Barq's vs IBC Root Beer:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Barq's had more branded searches than IBC Root Beer among root beer brands in the United States. Barq's had about 49,500 branded searches, while IBC Root Beer had 14,800. Barq's made up 28.3% of all root beer brand searches we track, and IBC Root Beer accounted for 8.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about root beer brands, Barq's and IBC Root Beer each appeared in three of the five answers. Barq's was mentioned before IBC Root Beer in three out of four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Barq's, about 3 searches for every 1 for IBC Root Beer
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 3 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Barq's, named ahead of IBC Root Beer in 3 of 4 answers
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Top root beer brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Barq's and IBC Root Beer were each mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Barq's was listed before IBC Root Beer in three out of four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Barq's1st
- A&W Root Beer2nd
Mug Root Beer3rd
Sprecher4th
Stewart's4th
IBC Root Beer6th
Dad's Root Beer7th
Virgil's7th
OLIPOP9th
Zevia10th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Sprecher4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Barq's3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- A&W Root Beer3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Mug Root Beer3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- IBC Root Beer3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Stewart's2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Virgil's2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Dad's Root Beer1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- OLIPOP1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Zevia1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about root beer brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which root beer should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best root beer brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best craft root beer?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“root beer brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best root beer”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 25, 2026.
Is Barq's or IBC Root Beer more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Barq's and IBC Root Beer by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten root beer brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Barq's, IBC Root Beer. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Barq's | A&W Root Beer | Mug Root Beer | Sprecher | IBC Root Beer | Dad's Root Beer | Stewart's | Virgil's | OLIPOP | Zevia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 26.7% | 26.7% | 14.6% | 8% | 8% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 0.66% |
| Nov 2025 | 26.9% | 26.9% | 14.8% | 8% | 8% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 1.9% | 0.66% |
| Dec 2025 | 25.7% | 25.7% | 14.1% | 11.5% | 7.7% | 5.1% | 4.2% | 3.4% | 1.8% | 0.64% |
| Jan 2026 | 24.9% | 30.4% | 13.6% | 9.1% | 7.4% | 5% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 0.8% |
| Feb 2026 | 23.1% | 34.5% | 12.7% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 3.8% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 0.74% |
| Mar 2026 | 20.4% | 45.3% | 9.1% | 7.5% | 6.1% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 0.54% |
| Apr 2026 | 25.1% | 30.6% | 13.7% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 5% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 1.5% | 0.66% |
| May 2026 | 23.7% | 28.9% | 13% | 10.6% | 7.1% | 7.1% | 4.7% | 2.6% | 1.7% | 0.62% |
| Jun 2026 | 22.4% | 27.4% | 12.3% | 10.1% | 6.7% | 12.3% | 4.5% | 2.4% | 1.3% | 0.59% |
| Jul 2026 | 25.4% | 25.4% | 13.9% | 11.4% | 7.6% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 0.67% |
| Aug 2026 | 25.7% | 25.7% | 14.1% | 11.5% | 7.7% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 0.68% |
| Sep 2026 | 28.3% | 23.2% | 15.5% | 10.4% | 8.5% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 0.74% |
How has the Barq's and IBC Root Beer comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Barq's was ahead of IBC Root Beer in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Barq's’ share of searches among root beer brands in the United States moved from 26.7% to 28.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 40.5K to 49.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, IBC Root Beer’s share of searches among root beer brands in the United States moved from 8% to 8.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 12.1K to 14.8K.
How did search popularity change for United States root beer brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Barq's overtook A&W Root Beer to become the leader among root beer brands in the United States, with 28.3% of the searches.
In September 2026, IBC Root Beer gained share of searches among root beer brands in the United States, from 7.7% to 8.5%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Barq's’ and IBC Root Beer’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.
Barq's
1 branded search term
- barqs root beer
IBC Root Beer
1 branded search term
- ibc root beer
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