GoKawiilHome Blog Google AI Mode shows the same products 21.6% more expensive than traditional search H Hugo Huijer September 1, 2026
Over 23 days (August 9 to 31, 2026), we tracked more than 2 million product listings across more than 100,000 SERPs and AI Mode responses. We ran the same shopping queries through both Google AI Mode and traditional search on the same day at the same moment. When the exact same product showed up on both, the price in AI Mode was 21.6% higher on average. When the same product appears on both sides, how do the prices compare? And how does the overall mix of recommended products differ between the two? That's what this study set out to answer. Key findings at a glance: For matched products ranking in both AI Mode and traditional search, AI Mode is 21.6% more expensive .
. Looking at all products on each side (not just the matches), AI Mode listings sit 49% higher than traditional search listings.
than traditional search listings. Only 1.28% of products ranking in traditional search also appear in AI Mode for the same search on the same day.
of products ranking in traditional search also appear in AI Mode for the same search on the same day. Matched products show a price discrepancy 38.1% of the time; when they do, AI Mode is more expensive 68.4% of the time (about two-thirds).
of the time; when they do, AI Mode is more expensive of the time (about two-thirds). The main seller differs on 49.6% of matched products. Finding 1: the same products cost more in AI Mode This is the most direct comparison in the study. Same product, same search, so the only thing changing is which search type you are on. We matched products across AI Mode and traditional search, then compared the lead price on each side. Across those matched pairs, AI Mode was 21.6% more expensive. Same product, same query, same day Price difference: AI Mode vs traditional search, for matched products only. +21.6% more expensive in AI Mode on matched products Source: Productrise · productrise.app This is a fascinating study that reveals more about Google's Shopping Graph and the inconsistencies between classic search and AI Mode for free listing placements. While the higher price might be displayed within the grid result in AI Mode (making the top-level comparison less accurate), what we tend to see is that the retailer with the lowest price gets the click in the end.
This research is useful from a consumer perspective, as it is helpful to understand that the products being recommended in AI Mode might not be giving 'price' as much weighting as we would have expected. B Brodie Clark Independent SEO Consultant The screenshots below are real examples from our dataset. Each pair is from the same search: traditional search on the left, AI Mode on the right.
Example: #1 position, AI Mode 26% more expensive SERP screenshot unavailable. Traditional search AI Mode screenshot unavailable. AI Mode Example: different seller, 19% higher in AI Mode SERP screenshot unavailable. Traditional search AI Mode screenshot unavailable. AI Mode
Same product, same query, and the price on the right is consistently higher. AI search was supposed to eliminate the friction of comparing prices across five different tabs, but if it only serves pricier inventory by default, it hasn't saved us any work. We're trading the visible effort of opening multiple windows for the invisible penalty of paying more without ever seeing the cheaper option that was one tab over.
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