---
title: "Pain relief brands in the United States: Which are searched most?"
description: "Compare the over-the-counter pain relief brands Americans buy. Share of Search among Tylenol, Advil, Aleve, Excedrin, Motrin, Icy Hot and Bayer Aspirin, the pain relief brands 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-pain-relief-brands"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Pain relief brands in the United States: Which are searched most?

Compare the over-the-counter pain relief brands Americans buy. Share of Search among Tylenol, Advil, Aleve, Excedrin, Motrin, Icy Hot and Bayer Aspirin, the pain relief brands 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**: Pain relief brands
- **Market**: United States
- **Brands compared**: 7
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Highest Share of Search**: Tylenol, 37.2%

## Which brand is most popular in search among pain relief brands in the United States?

- In September 2026, Tylenol was the most searched among pain relief brands in the United States, with an estimated 450K branded searches, 37.2% of all searches for the seven we track.
- Advil is in 2nd place, 20.6 percentage points behind at 16.6%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Tylenol’s share of searches among pain relief brands in the United States decreased from 45.6% to 37.2%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Advil’s share of searches among pain relief brands in the United States increased from 13.6% to 16.6%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Aleve’s share of searches among pain relief brands in the United States increased from 11.2% to 13.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Excedrin’s share of searches among pain relief brands in the United States increased from 11.2% to 13.7%.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Tylenol’s share of searches among pain relief brands in the United States peaked at 45.6% in October 2025 and was lowest at 34.7% in April 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Aleve’s share of searches among pain relief brands in the United States peaked at 16.2% in June 2026 and was lowest at 11.2% in October 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Excedrin’s share of searches among pain relief brands in the United States peaked at 14.1% in November 2025 and was lowest at 11.2% in October 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Motrin’s share of searches among pain relief brands in the United States peaked at 13.5% in December 2025 and was lowest at 9.8% in July 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Icy Hot’s share of searches among pain relief brands in the United States peaked at 7% in April 2026 and was lowest at 4.9% in December 2025.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Motrin, Icy Hot and Bayer Aspirin held steady: their share of searches among pain relief brands in the United States each moved less than 0.5 percentage points.

## Top pain relief brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In Brandwave's three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Advil appeared every time. Advil was recommended most often, coming first in three out of four answers that gave a list. Motrin was second, and Tylenol was third. Icy Hot, which ranked sixth 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 |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Advil | 1st | 3 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 5 of 5 |
| Motrin | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Tylenol | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Aleve | 4th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| Excedrin | 5th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 |
| Icy Hot | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |
| Bayer Aspirin | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |

## Every AI answer about pain relief brands

- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best over-the-counter pain reliever?": 1. Advil, 2. Motrin, 3. Tylenol, 4. Aleve
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best thing to take for a migraine?": 1. Advil, 2. Motrin, 3. Tylenol, 4. Excedrin
- Asked ChatGPT "What's good for back pain?": 1. Advil, 2. Aleve
- Searched Google, AI Overview "pain reliever": 1. Tylenol, 2. Advil, 3. Motrin, 4. Aleve
- Searched Google, AI Overview "best pain reliever": 1. Advil, 2. Motrin, 3. Aleve, 4. Tylenol

Not named in any answer: Icy Hot and Bayer Aspirin.

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

- [Tylenol vs Advil: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/advil-vs-tylenol): 37.2% against 16.6% Share of Search.
- [Tylenol vs Aleve: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/aleve-vs-tylenol): 37.2% against 13.7% Share of Search.
- [Tylenol vs Excedrin: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/excedrin-vs-tylenol): 37.2% against 13.7% Share of Search.
- [Tylenol vs Motrin: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/motrin-vs-tylenol): 37.2% against 11.2% Share of Search.
- [Advil vs Aleve: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/advil-vs-aleve): 16.6% against 13.7% Share of Search.
- [Advil vs Excedrin: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/advil-vs-excedrin): 16.6% against 13.7% Share of Search.
- [Advil vs Motrin: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/advil-vs-motrin): 16.6% against 11.2% Share of Search.
- [Aleve vs Excedrin: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/aleve-vs-excedrin): 13.7% Share of Search each.
- [Aleve vs Motrin: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/aleve-vs-motrin): 13.7% against 11.2% Share of Search.
- [Excedrin vs Motrin: compare search popularity](/demand/us/compare/excedrin-vs-motrin): 13.7% against 11.2% Share of Search.

## How did search popularity change for United States pain relief brands in September 2026?

- In September 2026, Advil gained share of searches among pain relief brands in the United States, from 14.1% to 16.6%.
- In September 2026, Tylenol lost share of searches among pain relief brands in the United States, from 38.4% to 37.2%.
- Aleve’s share of searches among pain relief brands in the United States has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 16.2% to 13.7% in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Bayer Aspirin in the United States rose 22.3% over 12 measured months, from 14.8K to 18.1K in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Icy Hot in the United States fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 90.5K to 74K in September 2026.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for Motrin in the United States fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 165K to 135K in September 2026.

## Share of Search ranking

| Rank | Brand | Share of Search | Estimated monthly branded searches | Change vs prior month | Owned by |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Tylenol | 37.2% | 450K | 0.0% | Kenvue |
| 2 | Advil | 16.6% | 201K | +21.8% | Advil |
| 3 | Aleve | 13.7% | 165K | 0.0% | Aleve |
| 4 | Excedrin | 13.7% | 165K | 0.0% | Excedrin |
| 5 | Motrin | 11.2% | 135K | 0.0% | Motrin |
| 6 | Icy Hot | 6.1% | 74K | 0.0% | Icy Hot |
| 7 | Bayer Aspirin | 1.5% | 18.1K | 0.0% | Bayer Aspirin |

## Historical estimated branded-search demand

| Month | Brand | Estimated monthly branded searches | Share of Search | Rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | Tylenol | 673K | 45.6% | 1 |
| Oct 2025 | Advil | 201K | 13.6% | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | Aleve | 165K | 11.2% | 3 |
| Oct 2025 | Excedrin | 165K | 11.2% | 4 |
| Oct 2025 | Motrin | 165K | 11.2% | 5 |
| Oct 2025 | Icy Hot | 90.5K | 6.1% | 6 |
| Oct 2025 | Bayer Aspirin | 14.8K | 1% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | Tylenol | 450K | 38.5% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | Advil | 165K | 14.1% | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | Aleve | 165K | 14.1% | 3 |
| Nov 2025 | Excedrin | 165K | 14.1% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | Motrin | 135K | 11.6% | 5 |
| Nov 2025 | Icy Hot | 74K | 6.3% | 6 |
| Nov 2025 | Bayer Aspirin | 14.8K | 1.3% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | Tylenol | 450K | 36.7% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | Advil | 201K | 16.4% | 2 |
| Dec 2025 | Aleve | 165K | 13.5% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | Excedrin | 165K | 13.5% | 4 |
| Dec 2025 | Motrin | 165K | 13.5% | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | Icy Hot | 60.5K | 4.9% | 6 |
| Dec 2025 | Bayer Aspirin | 18.1K | 1.5% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | Tylenol | 450K | 36.2% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | Advil | 201K | 16.2% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | Aleve | 165K | 13.3% | 3 |
| Jan 2026 | Excedrin | 165K | 13.3% | 4 |
| Jan 2026 | Motrin | 165K | 13.3% | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | Icy Hot | 74K | 6% | 6 |
| Jan 2026 | Bayer Aspirin | 22.2K | 1.8% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | Tylenol | 450K | 39.9% | 1 |
| Feb 2026 | Advil | 165K | 14.6% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | Aleve | 165K | 14.6% | 3 |
| Feb 2026 | Excedrin | 135K | 12% | 4 |
| Feb 2026 | Motrin | 135K | 12% | 5 |
| Feb 2026 | Icy Hot | 60.5K | 5.4% | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | Bayer Aspirin | 18.1K | 1.6% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | Tylenol | 450K | 38.3% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | Advil | 165K | 14% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | Aleve | 165K | 14% | 3 |
| Mar 2026 | Excedrin | 165K | 14% | 4 |
| Mar 2026 | Motrin | 135K | 11.5% | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | Icy Hot | 74K | 6.3% | 6 |
| Mar 2026 | Bayer Aspirin | 22.2K | 1.9% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | Tylenol | 368K | 34.7% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | Advil | 165K | 15.6% | 2 |
| Apr 2026 | Aleve | 165K | 15.6% | 3 |
| Apr 2026 | Excedrin | 135K | 12.7% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | Motrin | 135K | 12.7% | 5 |
| Apr 2026 | Icy Hot | 74K | 7% | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | Bayer Aspirin | 18.1K | 1.7% | 7 |
| May 2026 | Tylenol | 368K | 35.2% | 1 |
| May 2026 | Advil | 165K | 15.8% | 2 |
| May 2026 | Aleve | 165K | 15.8% | 3 |
| May 2026 | Excedrin | 135K | 12.9% | 4 |
| May 2026 | Motrin | 135K | 12.9% | 5 |
| May 2026 | Icy Hot | 60.5K | 5.8% | 6 |
| May 2026 | Bayer Aspirin | 18.1K | 1.7% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | Tylenol | 368K | 36% | 1 |
| Jun 2026 | Advil | 165K | 16.2% | 2 |
| Jun 2026 | Aleve | 165K | 16.2% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | Excedrin | 135K | 13.2% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | Motrin | 110K | 10.8% | 5 |
| Jun 2026 | Icy Hot | 60.5K | 5.9% | 6 |
| Jun 2026 | Bayer Aspirin | 18.1K | 1.8% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | Tylenol | 450K | 40.3% | 1 |
| Jul 2026 | Advil | 165K | 14.8% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | Aleve | 165K | 14.8% | 3 |
| Jul 2026 | Excedrin | 135K | 12.1% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | Motrin | 110K | 9.8% | 5 |
| Jul 2026 | Icy Hot | 74K | 6.6% | 6 |
| Jul 2026 | Bayer Aspirin | 18.1K | 1.6% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | Tylenol | 450K | 38.4% | 1 |
| Aug 2026 | Advil | 165K | 14.1% | 2 |
| Aug 2026 | Aleve | 165K | 14.1% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | Excedrin | 165K | 14.1% | 4 |
| Aug 2026 | Motrin | 135K | 11.5% | 5 |
| Aug 2026 | Icy Hot | 74K | 6.3% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | Bayer Aspirin | 18.1K | 1.5% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | Tylenol | 450K | 37.2% | 1 |
| Sep 2026 | Advil | 201K | 16.6% | 2 |
| Sep 2026 | Aleve | 165K | 13.7% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | Excedrin | 165K | 13.7% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | Motrin | 135K | 11.2% | 5 |
| Sep 2026 | Icy Hot | 74K | 6.1% | 6 |
| Sep 2026 | Bayer Aspirin | 18.1K | 1.5% | 7 |

## What is being compared

- **Advil**: Measured on the search term “advil”.
- **Aleve**: Measured on the search term “aleve”.
- **Bayer Aspirin**: Measured on the search term “bayer aspirin”.
- **Excedrin**: Measured on the search term “excedrin”.
- **Icy Hot**: Measured on the search term “icy hot”.
- **Motrin**: Measured on the search term “motrin”.
- **Tylenol**: Measured on the search term “tylenol”.

- [Advil](/demand/us/brands/advil)
- [Aleve](/demand/us/brands/aleve)
- [Bayer Aspirin](/demand/us/brands/bayer-aspirin)
- [Excedrin](/demand/us/brands/excedrin)
- [Icy Hot](/demand/us/brands/icy-hot)
- [Motrin](/demand/us/brands/motrin)
- [Tylenol](/demand/us/brands/tylenol)

## 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 pain relief brands in the United States?

In September 2026, Tylenol was the most searched among pain relief brands in the United States, with an estimated 450K branded searches, 37.2% of all searches for the seven we track.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Pain relief brands in the United States: Which are searched most?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/categories/us-pain-relief-brands

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