Brandwave

Five Guys vs Whataburger:Which is searched more in the United States?

In September 2026, Five Guys had more branded searches than Whataburger among burger chains in the United States. Five Guys had about 4.1 million branded searches, while Whataburger had 3.4 million. Five Guys made up 6.1% of all burger chain searches we track, and Whataburger accounted for 5%.

Share of searches among burger chains in the United States in September 2026Is Five Guys or Whataburger more popular in search?
Five Guys6.1%4.1M searches
vs
Whataburger5%3.4M searches

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Is Five Guys or Whataburger 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.

Five Guys and Whataburger among burger chains in the United States, by month

Share of searches by month for Five Guys, Whataburger. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthMcDonald'sBurger KingWendy'sCulver'sFive GuysWhataburgerShake ShackIn-N-Out BurgerSmashburgerThe Habit Burger Grill
Oct 202551.7%12.7%12.7%7%4.7%5.7%2.5%1.7%0.94%0.34%
Nov 202547.2%14.2%14.2%6.3%5.2%6.3%2.8%2.3%1%0.38%
Dec 202550%14.9%12.3%6.7%4.5%5.5%2.5%2.5%0.9%0.33%
Jan 202649.7%12.2%12.2%6.7%5.5%6.7%3%2.5%1.1%0.4%
Feb 202650.6%12.4%12.4%6.8%5.6%5.6%3%2%1.1%0.41%
Mar 202644.5%16.3%13.4%7.3%6%6%2.7%2.2%1.2%0.44%
Apr 202646.9%14.1%14.1%7.7%5.2%6.3%2.3%1.9%1%0.38%
May 202645.9%13.8%13.8%9.2%5.1%6.2%2.8%1.8%1%0.45%
Jun 202647%14.1%14.1%7.7%5.2%6.3%2.3%1.9%0.85%0.47%
Jul 202651.2%12.6%12.6%8.4%4.6%5.6%2.1%1.7%0.76%0.41%
Aug 202650.8%12.5%12.5%8.4%4.6%5.6%2.5%2%0.75%0.41%
Sep 202645.6%16.7%13.7%7.5%6.1%5%2.3%1.8%0.83%0.37%

How has the Five Guys and Whataburger comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • The lead changed hands once in the 12 months ending September 2026: Five Guys took it in September 2026.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Five Guys’ share of searches among burger chains in the United States moved from 4.7% to 6.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3.4M to 4.1M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Whataburger’s share of searches among burger chains in the United States moved from 5.7% to 5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.1M to 3.4M.

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

2 changes
  1. In September 2026, Five Guys overtook Whataburger to rank 5th among burger chains in the United States, with 6.1% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Whataburger lost share of searches among burger chains in the United States, from 5.6% to 5%.

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Five Guys’ and Whataburger’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.

Five Guys

1 branded search term

  • five guys

Whataburger

1 branded search term

  • whataburger

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among burger chains

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