Barbri vs Kaplan:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Barbri had more branded searches than Kaplan among bar exam prep courses in the United States. Barbri had about 18,100 branded searches, while Kaplan had 390. Barbri made up 52.7% of all bar exam prep course searches we track, and Kaplan accounted for 1.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about bar exam prep courses, both Barbri and Kaplan appeared in all five answers. Barbri was mentioned before Kaplan in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Barbri, about 46 searches for every 1 for Kaplan
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Barbri, named ahead of Kaplan in 3 of 5 answers
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Top bar exam prep courses in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both Barbri and Kaplan showed up in all five answers. Barbri was listed before Kaplan in three of them.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Barbri1st
Kaplan2nd
Themis Bar Review3rd
UWorld4th
Quimbee5th
Helix Bar Review6th
AdaptiBar–- BarMax–
Seperac–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Barbri5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Kaplan5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Themis Bar Review4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- UWorld3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Helix Bar Review1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Quimbee1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- AdaptiBar0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- BarMax0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Seperac0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about bar exam prep courses
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best bar prep course?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which bar review course has the highest pass rate?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Is an expensive bar prep course worth it?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“bar exam prep”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“bar review course”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 28, 2026.
Share of searches by month for Barbri, Kaplan. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Barbri | AdaptiBar | Themis Bar Review | BarMax | Kaplan | Helix Bar Review | Seperac | Quimbee | UWorld |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 57.2% | 20.9% | 9.2% | 9.3% | 0.67% | 0.67% | 1.7% | 0.16% | 0.09% |
| Nov 2025 | 54.5% | 24.4% | 10.7% | 8.9% | 0.53% | 0.64% | 0.18% | 0.12% | 0.12% |
| Dec 2025 | 49.2% | 32.9% | 8.7% | 8% | 0.47% | 0.38% | 0.13% | 0.09% | 0.09% |
| Jan 2026 | 37.4% | 37.4% | 12.1% | 11.1% | 0.81% | 0.81% | 0.24% | 0.08% | 0.12% |
| Feb 2026 | 34.5% | 42.4% | 11.1% | 10.3% | 0.61% | 0.74% | 0.21% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Mar 2026 | 54.4% | 19.9% | 13.1% | 10.8% | 0.42% | 0.96% | 0.22% | 0.06% | 0.1% |
| Apr 2026 | 49.6% | 27.1% | 13.4% | 8.1% | 0.59% | 0.71% | 0.38% | 0.09% | 0.13% |
| May 2026 | 44.5% | 36.4% | 12.9% | 4.8% | 0.43% | 0.53% | 0.23% | 0.05% | 0.12% |
| Jun 2026 | 34.9% | 52.1% | 8.7% | 3.1% | 0.51% | 0.41% | 0.18% | 0.03% | 0.09% |
| Jul 2026 | 23.9% | 65.2% | 6.4% | 3.2% | 0.52% | 0.42% | 0.23% | 0.02% | 0.08% |
| Aug 2026 | 59.5% | 11.8% | 12.2% | 14.5% | 1.1% | 0.69% | 0.16% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Sep 2026 | 52.7% | 19.2% | 15.1% | 10.5% | 1.1% | 0.76% | 0.41% | 0.09% | 0.09% |
How has the Barbri and Kaplan comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Barbri was ahead of Kaplan in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Barbri’s share of searches among bar exam prep courses in the United States moved from 57.2% to 52.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 33.1K to 18.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kaplan’s share of searches among bar exam prep courses in the United States moved from 0.67% to 1.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 390.
How did search popularity change for United States bar exam prep courses in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Barbri lost share of searches among bar exam prep courses in the United States, from 59.5% to 52.7%.
Kaplan’s share of searches among bar exam prep courses in the United States has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 0.51% to 1.1% in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Barbri’s and Kaplan’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.
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