C4 vs NOS:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, C4 had more branded searches than NOS among energy drink brands in the United States. C4 had about 14,800 branded searches, while NOS had 6,600. C4 made up 1.6% of all energy drink brand searches we track, and NOS accounted for 0.71%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about energy drink brands, C4 appeared in three of the five answers and NOS in one. C4 was mentioned before NOS in every answer that named either.
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Top energy drink brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, C4 was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. NOS was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. C4 was listed before NOS in every answer that named either.
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.
Red Bull5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Celsius5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Alani Nu3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Ghost3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
C43 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Monster Energy2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
NOS1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Reign1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Rockstar0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Bang0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about energy drink brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which energy drink should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best energy drink brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What is the healthiest energy drink?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“energy drinks”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best energy drink”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 26, 2026.
Is C4 or NOS more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for C4 and NOS by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 energy drink brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for C4, NOS. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Red Bull | Celsius | Monster Energy | Alani Nu | Ghost | C4 | Rockstar | Bang | NOS | Bucked Up | Reign | ZOA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 41.1% | 28.5% | 15.1% | 6.8% | 3% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.49% | 0.4% | 0.74% | 0.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 42.7% | 26.1% | 15.7% | 7% | 3.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.51% | 0.28% | 0.63% | 0.51% |
| Dec 2025 | 37.5% | 26% | 16.8% | 9.2% | 4.1% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1% | 0.45% | 0.45% | 0.67% | 1.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 43.7% | 21.9% | 16% | 8.8% | 3.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.96% | 0.43% | 0.28% | 0.52% | 1.8% |
| Feb 2026 | 47.4% | 23.8% | 14.2% | 6.4% | 2.9% | 1.3% | 1% | 1% | 0.46% | 0.25% | 0.57% | 0.7% |
| Mar 2026 | 44.9% | 25.5% | 13.5% | 7.4% | 3.3% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.54% | 0.29% | 0.66% | 0.36% |
| Apr 2026 | 44.9% | 20.9% | 13.5% | 11% | 4% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.54% | 0.36% | 0.66% | 0.54% |
| May 2026 | 48.8% | 21.2% | 14.6% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 0.59% | 0.39% | 0.72% | 0.39% |
| Jun 2026 | 41.3% | 28.7% | 12.4% | 6.8% | 4.5% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.1% | 0.74% | 0.4% | 0.74% | 0.49% |
| Jul 2026 | 36.7% | 31.2% | 13.5% | 6% | 4.9% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 0.81% | 0.43% | 0.81% | 1.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 39.2% | 22.3% | 11.7% | 14.4% | 6.4% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.86% | 0.7% | 0.38% | 0.58% | 0.86% |
| Sep 2026 | 48.6% | 19.9% | 11.9% | 8% | 5.3% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.87% | 0.71% | 0.58% | 0.58% | 0.58% |
How has the C4 and NOS comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- C4 was ahead of NOS in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, C4’s share of searches among energy drink brands in the United States moved from 1.4% to 1.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 12.1K to 14.8K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, NOS’s share of searches among energy drink brands in the United States moved from 0.49% to 0.71%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.4K to 6.6K.
How did search popularity change for United States energy drink brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, NOS rose from 10th to 9th among energy drink brands in the United States.
Estimated monthly branded searches for C4 in the United States rose 22.3% over 12 measured months, from 12.1K to 14.8K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using C4’s and NOS’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.
Other head-to-heads among energy drink brands
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