A&W Root Beer vs Pepsi:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Pepsi had more branded searches than A&W Root Beer among soda brands in the United States. Pepsi had about 246,000 branded searches, while A&W Root Beer had 40,500. Pepsi made up 13.7% of all soda brand searches we track, and A&W Root Beer accounted for 2.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about soda brands, Pepsi appeared in four of the five answers and A&W Root Beer in none.
Who do people search for more?
Pepsi, about 6 searches for every 1 for A&W Root Beer
Who does AI mention more?
Pepsi, mentioned in 4 of 5 answers, A&W Root Beer in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Pepsi, the only one of the two named
Follow A&W Root Beer vs Pepsi and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top soda brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Pepsi was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. A&W Root Beer 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.
Dr Pepper4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Pepsi4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Coca-Cola3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Sprite3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
OLIPOP3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Poppi3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Mountain Dew2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Fanta2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Zevia2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- A&W Root Beer0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about soda brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best soda brand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which healthy sodas actually taste good?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the most popular soda in the US?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“healthy soda”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“soda brands”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 27, 2026.
Is A&W Root Beer or Pepsi more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for A&W Root Beer and Pepsi by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 14 soda brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Pepsi, A&W Root Beer. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Coca-Cola | Dr Pepper | Pepsi | Sprite | Mountain Dew | OLIPOP | Poppi | Fanta | Barq's | 7Up | A&W Root Beer | Canada Dry | Zevia | Crush |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 23.2% | 23.2% | 10.4% | 8.5% | 7% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 3.8% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 1.7% | 0.76% |
| Nov 2025 | 23.3% | 23.3% | 10.4% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 8.5% | 7% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.63% |
| Dec 2025 | 25.3% | 20.7% | 9.3% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 0.68% |
| Jan 2026 | 23.1% | 18.9% | 10.3% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 10.3% | 8.5% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 0.76% |
| Feb 2026 | 20.5% | 20.5% | 11.2% | 9.2% | 6.1% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 2.8% | 3.4% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1% |
| Mar 2026 | 23% | 18.8% | 10.3% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 5.6% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 0.75% |
| Apr 2026 | 19.3% | 23.6% | 10.5% | 10.5% | 7.1% | 7.1% | 7.1% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 3.2% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 0.78% |
| May 2026 | 21.3% | 21.3% | 9.5% | 7.8% | 11.6% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 0.7% |
| Jun 2026 | 22.6% | 15.1% | 12.3% | 10.1% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 3.7% | 2% | 1.7% | 0.91% |
| Jul 2026 | 24.5% | 13.4% | 11% | 11% | 7.3% | 9% | 6% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 23% | 18.8% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 10.3% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 0.92% |
| Sep 2026 | 20.5% | 20.5% | 13.7% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 5% | 4.1% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.83% |
How has the A&W Root Beer and Pepsi comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Pepsi was ahead of A&W Root Beer in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, A&W Root Beer’s share of searches among soda brands in the United States moved from 2.1% to 2.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 40.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Pepsi’s share of searches among soda brands in the United States moved from 10.4% to 13.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 201K to 246K.
How did search popularity change for United States soda brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Pepsi overtook Mountain Dew to rank 3rd among soda brands in the United States, with 13.7% of the searches.
A&W Root Beer’s share of searches among soda brands in the United States has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 3.7% to 2.3% in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using A&W Root Beer’s and Pepsi’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.
A&W Root Beer
1 branded search term
- a&w root beer
Pepsi
1 branded search term
- pepsi
Other head-to-heads among soda brands
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.