--- title: "Online banks in the United States: Which are most popular?" description: "Compare the online banks and banking apps people in the US open checking accounts with. Share of Search among Ally Bank, Chime, Varo, SoFi, Capital One, Dave, Current and Discover, the online banks 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-online-banks" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # Online banks in the United States: Which are most popular? Compare the online banks and banking apps people in the US open checking accounts with. Share of Search among Ally Bank, Chime, Varo, SoFi, Capital One, Dave, Current and Discover, the online banks 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**: Online banks - **Market**: United States - **Brands compared**: 8 - **Month measured**: Oct 2026 - **Highest Share of Search**: Ally Bank, 36.1% ## Which brand is most popular in search among online banks in the United States? - In October 2026, Ally Bank was the most searched among online banks in the United States, with an estimated 368K branded searches, 36.1% of all searches for the eight tracked by the Brandwave Brand Demand Index. - Chime is in 2nd place, 11.5 percentage points behind at 24.6%. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Ally Bank’s share of searches among online banks in the United States decreased from 38.6% to 36.1%. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Chime’s share of searches among online banks in the United States increased from 20.8% to 24.6%. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Varo’s share of searches among online banks in the United States decreased from 17.2% to 15.6%. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, SoFi’s share of searches among online banks in the United States increased from 9.9% to 11.3%. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Capital One’s share of searches among online banks in the United States decreased from 9.2% to 8.6%. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Ally Bank’s share of searches among online banks in the United States peaked at 40% in March 2026 and was lowest at 36.1% in October 2026. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Chime’s share of searches among online banks in the United States peaked at 24.6% in October 2026 and was lowest at 17.9% in January 2026. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Varo’s share of searches among online banks in the United States peaked at 18.3% in December 2025 and was lowest at 13.4% in June 2026. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, SoFi’s share of searches among online banks in the United States peaked at 12.4% in May 2026 and was lowest at 9.9% in November 2025. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Capital One’s share of searches among online banks in the United States peaked at 11.9% in June 2026 and was lowest at 8.6% in October 2026. - Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Dave, Current and Discover held steady: their share of searches among online banks in the United States each moved less than 0.5 percentage points. ## Top online banks in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Capital One appeared every time. SoFi was recommended most often, coming first in two out of five answers. Capital One was second, and Ally Bank was third. Varo, which ranked third in searches, was not mentioned at all. 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 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | SoFi | 1st | 3 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Capital One | 2nd | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 | | Ally Bank | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 3 of 5 | | Chime | 4th | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Varo | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Dave | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Current | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | Discover | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about online banks - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best online bank?": 1. Ally Bank, 2. SoFi, 3. Capital One - Asked ChatGPT "Which banking app should I use for my checking account?": 1. SoFi, 2. Capital One, 3. Chime - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best online banks with no fees?": 1. Ally Bank, 2. SoFi, 3. Capital One - Searched Google, AI Overview "online bank": 1. Capital One, 2. Chime - Searched Google, AI Overview "best online banks": 1. SoFi, 2. Capital One, 3. Ally Bank Not named in any answer: Varo, Dave, Current and Discover. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United States on October 27, 2026. ## Compare search popularity between leading brands - [Ally Bank vs Chime: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/ally-bank-vs-chime): 36.1% against 24.6% Share of Search. - [Ally Bank vs Varo: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/ally-bank-vs-varo): 36.1% against 15.6% Share of Search. - [Ally Bank vs SoFi: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/ally-bank-vs-sofi): 36.1% against 11.3% Share of Search. - [Ally Bank vs Capital One: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/ally-bank-vs-capital-one): 36.1% against 8.6% Share of Search. - [Chime vs Varo: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/chime-vs-varo): 24.6% against 15.6% Share of Search. - [Chime vs SoFi: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/chime-vs-sofi): 24.6% against 11.3% Share of Search. - [Chime vs Capital One: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/capital-one-vs-chime): 24.6% against 8.6% Share of Search. - [Varo vs SoFi: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/sofi-vs-varo): 15.6% against 11.3% Share of Search. - [Varo vs Capital One: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/capital-one-vs-varo): 15.6% against 8.6% Share of Search. - [SoFi vs Capital One: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/capital-one-vs-sofi): 11.3% against 8.6% Share of Search. ## How did search popularity change for United States online banks in October 2026? - In October 2026, Chime gained share of searches among online banks in the United States, from 23.8% to 24.6%. - In October 2026, Capital One lost share of searches among online banks in the United States, from 9.2% to 8.6%. - Estimated monthly branded searches for SoFi in the United States rose 22.6% over 12 measured months, from 94.1K to 115K in October 2026. - Estimated monthly branded searches for Current in the United States rose 12.3% over 12 measured months, from 7.3K to 8.2K in October 2026. - Estimated monthly branded searches for Discover in the United States fell 49.5% over 12 measured months, from 5.5K to 2.8K in October 2026. ## Which online banks do people search for most? | Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Ally Bank | 36.1% | 368K | 0.0% | Ally Bank | | 2 | Chime | 24.6% | 251K | +3.7% | Chime | | 3 | Varo | 15.6% | 160K | 0.0% | Varo Bank | | 4 | SoFi | 11.3% | 115K | +0.9% | SoFi | | 5 | Capital One | 8.6% | 87.6K | -6.4% | Capital One | | 6 | Dave | 2.7% | 27.6K | +3.8% | Dave | | 7 | Current | 0.8% | 8.2K | +22.4% | Current | | 8 | Discover | 0.27% | 2.8K | -18.2% | Discover | Capital One sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “capital one 360”. ## Historical estimated branded-search demand | Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Nov 2025 | Ally Bank | 368K | 38.6% | 1 | | Nov 2025 | Chime | 198K | 20.8% | 2 | | Nov 2025 | Varo | 165K | 17.2% | 3 | | Nov 2025 | SoFi | 94.1K | 9.9% | 4 | | Nov 2025 | Capital One | 87.6K | 9.2% | 5 | | Nov 2025 | Dave | 28.8K | 3% | 6 | | Nov 2025 | Current | 7.3K | 0.77% | 7 | | Nov 2025 | Discover | 5.5K | 0.58% | 8 | | Dec 2025 | Ally Bank | 368K | 36.6% | 1 | | Dec 2025 | Chime | 198K | 19.7% | 2 | | Dec 2025 | Varo | 184K | 18.3% | 3 | | Dec 2025 | SoFi | 114K | 11.4% | 4 | | Dec 2025 | Capital One | 101K | 10% | 5 | | Dec 2025 | Dave | 27.6K | 2.7% | 6 | | Dec 2025 | Current | 7.3K | 0.73% | 7 | | Dec 2025 | Discover | 5.5K | 0.55% | 8 | | Jan 2026 | Ally Bank | 450K | 39.3% | 1 | | Jan 2026 | Chime | 206K | 17.9% | 2 | | Jan 2026 | Varo | 201K | 17.5% | 3 | | Jan 2026 | SoFi | 140K | 12.3% | 4 | | Jan 2026 | Capital One | 107K | 9.4% | 5 | | Jan 2026 | Dave | 27.6K | 2.4% | 6 | | Jan 2026 | Current | 7.3K | 0.64% | 7 | | Jan 2026 | Discover | 6.8K | 0.59% | 8 | | Feb 2026 | Ally Bank | 368K | 36.4% | 1 | | Feb 2026 | Chime | 206K | 20.3% | 2 | | Feb 2026 | Varo | 181K | 17.9% | 3 | | Feb 2026 | SoFi | 114K | 11.3% | 4 | | Feb 2026 | Capital One | 107K | 10.6% | 5 | | Feb 2026 | Dave | 23.5K | 2.3% | 6 | | Feb 2026 | Current | 7.3K | 0.72% | 7 | | Feb 2026 | Discover | 5.5K | 0.54% | 8 | | Mar 2026 | Ally Bank | 450K | 40% | 1 | | Mar 2026 | Chime | 206K | 18.2% | 2 | | Mar 2026 | Varo | 181K | 16.1% | 3 | | Mar 2026 | SoFi | 139K | 12.4% | 4 | | Mar 2026 | Capital One | 115K | 10.2% | 5 | | Mar 2026 | Dave | 23.5K | 2.1% | 6 | | Mar 2026 | Current | 7.3K | 0.65% | 7 | | Mar 2026 | Discover | 5.2K | 0.46% | 8 | | Apr 2026 | Ally Bank | 450K | 37.5% | 1 | | Apr 2026 | Chime | 262K | 21.8% | 2 | | Apr 2026 | Varo | 201K | 16.7% | 3 | | Apr 2026 | SoFi | 139K | 11.6% | 4 | | Apr 2026 | Capital One | 107K | 8.9% | 5 | | Apr 2026 | Dave | 27.6K | 2.3% | 6 | | Apr 2026 | Current | 7.3K | 0.61% | 7 | | Apr 2026 | Discover | 5.2K | 0.43% | 8 | | May 2026 | Ally Bank | 450K | 39.8% | 1 | | May 2026 | Chime | 206K | 18.2% | 2 | | May 2026 | Varo | 184K | 16.3% | 3 | | May 2026 | SoFi | 140K | 12.4% | 4 | | May 2026 | Capital One | 110K | 9.7% | 5 | | May 2026 | Dave | 27.6K | 2.4% | 6 | | May 2026 | Current | 7.3K | 0.65% | 7 | | May 2026 | Discover | 5.2K | 0.46% | 8 | | Jun 2026 | Ally Bank | 450K | 39.8% | 1 | | Jun 2026 | Chime | 242K | 21.4% | 2 | | Jun 2026 | Varo | 151K | 13.4% | 3 | | Jun 2026 | Capital One | 135K | 11.9% | 4 | | Jun 2026 | SoFi | 114K | 10.1% | 5 | | Jun 2026 | Dave | 27.6K | 2.4% | 6 | | Jun 2026 | Current | 7K | 0.62% | 7 | | Jun 2026 | Discover | 4.9K | 0.43% | 8 | | Jul 2026 | Ally Bank | 450K | 38.5% | 1 | | Jul 2026 | Chime | 242K | 20.7% | 2 | | Jul 2026 | Varo | 160K | 13.6% | 3 | | Jul 2026 | SoFi | 139K | 11.9% | 4 | | Jul 2026 | Capital One | 135K | 11.5% | 5 | | Jul 2026 | Dave | 32.5K | 2.8% | 6 | | Jul 2026 | Current | 7K | 0.6% | 7 | | Jul 2026 | Discover | 4.2K | 0.36% | 8 | | Aug 2026 | Ally Bank | 450K | 39.3% | 1 | | Aug 2026 | Chime | 242K | 21.1% | 2 | | Aug 2026 | Varo | 160K | 13.9% | 3 | | Aug 2026 | SoFi | 140K | 12.3% | 4 | | Aug 2026 | Capital One | 110K | 9.6% | 5 | | Aug 2026 | Dave | 32.5K | 2.8% | 6 | | Aug 2026 | Current | 8.2K | 0.72% | 7 | | Aug 2026 | Discover | 3.9K | 0.34% | 8 | | Sep 2026 | Ally Bank | 368K | 36.3% | 1 | | Sep 2026 | Chime | 242K | 23.8% | 2 | | Sep 2026 | Varo | 160K | 15.7% | 3 | | Sep 2026 | SoFi | 114K | 11.3% | 4 | | Sep 2026 | Capital One | 93.6K | 9.2% | 5 | | Sep 2026 | Dave | 26.6K | 2.6% | 6 | | Sep 2026 | Current | 6.7K | 0.66% | 7 | | Sep 2026 | Discover | 3.4K | 0.34% | 8 | | Oct 2026 | Ally Bank | 368K | 36.1% | 1 | | Oct 2026 | Chime | 251K | 24.6% | 2 | | Oct 2026 | Varo | 160K | 15.6% | 3 | | Oct 2026 | SoFi | 115K | 11.3% | 4 | | Oct 2026 | Capital One | 87.6K | 8.6% | 5 | | Oct 2026 | Dave | 27.6K | 2.7% | 6 | | Oct 2026 | Current | 8.2K | 0.8% | 7 | | Oct 2026 | Discover | 2.8K | 0.27% | 8 | ## How are branded searches counted for online banks? - **Ally Bank**: Measured on the search term “ally bank”. - **Capital One**: Measured on the search terms “capital one 360” and “capital one 360 checking”, summed into one figure. - **Chime**: Measured on the search terms “chime bank” and “chime login”, summed into one figure. - **Current**: Measured on the search terms “current app” and “current debit card”, summed into one figure. - **Dave**: Measured on the search terms “dave app” and “dave banking”, summed into one figure. - **Discover**: Measured on the search terms “discover checking” and “discover online banking”, summed into one figure. - **SoFi**: Measured on the search terms “sofi bank” and “sofi checking”, summed into one figure. - **Varo**: Measured on the search terms “varo” and “varo bank”, summed into one figure. - [Ally Bank](/demand/us/brands/ally-bank) - [Capital One](/demand/us/brands/capital-one) - [Chime](/demand/us/brands/chime) - [Current](/demand/us/brands/current-banking) - [Dave](/demand/us/brands/dave-banking) - [Discover](/demand/us/brands/discover) - [SoFi](/demand/us/brands/sofi) - [Varo](/demand/us/brands/varo) ## 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 online banks in the United States? In October 2026, Ally Bank was the most searched among online banks in the United States, with an estimated 368K branded searches, 36.1% of all searches for the eight tracked by the Brandwave Brand Demand Index. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "Online banks in the United States: Which are most popular?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-online-banks This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-online-banks. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.