---
title: "NyQuil vs Theraflu: Which is searched more in the United States?"
description: "Is NyQuil or Theraflu more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Cold and flu brands set in the United States. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/compare/nyquil-vs-theraflu"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# NyQuil vs Theraflu: Which is searched more in the United States?

Is NyQuil or Theraflu more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Cold and flu brands set in the United States. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Compared**: NyQuil and Theraflu
- **Competitive set**: Cold and flu brands
- **Market**: United States
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **NyQuil Share of Search**: 12.9%
- **Theraflu Share of Search**: 12.9%

## Is NyQuil or Theraflu more popular in search?

- In September 2026, NyQuil and Theraflu were level in searches among cold and flu brands in the United States, with an estimated 201K branded searches each, at 12.9% of the total each.
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Theraflu took it in December 2025, NyQuil took it in April 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, NyQuil’s share of searches among cold and flu brands in the United States moved from 13.5% to 12.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 165K to 201K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Theraflu’s share of searches among cold and flu brands in the United States moved from 11% to 12.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 135K to 201K.

## Top cold and flu brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, NyQuil was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Theraflu did not appear in any of the five answers.

Too few answers listed options to rank the brands, so only mentions are counted.

| Brand | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Mucinex | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 |
| NyQuil | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 |
| Robitussin | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| Theraflu | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |
| DayQuil | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 |
| Vicks | 0 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 1 of 5 |
| Zicam | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |
| Delsym | 1 of 3 | 1 of 2 | 2 of 5 |
| Alka-Seltzer Plus | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 |

## Every AI answer about cold and flu brands

- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best cold medicine?": 1. Mucinex
- Asked ChatGPT "What's good for a stuffy nose?": named none of the brands we track
- Asked ChatGPT "What's the best cough medicine for adults?": 1. Delsym, 2. Robitussin, 3. Mucinex
- Searched Google, AI Overview "cold medicine": 1. Mucinex
- Searched Google, AI Overview "best cold medicine": 1. Vicks, 2. DayQuil, 3. NyQuil, 4. Mucinex, 5. Delsym, 6. Robitussin

Not named in any answer: Theraflu, Zicam and Alka-Seltzer Plus.

Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in United States on October 27, 2026.

## How did search popularity change for United States cold and flu brands in September 2026?

- In September 2026, Theraflu gained share of searches among cold and flu brands in the United States, from 11.4% to 12.9%.
- In September 2026, NyQuil lost share of searches among cold and flu brands in the United States, from 14% to 12.9%.

## Month by month

| Month | NyQuil estimated searches | NyQuil Share of Search | NyQuil rank | Theraflu estimated searches | Theraflu Share of Search | Theraflu rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | 165K | 13.5% | 2 | 135K | 11% | 4 |
| Nov 2025 | 201K | 13.7% | 2 | 201K | 13.7% | 3 |
| Dec 2025 | 301K | 12.8% | 3 | 450K | 19.2% | 2 |
| Jan 2026 | 246K | 12.5% | 3 | 368K | 18.7% | 2 |
| Feb 2026 | 201K | 12.5% | 3 | 246K | 15.3% | 2 |
| Mar 2026 | 165K | 12.2% | 2 | 165K | 12.2% | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | 135K | 12.7% | 2 | 110K | 10.3% | 4 |
| May 2026 | 135K | 13.5% | 2 | 110K | 11% | 4 |
| Jun 2026 | 90.5K | 12.5% | 2 | 74K | 10.2% | 4 |
| Jul 2026 | 90.5K | 13.5% | 2 | 60.5K | 9.1% | 6 |
| Aug 2026 | 135K | 14% | 2 | 110K | 11.4% | 4 |
| Sep 2026 | 201K | 12.9% | 2 | 201K | 12.9% | 4 |

## How each brand is measured

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using NyQuil’s and Theraflu’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.

- **NyQuil**: Measured on the search term “nyquil”.
- **Theraflu**: Measured on the search term “theraflu”.

- [NyQuil profile](/demand/us/brands/nyquil)
- [Theraflu profile](/demand/us/brands/theraflu)
- [All cold and flu brands in the United States](/demand/us/categories/us-cold-and-flu-brands): The set both shares are measured inside, 9 brands.

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is NyQuil or Theraflu more popular in search?

In September 2026, NyQuil and Theraflu were level in searches among cold and flu brands in the United States, with an estimated 201K branded searches each, at 12.9% of the total each.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "NyQuil vs Theraflu: Which is searched more in the United States?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/compare/nyquil-vs-theraflu

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/us/compare/nyquil-vs-theraflu. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.
