A GrabBike driver in the central city of Đà Nẵng. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — Leading digital platforms may have similar usage rates, but consumer preferences vary significantly across generations, with younger users showing different choices in ride-hailing, food delivery, messaging and AI tools.

According to Decision Lab’s The Connected Consumer – Digital Platforms H1 2026 report, based on a survey of 1,477 online consumers, Grab and Xanh SM have comparable usage rates, at 66 and 64 per cent respectively. However, preferences differ by service and age group.

For motorbike rides, GrabBike leads with 45 per cent of users, compared with 38 per cent for Green SM Bike. For car rides, Green SM Taxi is preferred by 42 per cent, against 37 per cent for GrabCar.

Generation X is the only group that prefers GrabCar over Xanh SM Taxi (39 per cent versus 37 per cent), while Generation Z favours XanhSM Taxi (45 per cent versus 33 per cent). GrabBike remains the leading motorbike service across all generations, although its advantage over Green SM Bike narrows among younger users.

A similar generational divide is evident in food delivery. GrabFood and ShopeeFood have identical usage rates of 53 per cent. However, 42 per cent of Generation X and Y users order most often through GrabFood, compared with 32 per cent through ShopeeFood. Generation Z shows the opposite preference, with ShopeeFood leading at 46 per cent, against 33 per cent for GrabFood.

In online shopping, Shopee remains dominant, used by 82 per cent of respondents and serving as the main shopping platform for 61 per cent. It leads across all three generations, with the highest preference among Generation Z at 67 per cent. TikTok Shop is used by 60 per cent of respondents, but only 22 per cent consider it their main shopping platform. Its appeal as a primary shopping channel is relatively stronger among younger consumers.

Messaging preferences also vary by age. Zalo is used by 81 per cent of respondents to communicate with friends and family and is the most frequently used platform for 54 per cent. However, its share as the top messaging choice falls from 71 per cent among Generation X to 55 per cent among Generation Y and 34 per cent among Generation Z. Among younger users, Messenger (29 per cent) and Facebook (23 per cent) are close competitors.

Google remains the leading search engine, with usage rates of 92 per cent on computers. Local search engine Coc Coc ranks second, with 41 per cent usage on computers and 31 per cent on mobile devices. Its popularity among younger users is particularly notable: computer usage rises from 32 per cent among Generation X to 48 per cent among Generation Z.

Thue Quist Thomasen, CEO of Decision Lab, said broad reach was no longer enough to distinguish leading platforms as their usage rates became increasingly similar.

“The advantage belongs to the one people return to most often, and our data shows that this differs by generation,” he said, adding that platforms needed to establish a clear role in each generation’s daily routine to turn usage into loyalty.

The report is part of Decision Lab’s ongoing The Connected Consumer research series, which has tracked digital platform use in Việt Nam since 2019. The H1 2026 survey was conducted online from April to June among 1,477 consumers across six regions, covering Generation Z (18–29), Generation Y (30–45) and Generation X (46–66).

The report distinguishes between platform usage and preference, defined as the platform respondents use most often. Its findings reflect the consumers surveyed and should not be interpreted as market share figures. — VNS