Cost-of-living pressures drove Australians online in April, with new Ipsos iris data showing audience growth for insurance, grocery, rewards and cashback brands.
The data found Australians were searching for cheaper services and better value across several everyday spending categories, including insurance, groceries, utilities and rewards programs.
What did Australians search for in April?
Budget Direct recorded one of the strongest month-on-month gains. Its audience rose by 33.3 per cent, from 1.1 million to 1.49 million, as consumers sought cheaper car and home insurance options.
Coles Group also grew its online audience, rising from 11.2 million to 12 million in April. Ipsos said users were spending longer online as they planned their weekly grocery shop.
Comparison site Canstar recorded year-on-year audience growth of 40.6 per cent, increasing from 1.29 million to 1.85 million.
Rewards and cashback sites grow
Everyday Rewards reached its highest audience on record, up 15.8 per cent year-on-year from 10.1 million to 11.7 million.
Rewards programs, coupon websites and cashback apps were especially popular with younger audiences. People aged 18 to 39 made up 40 per cent of the Everyday Rewards audience, compared to 11 per cent for Australians aged over 65.
ShopBack also saw strong growth, with its audience increasing 41.9 per cent year-on-year from 4.4 million to 6.3 million.
OzBargain’s audience grew 21.6 per cent year-on-year, from 1.7 million to 2.1 million. Audiences aged 18 to 39 made up 40 per cent of ShopBack’s audience and nearly 51 per cent of OzBargain’s audience.
The findings align with Ipsos’ latest Issues Monitor, which found cost of living remained the top concern for Australians. The monitor found 63 per cent of respondents named it as their number one worry.
News websites reach 21.5 million Australians
Ipsos iris data also showed 21.5 million people used a news website or app in April. That represented 95.4 per cent of online Australians aged 14 and over.
Major stories driving online news engagement included ANZAC Day services, the arrest of decorated veteran Ben Roberts-Smith on suspicion of war crimes, and the ongoing fuel crisis in the Middle East.
Other high-interest topics included NRL and AFL updates, the alleged murder of a five-year-old Indigenous girl in Alice Springs, and the Geelong oil refinery fire.
The top news brands by online audience in April were ABC News, news.com.au, nine.com.au, The Guardian Australia and 7news.com.au, according to the ranking report included in the release.
ipsos iris news ranking, April 2026
Career category records strongest growth
The career category recorded the strongest year-on-year audience growth for the second consecutive month, up 9.8 per cent.
It was followed by automotive, up 7.2 per cent, homes and property, up 4.4 per cent, energy suppliers and utilities, up 3.4 per cent, and entertainment, up 2.9 per cent.
Ipsos iris, endorsed by IAB Australia as Australia’s digital audience measurement currency, found 22.57 million Australians aged 14 and over used the internet in April.
That figure was up 2 per cent year-on-year. Australians spent an average of five hours a day online, up 2.6 per cent compared to the same period last year.
The most consumed online categories in April were social networking, online media, search engines, technology and entertainment.
Ipsos iris measures digital audiences across smartphones, PCs, laptops and tablets. Its methodology combines a single-source passive panel with site-centric census measurement through media-owner tagging.
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