Ghirardelli vs M&M's:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, M&M's had more branded searches than Ghirardelli among chocolate brands in the United States. M&M's had about 165,000 branded searches, while Ghirardelli had 110,000. M&M's made up 16.5% of all chocolate brand searches we track, and Ghirardelli accounted for 11%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about chocolate brands, Ghirardelli appeared in three of the five answers and M&M's in none.
Who do people search for more?
M&M's, about 50% more searches than Ghirardelli
Who does AI mention more?
Ghirardelli, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, M&M's in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Ghirardelli, the only one of the two named
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Top chocolate brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ghirardelli was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. M&M's 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.
- Ghirardelli3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Lindt3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Valrhona3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Hershey's2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Snickers2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Twix2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Tony's Chocolonely2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Reese's1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Hu1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- M&M's0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about chocolate brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best chocolate brand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which candy bar is the most popular in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best chocolate to give as a gift?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“chocolate brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best chocolate”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 27, 2026.
Is Ghirardelli or M&M's more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Ghirardelli and M&M's by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 chocolate brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for M&M's, Ghirardelli. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Hershey's | M&M's | Reese's | Ghirardelli | KitKat | Snickers | Twix | Tony's Chocolonely | Hu | Lindt | Valrhona |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 13.4% | 16.4% | 16.4% | 9% | 13.4% | 13.4% | 9% | 3.3% | 1.8% | 3.3% | 0.44% |
| Nov 2025 | 13.9% | 13.9% | 13.9% | 13.9% | 11.4% | 11.4% | 9.3% | 4.2% | 2.3% | 5.1% | 0.68% |
| Dec 2025 | 14% | 11.4% | 14% | 20.8% | 9.3% | 9.3% | 6.3% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 6.3% | 0.84% |
| Jan 2026 | 16% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 16% | 10.6% | 10.6% | 7.2% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 4.8% | 0.78% |
| Feb 2026 | 15.1% | 15.1% | 15.1% | 15.1% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 6.8% | 4.5% | 3% | 4.5% | 0.6% |
| Mar 2026 | 14.1% | 14.1% | 11.6% | 9.4% | 25.8% | 9.4% | 6.3% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 3.5% | 0.57% |
| Apr 2026 | 14.9% | 14.9% | 14.9% | 10% | 18.2% | 10% | 6.7% | 3.7% | 3% | 3% | 0.73% |
| May 2026 | 16.3% | 16.3% | 13.3% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 2.7% | 6% | 0.65% |
| Jun 2026 | 13.3% | 36.2% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 10.8% | 8.9% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 0.43% |
| Jul 2026 | 17.6% | 14.4% | 11.8% | 14.4% | 14.4% | 9.7% | 6.5% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 3.5% | 0.57% |
| Aug 2026 | 18.4% | 15% | 15% | 12.2% | 10.1% | 12.2% | 6.7% | 3.7% | 3% | 3% | 0.6% |
| Sep 2026 | 20.1% | 16.5% | 13.5% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 7.4% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 0.54% |
How has the Ghirardelli and M&M's comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Ghirardelli took it in December 2025, M&M's took it in March 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ghirardelli’s share of searches among chocolate brands in the United States moved from 9% to 11%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 135K to 110K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, M&M's’ share of searches among chocolate brands in the United States moved from 16.4% to 16.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 246K to 165K.
How did search popularity change for United States chocolate brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, M&M's gained share of searches among chocolate brands in the United States, from 15% to 16.5%.
In September 2026, Ghirardelli lost share of searches among chocolate brands in the United States, from 12.2% to 11%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ghirardelli’s and M&M'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.
Ghirardelli
1 branded search term
- ghirardelli
M&M's
1 branded search term
- m&ms
Other head-to-heads among chocolate brands
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