---
title: "Carfax vs CarGurus: Which is searched more in United States?"
description: "Which is more popular in search, Carfax or CarGurus? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Car marketplaces set in United States. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/compare/carfax-vs-cargurus"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# Carfax vs CarGurus: Which is searched more in United States?

Which is more popular in search, Carfax or CarGurus? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Car marketplaces set in United States. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Compared**: Carfax and CarGurus
- **Competitive set**: Car marketplaces
- **Market**: United States
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **Carfax Share of Search**: 11.9%
- **CarGurus Share of Search**: 26.5%

## Which is more popular in search, Carfax or CarGurus?

- In September 2026, CarGurus had more branded searches than Carfax among car marketplaces in United States. CarGurus was estimated to have 3.4M branded searches compared to Carfax’s 1.5M, and held a 26.5% Share of Search versus Carfax’s 11.9%.
- CarGurus was ahead of Carfax in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Carfax’s estimated Share of Search among car marketplaces in United States moved from 12.6% to 11.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 1.5M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, CarGurus’ estimated Share of Search among car marketplaces in United States moved from 28.1% to 26.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 3.4M.

## How did search popularity change for United States car marketplaces in September 2026?

- In September 2026, CarGurus overtook CarMax to rank 2nd among car marketplaces in United States, with 26.5% estimated Share of Search.
- In September 2026, Carfax gained estimated Share of Search among car marketplaces in United States, from 11.1% to 11.9%.

## Month by month

| Month | Carfax estimated searches | Carfax Share of Search | Carfax rank | CarGurus estimated searches | CarGurus Share of Search | CarGurus rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | 1.5M | 12.6% | 4 | 3.4M | 28.1% | 1 |
| Nov 2025 | 1.5M | 13.3% | 4 | 3.4M | 29.6% | 1 |
| Dec 2025 | 1.5M | 12.6% | 4 | 3.4M | 28.1% | 1 |
| Jan 2026 | 1.5M | 11.9% | 4 | 3.4M | 26.5% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | 1.5M | 12.6% | 4 | 3.4M | 28.1% | 1 |
| Mar 2026 | 1.8M | 12.6% | 4 | 4.1M | 28.1% | 1 |
| Apr 2026 | 1.5M | 11.1% | 4 | 3.4M | 24.9% | 3 |
| May 2026 | 1.5M | 11.1% | 4 | 3.4M | 24.9% | 3 |
| Jun 2026 | 1.5M | 11.9% | 4 | 3.4M | 26.5% | 2 |
| Jul 2026 | 1.5M | 11.2% | 4 | 3.4M | 25% | 3 |
| Aug 2026 | 1.5M | 11.1% | 4 | 3.4M | 24.9% | 3 |
| Sep 2026 | 1.5M | 11.9% | 4 | 3.4M | 26.5% | 2 |

## How each brand is measured

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Carfax’s and CarGurus’ 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.

- **Carfax**: Measured on the search term “carfax”.
- **CarGurus**: Measured on the search term “cargurus”.

- [Carfax profile](/demand/us/brands/carfax)
- [CarGurus profile](/demand/us/brands/cargurus)
- [All car marketplaces in United States](/demand/us/categories/us-car-marketplaces): The set both shares are measured inside, 5 brands.

## Methodology

- [How is branded search demand measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Which is more popular in search, Carfax or CarGurus?

In September 2026, CarGurus had more branded searches than Carfax among car marketplaces in United States. CarGurus was estimated to have 3.4M branded searches compared to Carfax’s 1.5M, and held a 26.5% Share of Search versus Carfax’s 11.9%.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "Carfax vs CarGurus: Which is searched more in United States?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/compare/carfax-vs-cargurus

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/compare/carfax-vs-cargurus. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.