Dell vs Microsoft Surface:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Dell had more branded searches than Microsoft Surface among laptop brands in the United States. Dell had about 135,000 branded searches, while Microsoft Surface had 33,100. Dell made up 8.2% of all laptop brand searches we track, and Microsoft Surface accounted for 2%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about laptop brands, Dell appeared in all five answers and Microsoft Surface in none.
Who do people search for more?
Dell, about 4 searches for every 1 for Microsoft Surface
Who does AI mention more?
Dell, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Dell, the only one of the two named
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Top laptop brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Dell appeared in all five answers. Microsoft Surface 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.
Apple MacBook5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Dell5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Lenovo3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
ASUS3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
HP2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Alienware1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Acer1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
MSI1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Razer1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Microsoft Surface0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about laptop brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which laptop should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best laptop brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What is the best laptop for college students?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“laptop”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best laptop”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 26, 2026.
Is Dell or Microsoft Surface more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Dell and Microsoft Surface by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 13 laptop brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Dell, Microsoft Surface. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Apple MacBook | HP | Dell | Lenovo | Alienware | ASUS | Framework | Microsoft Surface | Samsung | Acer | MSI | Razer | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 44% | 13.1% | 10.8% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 3.2% | 4% | 4% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 0.97% | 0.65% |
| Nov 2025 | 49.9% | 12.3% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 8.2% | 3% | 3% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.9% | 0.6% |
| Dec 2025 | 46.7% | 14% | 9.4% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 3.4% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1.5% | 1.9% | 1.3% | 0.84% | 0.56% |
| Jan 2026 | 42% | 15.3% | 10.3% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 3.1% | 5.6% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.4% | 0.92% | 0.62% |
| Feb 2026 | 45.3% | 13.5% | 11.1% | 7.4% | 6.1% | 3.3% | 5% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 0.81% | 0.67% |
| Mar 2026 | 55.2% | 11.1% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 5% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1% | 0.82% | 0.55% |
| Apr 2026 | 46.9% | 11.5% | 9.4% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 3.5% | 6.3% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 1.3% | 0.84% | 0.56% |
| May 2026 | 48.2% | 11.8% | 9.7% | 7.9% | 6.5% | 2.9% | 4.3% | 2.4% | 1.9% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.87% | 0.58% |
| Jun 2026 | 48.8% | 12% | 8% | 9.8% | 6.6% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.88% | 0.59% |
| Jul 2026 | 47.5% | 11.6% | 9.5% | 9.5% | 6.4% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.85% | 0.57% |
| Aug 2026 | 51.8% | 10.4% | 8.6% | 8.6% | 5.7% | 3.1% | 3.8% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 0.77% | 0.51% |
| Sep 2026 | 50.3% | 12.3% | 8.2% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 3% | 3% | 2% | 2% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 0.74% | 0.6% |
Microsoft Surface sells other things too, so only its searches that name this product count here, like “surface laptop”.
How has the Dell and Microsoft Surface comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Dell was ahead of Microsoft Surface in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Dell’s share of searches among laptop brands in the United States moved from 10.8% to 8.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 165K to 135K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Microsoft Surface’s share of searches among laptop brands in the United States moved from 4% to 2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 60.5K to 33.1K.
How did search popularity change for United States laptop brands in September 2026?
2 changes
Microsoft Surface’s share of searches among laptop brands in the United States has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 2.9% to 2% in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Dell in the United States fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 165K to 135K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Dell’s and Microsoft Surface’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.
Dell
1 branded search term
- dell laptop
Microsoft Surface
1 branded search term
- surface laptop
Other head-to-heads among laptop brands
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