Blue Buffalo vs Hill's:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Blue Buffalo had more branded searches than Hill's among dog food brands in the United States. Blue Buffalo had about 49,500 branded searches, while Hill's had 33,100. Blue Buffalo made up 8% of all dog food brand searches we track, and Hill's accounted for 5.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about dog food brands, Hill's appeared in three of the five answers and Blue Buffalo in none.
Who do people search for more?
Blue Buffalo, about 50% more searches than Hill's
Who does AI mention more?
Hill's, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Blue Buffalo in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Hill's, the only one of the two named
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Top dog food brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Hill's was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Blue Buffalo 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.
Purina5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Royal Canin4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Hill's3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
The Farmer's Dog1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Open Farm1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Pedigree1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Blue Buffalo0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Ollie0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Spot & Tango0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Orijen0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about dog food brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which dog food should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best dog food brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What is the healthiest dog food?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“dog food”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best dog food”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 26, 2026.
Is Blue Buffalo or Hill's more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Blue Buffalo and Hill's by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 dog food brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Blue Buffalo, Hill's. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Purina | The Farmer's Dog | Open Farm | Royal Canin | Blue Buffalo | Ollie | Spot & Tango | Hill's | Pedigree | Orijen | Acana | Stella & Chewy’s | Merrick | Taste of the Wild | Farmina |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 22.2% | 18.2% | 6.7% | 8.1% | 12.2% | 8.1% | 4.5% | 1.3% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3% | 3% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Nov 2025 | 22.7% | 18.5% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 12.4% | 8.3% | 4.5% | 1.4% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 1.7% | 1.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 22.5% | 15% | 6.7% | 10.1% | 12.3% | 8.2% | 3.7% | 1.6% | 3.7% | 4.5% | 3% | 3% | 2.5% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
| Jan 2026 | 20.7% | 16.9% | 6.2% | 9.3% | 11.4% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 1.5% | 3.4% | 4.2% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 20.2% | 16.5% | 7.4% | 9.1% | 11.1% | 9.1% | 6.1% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Mar 2026 | 18.9% | 15.4% | 8.5% | 10.4% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 6.9% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 4.6% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 18.3% | 14.9% | 8.2% | 12.3% | 10.1% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 3.7% | 3% | 6.7% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.1% |
| May 2026 | 18.5% | 15.1% | 8.3% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 6.8% | 5.5% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 6.8% | 3% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 2% |
| Jun 2026 | 20.1% | 16.4% | 7.4% | 11% | 9% | 7.4% | 6% | 4.9% | 4% | 4% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Jul 2026 | 19.9% | 16.2% | 8.9% | 10.9% | 8.9% | 7.3% | 6% | 4.9% | 4% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 1.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 22.8% | 15.2% | 8.4% | 10.2% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.4% | 1.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 21.7% | 14.5% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 8% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 4.4% | 3.6% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 1.6% | 1.3% |
How has the Blue Buffalo and Hill's comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Blue Buffalo was ahead of Hill's in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Blue Buffalo’s share of searches among dog food brands in the United States moved from 12.2% to 8%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 90.5K to 49.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hill's’ share of searches among dog food brands in the United States moved from 1.3% to 5.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 9.9K to 33.1K.
How did search popularity change for United States dog food brands in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Open Farm overtook Royal Canin and Blue Buffalo to rank 3rd among dog food brands in the United States, with 9.7% of the searches.
In September 2026, Hill's gained share of searches among dog food brands in the United States, from 4.6% to 5.3%.
Blue Buffalo’s share of searches among dog food brands in the United States has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 9% to 8% in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Blue Buffalo’s and Hill'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.
Blue Buffalo
1 branded search term
- blue buffalo dog food
Hill's
1 branded search term
- hills science diet
Other head-to-heads among dog food brands
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