Brandwave

McDonald's vs Wendy's:Which is more popular?

In September 2026, McDonald's had more branded searches than Wendy's among burger chains in the United States. McDonald's had about 30.4 million branded searches, while Wendy's had 9.1 million. McDonald's made up 45.6% of all burger chain searches we track, and Wendy's accounted for 13.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about burger chains, McDonald's and Wendy's each appeared in two of the four answers. Wendy's was mentioned before McDonald's in two out of three answers that named either.

Among burger chains in the United States in September 2026

Who do people search for more?

McDonald's, about 3 searches for every 1 for Wendy's

McDonald's 30.4M searchesWendy's 9.1M searches

Who does AI mention more?

Both were mentioned in 2 of 4 answers.

McDonald's in 2 of 4Wendy's in 2 of 4

Who does AI recommend more?

Wendy's, named ahead of McDonald's in 2 of 3 answers

Wendy's first in 2McDonald's first in 1

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Top burger chains in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, McDonald's was mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Wendy's was mentioned in two out of four: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in the Google AI Overview. Wendy's was listed before McDonald's in two out of three answers that named either.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. In-N-Out Burger1st
  2. Five Guys2nd
  3. Culver's3rd
  4. Shake Shack4th
  5. Whataburger5th
  6. Wendy's6th
  7. The Habit Burger Grill7th
  8. McDonald's8th
  9. Burger King9th
  10. Smashburger10th

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • In-N-Out Burger4 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Culver's3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Five Guys3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Shake Shack3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • The Habit Burger Grill3 of 4Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • McDonald's2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Burger King2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Wendy's2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
  • Whataburger2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
  • Smashburger1 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers

See every answer about burger chains

4 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.

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

This chart shows how often people search Google for McDonald's and Wendy's by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all ten burger chains we track, month by month, from searches in United States.

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

Share of searches by month for McDonald's, Wendy's. 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 McDonald's and Wendy's comparison changed over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • McDonald's was ahead of Wendy's in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
  • 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.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Wendy's’ share of searches among burger chains in the United States moved from 12.7% to 13.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 9.1M.

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

2 changes

  1. In September 2026, Wendy's gained share of searches among burger chains in the United States, from 12.5% to 13.7%.

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

How are branded searches counted?

2 search terms

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

McDonald's

1 branded search term

  • mcdonald's

Wendy's

1 branded search term

  • wendy's

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Other head-to-heads among burger chains

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