Nerds vs Starburst:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Nerds had more branded searches than Starburst among candy brands in the United States. Nerds had about 27,100 branded searches, while Starburst had 12,100. Nerds made up 5.2% of all candy brand searches we track, and Starburst accounted for 2.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about candy brands, Nerds appeared in two of the four answers and Starburst in none.
Who do people search for more?
Nerds, about 2 searches for every 1 for Starburst
Who does AI mention more?
Nerds, mentioned in 2 of 4 answers, Starburst in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
Nerds, the only one of the two named
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Top candy brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and one Google AI Overview, Nerds was mentioned in two out of four: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in the Google AI Overview. Starburst did not appear in any of the four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Haribo1st
Sour Patch Kids2nd
Trolli3rd- Nerds4th
Skittles5th
Swedish Fish6th
Twizzlers–
Starburst–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Sour Patch Kids3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Haribo3 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Skittles2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Nerds2 of 4Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Trolli2 of 4Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Swedish Fish1 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 1 Google answers
- Twizzlers0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
- Starburst0 of 4Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 1 Google answers
See every answer about candy brands
4 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best candy to buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“Which gummy candy brand is the best?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the most popular sour candy?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“candy brands”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 27, 2026.
Is Nerds or Starburst more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Nerds and Starburst by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight candy brands we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Nerds, Starburst. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Skittles | Sour Patch Kids | Twizzlers | Swedish Fish | Haribo | Nerds | Trolli | Starburst |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 29.6% | 24.3% | 13.3% | 8.9% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 6% | 3.3% |
| Nov 2025 | 28.4% | 23.2% | 15.6% | 8.5% | 8.5% | 7% | 5.7% | 3.1% |
| Dec 2025 | 27.2% | 27.2% | 12.2% | 10% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 3% |
| Jan 2026 | 27.6% | 27.6% | 12.4% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 5.5% | 3.7% |
| Feb 2026 | 31.9% | 26.1% | 11.7% | 7.8% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 5.2% | 2.9% |
| Mar 2026 | 31.4% | 25.7% | 11.5% | 9.4% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 5.2% | 2.8% |
| Apr 2026 | 27.2% | 27.2% | 12.2% | 10% | 8.2% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 3% |
| May 2026 | 27.1% | 27.1% | 12.1% | 9.9% | 8.1% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 2.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 28.7% | 23.6% | 12.9% | 10.6% | 8.6% | 7.1% | 5.8% | 2.6% |
| Jul 2026 | 25.3% | 25.3% | 13.9% | 11.3% | 9.3% | 7.6% | 5.1% | 2.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 30.1% | 24.6% | 13.5% | 9% | 9% | 5% | 6.1% | 2.7% |
| Sep 2026 | 31.9% | 26.1% | 11.7% | 9.6% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 2.3% |
How has the Nerds and Starburst comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Nerds was ahead of Starburst in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Nerds’ share of searches among candy brands in the United States moved from 7.3% to 5.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 49.5K to 27.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Starburst’s share of searches among candy brands in the United States moved from 3.3% to 2.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 22.2K to 12.1K.
How did search popularity change for United States candy brands in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Nerds rose from 7th to 6th among candy brands in the United States.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Starburst in the United States fell 45.5% over 12 measured months, from 22.2K to 12.1K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Nerds’ and Starburst’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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