Capital One vs Varo:Which is more popular in the United States?
In October 2026, Varo had more branded searches than Capital One among online banks in the United States. Varo had about 160,000 branded searches, while Capital One had 87,600. Varo made up 15.6% of all online bank searches we track, and Capital One accounted for 8.6%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about online banks, Capital One appeared in all five answers and Varo in none.
Who do people search for more?
Varo, about 82% more searches than Capital One
Who does AI mention more?
Capital One, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Capital One, the only one of the two named
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Top online banks in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Capital One appeared in all five answers. Varo 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.
- Capital One5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
SoFi4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Ally Bank3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Chime2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Varo0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Dave0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Current0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Discover0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about online banks
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best online bank?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which banking app should I use for my checking account?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best online banks with no fees?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“online bank”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best online banks”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 27, 2026.
Is Capital One or Varo more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Capital One and Varo by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight online banks we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Varo, Capital One. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Ally Bank | Chime | Varo | SoFi | Capital One | Dave | Current | Discover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2025 | 38.6% | 20.8% | 17.2% | 9.9% | 9.2% | 3% | 0.77% | 0.58% |
| Dec 2025 | 36.6% | 19.7% | 18.3% | 11.4% | 10% | 2.7% | 0.73% | 0.55% |
| Jan 2026 | 39.3% | 17.9% | 17.5% | 12.3% | 9.4% | 2.4% | 0.64% | 0.59% |
| Feb 2026 | 36.4% | 20.3% | 17.9% | 11.3% | 10.6% | 2.3% | 0.72% | 0.54% |
| Mar 2026 | 40% | 18.2% | 16.1% | 12.4% | 10.2% | 2.1% | 0.65% | 0.46% |
| Apr 2026 | 37.5% | 21.8% | 16.7% | 11.6% | 8.9% | 2.3% | 0.61% | 0.43% |
| May 2026 | 39.8% | 18.2% | 16.3% | 12.4% | 9.7% | 2.4% | 0.65% | 0.46% |
| Jun 2026 | 39.8% | 21.4% | 13.4% | 10.1% | 11.9% | 2.4% | 0.62% | 0.43% |
| Jul 2026 | 38.5% | 20.7% | 13.6% | 11.9% | 11.5% | 2.8% | 0.6% | 0.36% |
| Aug 2026 | 39.3% | 21.1% | 13.9% | 12.3% | 9.6% | 2.8% | 0.72% | 0.34% |
| Sep 2026 | 36.3% | 23.8% | 15.7% | 11.3% | 9.2% | 2.6% | 0.66% | 0.34% |
| Oct 2026 | 36.1% | 24.6% | 15.6% | 11.3% | 8.6% | 2.7% | 0.8% | 0.27% |
Capital One sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “capital one 360”.
How has branded search for Capital One and Varo changed in the United States over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Varo was ahead of Capital One in every measured month of the 12 months ending October 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Capital One’s share of searches among online banks in the United States moved from 9.2% to 8.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 87.6K.
- Across the 12 months ending October 2026, Varo’s share of searches among online banks in the United States moved from 17.2% to 15.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 165K to 160K.
How did search popularity change for United States online banks in October 2026?
1 change
In October 2026, Capital One lost share of searches among online banks in the United States, from 9.2% to 8.6%.
How are Capital One’s and Varo’s branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Capital One’s and Varo’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.
Capital One
2 branded search terms
- capital one 360
- capital one 360 checking
Varo
2 branded search terms
- varo
- varo bank
Other head-to-heads among online banks
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