Hershey's vs Lindt:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Hershey's had more branded searches than Lindt among chocolate brands in the United States. Hershey's had about 201,000 branded searches, while Lindt had 27,100. Hershey's made up 20.1% of all chocolate brand searches we track, and Lindt accounted for 2.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about chocolate brands, Lindt appeared in three of the five answers and Hershey's in two. Lindt was mentioned before Hershey's in two out of three answers.
Who do people search for more?
Hershey's, about 7 searches for every 1 for Lindt
Who does AI mention more?
Lindt, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Hershey's in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Lindt, named ahead of Hershey's in 2 of 3 answers
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Top chocolate brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Lindt was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Hershey's was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Lindt was listed before Hershey's in two out of three 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.
Ghirardelli3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Lindt3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Valrhona3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Hershey's2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Snickers2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Twix2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Tony's Chocolonely2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Reese's1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Hu1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
M&M's0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about chocolate brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best chocolate brand?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which candy bar is the most popular in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best chocolate to give as a gift?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“chocolate brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best chocolate”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 27, 2026.
Is Hershey's or Lindt more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Hershey's and Lindt by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 11 chocolate brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Hershey's, Lindt. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Hershey's | M&M's | Reese's | Ghirardelli | KitKat | Snickers | Twix | Tony's Chocolonely | Hu | Lindt | Valrhona |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 13.4% | 16.4% | 16.4% | 9% | 13.4% | 13.4% | 9% | 3.3% | 1.8% | 3.3% | 0.44% |
| Nov 2025 | 13.9% | 13.9% | 13.9% | 13.9% | 11.4% | 11.4% | 9.3% | 4.2% | 2.3% | 5.1% | 0.68% |
| Dec 2025 | 14% | 11.4% | 14% | 20.8% | 9.3% | 9.3% | 6.3% | 5.1% | 2.8% | 6.3% | 0.84% |
| Jan 2026 | 16% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 16% | 10.6% | 10.6% | 7.2% | 4.8% | 3.2% | 4.8% | 0.78% |
| Feb 2026 | 15.1% | 15.1% | 15.1% | 15.1% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 6.8% | 4.5% | 3% | 4.5% | 0.6% |
| Mar 2026 | 14.1% | 14.1% | 11.6% | 9.4% | 25.8% | 9.4% | 6.3% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 3.5% | 0.57% |
| Apr 2026 | 14.9% | 14.9% | 14.9% | 10% | 18.2% | 10% | 6.7% | 3.7% | 3% | 3% | 0.73% |
| May 2026 | 16.3% | 16.3% | 13.3% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 2.7% | 6% | 0.65% |
| Jun 2026 | 13.3% | 36.2% | 8.9% | 8.9% | 10.8% | 8.9% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 0.43% |
| Jul 2026 | 17.6% | 14.4% | 11.8% | 14.4% | 14.4% | 9.7% | 6.5% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 3.5% | 0.57% |
| Aug 2026 | 18.4% | 15% | 15% | 12.2% | 10.1% | 12.2% | 6.7% | 3.7% | 3% | 3% | 0.6% |
| Sep 2026 | 20.1% | 16.5% | 13.5% | 11% | 11% | 11% | 7.4% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 0.54% |
How has the Hershey's and Lindt comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Hershey's was ahead of Lindt in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hershey's’ share of searches among chocolate brands in the United States moved from 13.4% to 20.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 201K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lindt’s share of searches among chocolate brands in the United States moved from 3.3% to 2.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 49.5K to 27.1K.
How did search popularity change for United States chocolate brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Hershey's gained share of searches among chocolate brands in the United States, from 18.4% to 20.1%.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Lindt in the United States fell 45.3% over 12 measured months, from 49.5K to 27.1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hershey's’ and Lindt’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.
Other head-to-heads among chocolate brands
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