Mucinex vs Zicam:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Mucinex had more branded searches than Zicam among cold and flu brands in the United States. Mucinex had about 450,000 branded searches, while Zicam had 110,000. Mucinex made up 28.9% of all cold and flu brand searches we track, and Zicam accounted for 7.1%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cold and flu brands, Mucinex appeared in four of the five answers and Zicam in none.
Follow Mucinex vs Zicam and get free monthly updates on what changed
By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Top cold and flu brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Mucinex was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Zicam did not appear in any of the five answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Mucinex4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Robitussin2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Delsym2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
NyQuil1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- DayQuil1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Vicks1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Theraflu0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Zicam0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Alka-Seltzer Plus0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about cold and flu brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best cold medicine?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's good for a stuffy nose?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best cough medicine for adults?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cold medicine”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best cold medicine”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 27, 2026.
Is Mucinex or Zicam more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Mucinex and Zicam by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine cold and flu brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Mucinex, Zicam. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Mucinex | NyQuil | Robitussin | Theraflu | DayQuil | Vicks | Zicam | Delsym | Alka-Seltzer Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 30.1% | 13.5% | 13.5% | 11% | 9% | 9% | 7.4% | 5% | 1.5% |
| Nov 2025 | 30.6% | 13.7% | 11.2% | 13.7% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 5% | 1.5% |
| Dec 2025 | 28.7% | 12.8% | 10.5% | 19.2% | 8.6% | 7% | 7% | 4.7% | 1.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 28% | 12.5% | 10.2% | 18.7% | 8.4% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 5.6% | 1.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 28% | 12.5% | 10.3% | 15.3% | 10.3% | 8.4% | 8.4% | 5.6% | 1.4% |
| Mar 2026 | 33.3% | 12.2% | 12.2% | 12.2% | 8.1% | 8.1% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 1.6% |
| Apr 2026 | 34.6% | 12.7% | 12.7% | 10.3% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 1.4% |
| May 2026 | 30.2% | 13.5% | 13.5% | 11% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 1.5% |
| Jun 2026 | 33.9% | 12.5% | 12.5% | 10.2% | 8.3% | 10.2% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 1.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 30.1% | 13.5% | 13.5% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 11.1% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 1.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 31.3% | 14% | 11.4% | 11.4% | 9.4% | 9.4% | 6.3% | 5.1% | 1.5% |
| Sep 2026 | 28.9% | 12.9% | 12.9% | 12.9% | 10.6% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 4.7% | 1.4% |
How has the Mucinex and Zicam comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Mucinex was ahead of Zicam in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Mucinex’s share of searches among cold and flu brands in the United States moved from 30.1% to 28.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 368K to 450K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zicam’s share of searches among cold and flu brands in the United States moved from 7.4% to 7.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 90.5K to 110K.
How did search popularity change for United States cold and flu brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Zicam gained share of searches among cold and flu brands in the United States, from 6.3% to 7.1%.
In September 2026, Mucinex lost share of searches among cold and flu brands in the United States, from 31.3% to 28.9%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Mucinex’s and Zicam’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 cold and flu brands
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.