Wendy's vs Whataburger:Which is searched more in the United States?
In September 2026, Wendy's had more branded searches than Whataburger among burger chains in the United States. Wendy's had about 9.1 million branded searches, while Whataburger had 3.4 million. Wendy's made up 13.7% of all burger chain searches we track, and Whataburger accounted for 5%.
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Is Wendy's or Whataburger more popular in search?
Compare the burger chains people in the US eat at. 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.
Share of searches by month for Wendy's, Whataburger. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | McDonald's | Burger King | Wendy's | Culver's | Five Guys | Whataburger | Shake Shack | In-N-Out Burger | Smashburger | The Habit Burger Grill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 51.7% | 12.7% | 12.7% | 7% | 4.7% | 5.7% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 0.94% | 0.34% |
| Nov 2025 | 47.2% | 14.2% | 14.2% | 6.3% | 5.2% | 6.3% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 1% | 0.38% |
| Dec 2025 | 50% | 14.9% | 12.3% | 6.7% | 4.5% | 5.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 0.9% | 0.33% |
| Jan 2026 | 49.7% | 12.2% | 12.2% | 6.7% | 5.5% | 6.7% | 3% | 2.5% | 1.1% | 0.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 50.6% | 12.4% | 12.4% | 6.8% | 5.6% | 5.6% | 3% | 2% | 1.1% | 0.41% |
| Mar 2026 | 44.5% | 16.3% | 13.4% | 7.3% | 6% | 6% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.2% | 0.44% |
| Apr 2026 | 46.9% | 14.1% | 14.1% | 7.7% | 5.2% | 6.3% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1% | 0.38% |
| May 2026 | 45.9% | 13.8% | 13.8% | 9.2% | 5.1% | 6.2% | 2.8% | 1.8% | 1% | 0.45% |
| Jun 2026 | 47% | 14.1% | 14.1% | 7.7% | 5.2% | 6.3% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 0.85% | 0.47% |
| Jul 2026 | 51.2% | 12.6% | 12.6% | 8.4% | 4.6% | 5.6% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 0.76% | 0.41% |
| Aug 2026 | 50.8% | 12.5% | 12.5% | 8.4% | 4.6% | 5.6% | 2.5% | 2% | 0.75% | 0.41% |
| Sep 2026 | 45.6% | 16.7% | 13.7% | 7.5% | 6.1% | 5% | 2.3% | 1.8% | 0.83% | 0.37% |
How has the Wendy's and Whataburger comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Wendy's was ahead of Whataburger in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- 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.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Whataburger’s share of searches among burger chains in the United States moved from 5.7% to 5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 4.1M to 3.4M.
How did search popularity change for United States burger chains in September 2026?
3 changes
In September 2026, Five Guys overtook Whataburger to rank 5th among burger chains in the United States, with 6.1% of the searches.
In September 2026, Wendy's gained share of searches among burger chains in the United States, from 12.5% to 13.7%.
In September 2026, Whataburger lost share of searches among burger chains in the United States, from 5.6% to 5%.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Wendy's’ and Whataburger’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.
Wendy's
1 branded search term
- wendy's
Whataburger
1 branded search term
- whataburger
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