As the ongoing cost-of-living crisis drove Australians online in search of financial relief, new Ipsos iris data for April, has revealed that audiences for a number of insurance, groceries, rewards and cashback brands grew month-on-month.
Last month, audience for Australian car and home insurer, Budget Direct, increased by 33.3 per cent month-on-month, rising from 1.1 million to 1.49 million, as people sought out cheaper insurance options. Some online supermarket audiences also grew, with users spending longer looking for value while they planned their weekly shop.
According to the new data, audience numbers for Coles Group grew month-on-month in April from 11.2 million to 12 million.
Comparison site Canstar also recorded a large uptick in audience year-on-year, up 40.6 per cent, from 1.29 million to 1.85 million.
Everyday Rewards year-on-year total audience growth was up 15.8 per cent, from 10.1 million to 11.7 million, the highest on record. Rewards programs, coupon code websites and apps have proven
most popular with Gen Z and millennial audiences. Eighteen to 39-year-olds make up 40 per cent of the audience for Everyday Rewards, compared to just 11 per cent of those aged over 65.
Similarly, cashback and coupons website ShopBack saw its year-on-year audience grow by 41.9 per cent, from 4.4 million to 6.3 million. OzBargain audience also increased 21.6 per cent year-on-year from 1.7 million to 2.1 million.
ShopBack and bargain-hunting website OzBargain also saw their largest audience composition come from those aged 18 – 39, making up 40 per cent and nearly 51 per cent respectively.
The findings align with broader consumer sentiment. According to the Ipsos Issues Monitor released last month, cost-of-living continued to be the top concern for Australians, with 63 per cent of those surveyed naming it as their number one worry.
ANZAC Day services, Ben Roberts-Smith’s arrest and ongoing fuel crisis dominate online news content in April Ipsos iris data shows 21.5 million people used a news website or app in April, reaching 95.4 per cent of online Australians aged 14 plus.
News websites and apps continued to be key sources for updates on major national and international news events, including the fuel crisis in the Middle East, which continued to dominate headlines locally and globally, particularly rolling live updates on the Iran-Israel-US crisis, along with Australian price and supply angles, and government policy responses.
ANZAC Day services and practical trading-hours guides also generated strong audience engagement in April, along with the arrest of decorated veteran Ben Roberts-Smith on suspicion of war crimes.
Other trending Australian stories included the latest updates in the NRL and AFL, particularly team lists and transfer whispers, the tragic case of the five-year-old Indigenous girl allegedly murdered in Alice Springs, and the Geelong oil refinery fire.
Globally, stories related to the ongoing Middle East conflict, US Politics, particularly updates on US President Donald Trump, photo-led coverage of celebrities attending music festival Coachella, the English Premier League and the Masters, also drew substantial attention.
The chart below shows the News brands’ ranking during April 2026 by online audience size.
The career category continued to grow in April, recording the highest audience growth year-on-year for the second month in a row, increasing by 9.8 per cent. This was followed by automotive (+7.2 per cent), homes and property (+ 4.4 per cent), energy suppliers/utilities (+3.4 per cent) and entertainment (+2.9 per cent).
Ipsos iris, Australia’s digital audience measurement currency endorsed by IAB Australia, showed that a total of 22.57 million Australians aged 14 plus used the internet in April, up 2 per cent compared to the same time last year, and spent an average of 5 hours daily online, up 2.6 per cent year on year.
The most consumed categories in April were social networking (22.5 million), online media (22.48 million), search engines (22.46 million), technology (22.36 million), and entertainment (22.28 million).
