Brandwave

Burger King vs Whataburger:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, Burger King had more branded searches than Whataburger among burger chains in the United States. Burger King had about 11.1 million branded searches, while Whataburger had 3.4 million. Burger King made up 16.7% of all burger chain searches we track, and Whataburger accounted for 5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about burger chains, Burger King and Whataburger each appeared in two of the four answers. Whataburger was mentioned before Burger King in two out of three answers that named either.

Among burger chains in the United States in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

Burger King, about 3 searches for every 1 for Whataburger

Burger King 11.1M searchesWhataburger 3.4M searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both were mentioned in 2 of 4 answers.

Burger King in 2 of 4Whataburger in 2 of 4

Who does AI recommend more?

Whataburger, named ahead of Burger King in 2 of 3 answers

Whataburger first in 2Burger King first in 1

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Top burger chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Burger King and Whataburger were each mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Whataburger was listed before Burger King in two out of three answers that named either.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. In-N-Out Burger1st
  2. Five Guys2nd
  3. Culver's3rd
  4. Shake Shack4th
  5. Whataburger5th
  6. Wendy's6th
  7. The Habit Burger Grill7th
  8. McDonald's8th
  9. Burger King9th
  10. Smashburger10th

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • In-N-Out Burger4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Culver's3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Five Guys3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Shake Shack3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • The Habit Burger Grill3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • McDonald's2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Burger King2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Wendy's2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Whataburger2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Smashburger1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about burger chains

4 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.

Is Burger King or Whataburger more popular in search?

This chart shows how often people search Google for Burger King and Whataburger by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten burger chains we track, month by month, from searches in United States.

Burger King and Whataburger among burger chains in the United States, by month

Share of searches by month for Burger King, Whataburger. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthMcDonald'sBurger KingWendy'sCulver'sFive GuysWhataburgerShake ShackIn-N-Out BurgerSmashburgerThe Habit Burger Grill
Oct 202551.7%12.7%12.7%7%4.7%5.7%2.5%1.7%0.94%0.34%
Nov 202547.2%14.2%14.2%6.3%5.2%6.3%2.8%2.3%1%0.38%
Dec 202550%14.9%12.3%6.7%4.5%5.5%2.5%2.5%0.9%0.33%
Jan 202649.7%12.2%12.2%6.7%5.5%6.7%3%2.5%1.1%0.4%
Feb 202650.6%12.4%12.4%6.8%5.6%5.6%3%2%1.1%0.41%
Mar 202644.5%16.3%13.4%7.3%6%6%2.7%2.2%1.2%0.44%
Apr 202646.9%14.1%14.1%7.7%5.2%6.3%2.3%1.9%1%0.38%
May 202645.9%13.8%13.8%9.2%5.1%6.2%2.8%1.8%1%0.45%
Jun 202647%14.1%14.1%7.7%5.2%6.3%2.3%1.9%0.85%0.47%
Jul 202651.2%12.6%12.6%8.4%4.6%5.6%2.1%1.7%0.76%0.41%
Aug 202650.8%12.5%12.5%8.4%4.6%5.6%2.5%2%0.75%0.41%
Sep 202645.6%16.7%13.7%7.5%6.1%5%2.3%1.8%0.83%0.37%

How has the Burger King and Whataburger comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

How did search popularity change for United States burger chains in September 2026?

3 changes

  1. In September 2026, Five Guys overtook Whataburger to rank 5th among burger chains in the United States, with 6.1% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Burger King gained share of searches among burger chains in the United States, from 12.5% to 16.7%.

  3. In September 2026, Whataburger lost share of searches among burger chains in the United States, from 5.6% to 5%.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Burger King’s and Whataburger’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.

Burger King

1 branded search term

  • burger king

Whataburger

1 branded search term

  • whataburger

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among burger chains

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