Rate vs SoFi:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Rate had more branded searches than SoFi among mortgage lenders in the United States. Rate had about 23,500 branded searches, while SoFi had 4,400. Rate made up 1% of all mortgage lender searches we track, and SoFi accounted for 0.19%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about mortgage lenders, Rate and SoFi each appeared in two of the five answers. Rate was mentioned before SoFi in two out of three answers that named either.
Who do people search for more?
Rate, about 5 searches for every 1 for SoFi
Who does AI mention more?
Both were mentioned in 2 of 5 answers.
Who does AI recommend more?
Rate, named ahead of SoFi in 2 of 3 answers
Follow Rate vs SoFi 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 mortgage lenders in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Rate was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. SoFi was mentioned in two out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in both Google AI Overviews. Rate was listed before SoFi 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.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Rocket Mortgage5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Bank of America4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Chase4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
loanDepot3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Veterans United2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers- Rate2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Truist2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
Navy Federal Credit Union2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
SoFi2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Pennymac0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about mortgage lenders
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which mortgage lender should I use in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best mortgage lenders in the US?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best mortgage lender in the US for a first-time home buyer?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“mortgage lenders”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“best mortgage lenders”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in United States on October 22, 2026.
Is Rate or SoFi more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Rate and SoFi by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 13 mortgage lenders we track, month by month, from searches in United States.
Share of searches by month for Rate, SoFi. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Rocket Mortgage | Pennymac | Mr. Cooper | loanDepot | Bank of America | Chase | UWM | Veterans United | Rate | Truist | Navy Federal Credit Union | Better | SoFi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 29% | 19.4% | 29% | 4.7% | 3.2% | 4.7% | 3.9% | 2.7% | 1.2% | 0.78% | 0.64% | 0.64% | 0.12% |
| Nov 2025 | 27.7% | 22.6% | 27.7% | 4.6% | 3% | 3.7% | 4.6% | 3% | 1.1% | 0.91% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.15% |
| Dec 2025 | 30.1% | 20.1% | 30.1% | 4% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 4% | 2.8% | 1% | 0.81% | 0.54% | 0.44% | 0.13% |
| Jan 2026 | 27.3% | 22.4% | 33.2% | 3.7% | 2% | 2.5% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 0.96% | 0.74% | 0.49% | 0.49% | 0.15% |
| Feb 2026 | 34.7% | 19.1% | 28.5% | 3.8% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 3.8% | 2.6% | 0.96% | 0.77% | 0.51% | 0.42% | 0.12% |
| Mar 2026 | 47.4% | 17.4% | 17.4% | 4.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 3.5% | 2.4% | 1.1% | 0.7% | 0.57% | 0.47% | 0.14% |
| Apr 2026 | 45.4% | 20.4% | 13.7% | 4.1% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 4.1% | 2.7% | 1% | 0.83% | 0.45% | 0.45% | 0.16% |
| May 2026 | 50.1% | 18.5% | 10.1% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3% | 2.5% | 1.1% | 0.74% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.15% |
| Jun 2026 | 50.8% | 18.7% | 8.4% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 2.7% | 0.98% | 0.75% | 0.41% | 0.41% | 0.15% |
| Jul 2026 | 54.7% | 16.5% | 7.4% | 4.9% | 4.1% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 1.1% | 0.81% | 0.44% | 0.44% | 0.36% |
| Aug 2026 | 51.9% | 19.1% | 5.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 4.7% | 2.5% | 1% | 0.77% | 0.42% | 0.51% | 0.15% |
| Sep 2026 | 54.1% | 19.9% | 6% | 4.9% | 4% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1% | 0.8% | 0.54% | 0.36% | 0.19% |
How has the Rate and SoFi comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Rate was ahead of SoFi in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Rate’s share of searches among mortgage lenders in the United States moved from 1.2% to 1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 28.8K to 23.5K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, SoFi’s share of searches among mortgage lenders in the United States moved from 0.12% to 0.19%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 2.9K to 4.4K.
How did search popularity change for United States mortgage lenders in September 2026?
2 changes
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Rate’s and SoFi’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 mortgage lenders
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.