026 | The Habit Burger Grill | 301K | 0.41% | 10 |
| Aug 2026 | McDonald's | 37.2M | 50.8% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Burger King | 9.1M | 12.5% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Wendy's | 9.1M | 12.5% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Culver's | 6.1M | 8.4% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Whataburger | 4.1M | 5.6% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Five Guys | 3.4M | 4.6% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | Shake Shack | 1.8M | 2.5% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | In-N-Out Burger | 1.5M | 2% | 8 |
| Aug 2026 | Smashburger | 550K | 0.75% | 9 |
| Aug 2026 | The Habit Burger Grill | 301K | 0.41% | 10 |
| Sep 2026 | McDonald's | 30.4M | 45.6% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | Burger King | 11.1M | 16.7% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | Wendy's | 9.1M | 13.7% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Culver's | 5M | 7.5% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Five Guys | 4.1M | 6.1% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Whataburger | 3.4M | 5% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | Shake Shack | 1.5M | 2.3% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | In-N-Out Burger | 1.2M | 1.8% | 8 |
| Sep 2026 | Smashburger | 550K | 0.83% | 9 |
| Sep 2026 | The Habit Burger Grill | 246K | 0.37% | 10 |

## What is being compared

- **Burger King**: Measured on the search term “burger king”.
- **Culver's**: Measured on the search terms “culver's” and “culvers”, summed into one figure.
- **Five Guys**: Measured on the search term “five guys”.
- **In-N-Out Burger**: Measured on the search terms “in n out” and “in-n-out”, summed into one figure.
- **McDonald's**: Measured on the search term “mcdonald's”.
- **Shake Shack**: Measured on the search term “shake shack”.
- **Smashburger**: Measured on the search term “smashburger”.
- **The Habit Burger Grill**: Measured on the search term “habit burger”.
- **Wendy's**: Measured on the search term “wendy's”.
- **Whataburger**: Measured on the search term “whataburger”.

- [Burger King](/demand/us/brands/burger-king)
- [Culver's](/demand/us/brands/culvers)
- [Five Guys](/demand/us/brands/five-guys)
- [In-N-Out Burger](/demand/us/brands/in-n-out)
- [McDonald's](/demand/us/brands/mcdonalds)
- [Shake Shack](/demand/us/brands/shake-shack)
- [Smashburger](/demand/us/brands/smashburger)
- [The Habit Burger Grill](/demand/us/brands/habit-burger)
- [Wendy's](/demand/us/brands/wendys)
- [Whataburger](/demand/us/brands/whataburger)

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which brand is most popular in search among burger chains in the United States?

In September 2026, McDonald's was the most searched among burger chains in the United States, with an estimated 30.4M branded searches, 45.6% of all searches for the ten we track.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Burger chains in the United States: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-burger-chains

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-burger-chains. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.