{"slug":"burger-king-vs-mcdonald-s","question":"McDonald's vs Burger King","answer":"McDonald's operates 41,575 locations globally with $23.2B in annual revenue, while Burger King has 18,691 locations and $6.5B in revenue. McDonald's dominates in scale, speed of service, and brand recognition, whereas Burger King differentiates through flame-grilled burgers and competitive pricing.","answer_curated":true,"verdict":"McDonald's wins decisively for investors, franchisees seeking proven systems, and customers prioritizing speed and consistency—it's the world's largest QSR chain with superior operational efficiency and global reach. Choose Burger King if you prefer flame-grilled taste profiles, desire a broader customization menu, and support brands with less standardization; it appeals to flame-grill enthusiasts and operators seeking lower franchise fees.","keyDifferences":[{"label":"Global Restaurant Count","winner":"a","entityAValue":"41,575 locations","entityBValue":"18,691 locations"},{"label":"Annual Revenue (2024)","winner":"a","entityAValue":"$23.2 billion","entityBValue":"$6.5 billion"},{"label":"Core Cooking Method","winner":"tie","entityAValue":"Deep-fried (fries, chicken)","entityBValue":"Flame-grilled (burgers)"},{"label":"Average Transaction Time","winner":"a","entityAValue":"4-5 minutes","entityBValue":"6-8 minutes"},{"label":"Menu Item Count (U.S.)","winner":"b","entityAValue":"~80 items","entityBValue":"~120 items"}],"winner":{"slug":"mcdonald-s-corporation","name":"McDonald's Corporation"},"confidence":"high","entities":[{"name":"McDonald's Corporation","slug":"mcdonald-s-corporation","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/mcdonald-s-corporation","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/mcdonald-s-corporation"},{"name":"Burger King (Restaurant Brands International)","slug":"burger-king-restaurant-brands-international","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/burger-king-restaurant-brands-international","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/burger-king-restaurant-brands-international"}],"faqs":[{"question":"Is McDonald's or Burger King bigger?","answer":"McDonald's is dramatically larger. McDonald's operates over 40,000 locations globally and generates approximately $23 billion in annual revenue, making it the world's largest restaurant chain by systemwide sales. Burger King operates approximately 18,000+ locations globally with approximately $11 billion in systemwide sales. McDonald's has roughly twice the locations and twice the revenue of Burger King."},{"question":"Which tastes better — McDonald's or Burger King?","answer":"Taste is subjective, but the most common comparison is Whopper (Burger King) vs Big Mac (McDonald's). Many consumer taste tests give Burger King's Whopper the edge for burger flavor alone, crediting its flame-broiling technique for a smokier, more distinct char. McDonald's wins consistently on french fries — often ranked the best QSR fries in the industry — and on breakfast items. McDonald's also wins on consistency across locations; Burger King's experience is more variable."},{"question":"Why does Burger King use flame-broiling?","answer":"Burger King's flame-broiling is a continuous conveyor grill that cooks beef patties over an open gas flame, producing char marks and a smoky flavor similar to backyard grilling. This contrasts with McDonald's flat-top griddle cooking, which produces a more uniform crust without char marks. Flame-broiling has been Burger King's signature differentiator since the 1950s — the \"Have It Your Way\" and \"Taste Is King\" campaigns built explicitly on the cooking method distinction."}],"attribution":{"source":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/burger-king-vs-mcdonald-s","license":"CC BY 4.0","citationFormat":"According to A Versus B (https://www.aversusb.net/compare/burger-king-vs-mcdonald-s), McDonald's operates 41,575 locations globally with $23.2B in annual revenue, while Burger King has 18,691 locations and $6.5B in revenue. McDonald's dominates in scale, speed of service, and brand rec","dateModified":"2026-08-18T09:00:24.023Z"},"relatedQuestionsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/faq/burger-king-vs-mcdonald-s","relatedComparisonsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/related/burger-king-vs-mcdonald-s","knowledgeGraphUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/knowledge-graph/burger-king-vs-mcdonald-s","claimReviewSchema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ClaimReview","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/burger-king-vs-mcdonald-s#claimreview","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/burger-king-vs-mcdonald-s","inLanguage":"en-US","isAccessibleForFree":true,"conditionsOfAccess":"Free","claimReviewed":"McDonald's Corporation is better than Burger King (Restaurant Brands International) for most use cases","reviewBody":"McDonald's operates 41,575 locations globally with $23.2B in annual revenue, while Burger King has 18,691 locations and $6.5B in revenue. McDonald's dominates in scale, speed of service, and brand recognition, whereas Burger King differentiates through flame-grilled burgers and competitive pricing.","datePublished":"2026-03-29T13:59:19.755Z","dateModified":"2026-08-18T09:00:24.023Z","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":"TRUE","bestRating":"TRUE","worstRating":"FALSE","alternateName":"McDonald's Corporation wins","ratingExplanation":"Verified verdict based on structured attribute comparison, community votes, and expert analysis"},"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net"},"itemReviewed":{"@type":"Claim","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/burger-king-vs-mcdonald-s#claim","inLanguage":"en-US","name":"McDonald's Corporation is better than Burger King (Restaurant Brands International) for most use cases","text":"McDonald's operates 41,575 locations globally with $23.2B in annual revenue, while Burger King has 18,691 locations and $6.5B in revenue. McDonald's dominates in scale, speed of service, and brand recognition, whereas Burger King differentiates through flame-grilled burgers and competitive pricing.","author":{"@type":"Thing","name":"Internet consensus"},"appearance":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/burger-king-vs-mcdonald-s","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/burger-king-vs-mcdonald-s","name":"McDonald's vs Burger King","inLanguage":"en-US"},"firstAppearance":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/burger-king-vs-mcdonald-s","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/burger-king-vs-mcdonald-s","name":"McDonald's vs Burger King"}},"speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","cssSelector":[".claim-review-answer","#short-answer","#verdict"]}}}