Hilti vs Kobalt:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Kobalt had more branded searches than Hilti among power tool brands in the United States. Kobalt had about 74,000 branded searches, while Hilti had 49,500. Kobalt made up 8.2% of all power tool brand searches we track, and Hilti accounted for 5.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about power tool brands, Hilti appeared in one of the five answers and Kobalt in none.
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Top power tool brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Hilti was mentioned in one out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Kobalt 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.
Milwaukee5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
DeWalt5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Ryobi5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Makita2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Bosch2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Hilti1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Festool1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers- Kobalt0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Black+Decker0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
RIDGID0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about power tool brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which power tool brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best power tool brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What is the best cordless drill?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“power tools”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cordless drill”
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 Hilti or Kobalt more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Hilti and Kobalt by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 15 power tool brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Kobalt, Hilti. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Milwaukee | DeWalt | Ryobi | Kobalt | Hilti | Makita | Black+Decker | Festool | RIDGID | Craftsman | Hart | Metabo HPT | FLEX | Porter-Cable | Bosch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 27.6% | 16.7% | 13.6% | 9.1% | 7.5% | 5% | 3.3% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 1% | 0.82% | 1.8% | 1.5% | 1% |
| Nov 2025 | 29.1% | 17.5% | 14.4% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 5.3% | 2.9% | 4.3% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 1.1% | 0.86% | 2.4% | 1.3% | 0.71% |
| Dec 2025 | 29% | 17.5% | 14.3% | 7.9% | 4.3% | 5.3% | 2.9% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 3.5% | 1.1% | 0.7% | 4.3% | 1.3% | 0.86% |
| Jan 2026 | 24.6% | 17.8% | 14.6% | 8% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 2.9% | 5.3% | 4.4% | 2.9% | 1.1% | 0.87% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.47% |
| Feb 2026 | 30.3% | 18.3% | 12.2% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 2.5% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 1.3% | 0.9% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 0.49% |
| Mar 2026 | 25.3% | 18.2% | 18.2% | 6.7% | 8.2% | 5.5% | 3% | 4.5% | 3% | 2.5% | 1.1% | 0.73% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 23.7% | 16.7% | 20.3% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 5% | 3.3% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.82% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 0.36% |
| May 2026 | 23.4% | 16.9% | 20.6% | 7.6% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 0.83% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.37% |
| Jun 2026 | 23.4% | 20.1% | 20.1% | 7.4% | 6% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 1.8% | 0.99% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.36% |
| Jul 2026 | 25.1% | 18.2% | 18.2% | 8.1% | 6.7% | 5.4% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 0.89% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.4% |
| Aug 2026 | 26.5% | 19.9% | 19.9% | 7.3% | 4.9% | 4.9% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 0.98% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 0.36% |
| Sep 2026 | 24.1% | 18.4% | 18.4% | 8.2% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.32% |
How has the Hilti and Kobalt comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Hilti took it in March 2026, Kobalt took it in May 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hilti’s share of searches among power tool brands in the United States moved from 7.5% to 5.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 74K to 49.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kobalt’s share of searches among power tool brands in the United States moved from 9.1% to 8.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 90.5K to 74K.
How did search popularity change for United States power tool brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Kobalt gained share of searches among power tool brands in the United States, from 7.3% to 8.2%.
In September 2026, Hilti gained share of searches among power tool brands in the United States, from 4.9% to 5.5%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hilti’s and Kobalt’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.
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