Culver's vs McDonald's:Which is searched more in the United States?

Name: Culver's vs McDonald's: Which is searched more in the United States?
Creator: Brandwave
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

In September 2026, McDonald's had more branded searches than Culver's among burger chains in the United States. McDonald's had about 30.4 million branded searches, while Culver's had 5 million. McDonald's made up 45.6% of all burger chain searches we track, and Culver's accounted for 7.5%.

Share of searches among burger chains in the United States in September 2026Is Culver's or McDonald's more popular in search?

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Is Culver's or McDonald's more popular in search?

Compare the burger chains people in the US eat at. 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.

Culver's and McDonald's among burger chains in the United States, by month

Month	McDonald's	Burger King	Wendy's	Culver's	Five Guys	Whataburger	Shake Shack	In-N-Out Burger	Smashburger	The Habit Burger Grill
Oct 2025	51.7%	12.7%	12.7%	7%	4.7%	5.7%	2.5%	1.7%	0.94%	0.34%
Nov 2025	47.2%	14.2%	14.2%	6.3%	5.2%	6.3%	2.8%	2.3%	1%	0.38%
Dec 2025	50%	14.9%	12.3%	6.7%	4.5%	5.5%	2.5%	2.5%	0.9%	0.33%
Jan 2026	49.7%	12.2%	12.2%	6.7%	5.5%	6.7%	3%	2.5%	1.1%	0.4%
Feb 2026	50.6%	12.4%	12.4%	6.8%	5.6%	5.6%	3%	2%	1.1%	0.41%
Mar 2026	44.5%	16.3%	13.4%	7.3%	6%	6%	2.7%	2.2%	1.2%	0.44%
Apr 2026	46.9%	14.1%	14.1%	7.7%	5.2%	6.3%	2.3%	1.9%	1%	0.38%
May 2026	45.9%	13.8%	13.8%	9.2%	5.1%	6.2%	2.8%	1.8%	1%	0.45%
Jun 2026	47%	14.1%	14.1%	7.7%	5.2%	6.3%	2.3%	1.9%	0.85%	0.47%
Jul 2026	51.2%	12.6%	12.6%	8.4%	4.6%	5.6%	2.1%	1.7%	0.76%	0.41%
Aug 2026	50.8%	12.5%	12.5%	8.4%	4.6%	5.6%	2.5%	2%	0.75%	0.41%
Sep 2026	45.6%	16.7%	13.7%	7.5%	6.1%	5%	2.3%	1.8%	0.83%	0.37%

How has the Culver's and McDonald's comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings

McDonald's was ahead of Culver's in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Culver's’ share of searches among burger chains in the United States moved from 7% to 7.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 5M.
Across the 12 months ending September 2026, McDonald's’ share of searches among burger chains in the United States moved from 51.7% to 45.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 37.2M to 30.4M.

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

2 changes

In September 2026, McDonald's lost share of searches among burger chains in the United States, from 50.8% to 45.6%.
In September 2026, Culver's lost share of searches among burger chains in the United States, from 8.4% to 7.5%.

How are branded searches counted?

3 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Culver's’ and McDonald'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.