The most visible AI automation and consulting agencies, October 2026

October 2026 · 15 questions asked in English, worldwide · ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Google AI Mode · 60 answers read

Leader

Deloitte

17Heralded Score, range 4–46

Where engines disagree most

Markovate

1/4engines put it in their top three

Top three on Google AI Overviews, not on Google AI Mode, Gemini and ChatGPT

Brands

Rank Brand Rank change Heralded Score All AI Search Score trend Mentioned Recommended By engine Mentioned by Change
1 Deloitte GB New entry 17 , range 4–46 6#7 35#1
17
  • : score 17 · #1
9% 0% None First reading
2 McKinsey US New entry 15 , range 3–42 4#8 33#2
15
  • : score 15 · #2
7% 0% None First reading
3 Accenture IE New entry 12 , range 3–48 11#1 13#5
12
  • : score 12 · #3
11% 1% None First reading
4 Markovate CA New entry 7 , range 2–46 7#3 6#8
7
  • : score 7 · #4
6% 2% None First reading
5 HatchWorks AI US New entry 6 , range 2–46 8#2 3#14
6
  • : score 6 · #5
4% 4% None First reading
6 LeewayHertz US New entry 5 , range 1–45 6#4 4#13
5
  • : score 5 · #6
5% 2% None First reading
7 RTS Labs US New entry 4 , range 1–44 6#5 2#22
4
  • : score 4 · #7
5% 1% None First reading
8 Slalom US New entry 4 , range 1–40 6#6 0= #30
4
  • : score 4 · #8
4% 2% None First reading
– 10Clouds PL Unranked Too few answers Not measured 0= #30
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% None First reading
– 729 Solutions Unranked Too few answers Not measured 0= #30
–
  • : Unranked
1% 1% None First reading

“=” marks brands whose score ranges overlap, so the test cannot separate them. Every brand named in at least three answers is ranked. AI and Search give each brand’s score and rank on that side alone. By engine has one dot per engine (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Google AI Mode), darker the more often it names the brand.

Most cited sources

No answer cited a source of this type (Reference).

Questions asked

QuestionLanguageMost recommended
What are the best AI consulting agencies for mid-sized companies? English Centric Consulting, HatchWorks AI, LeewayHertz, NineTwoThree AI Studio, RSM, RTS Labs, Slalom and West Monroe, tied
AI automation agency for a growing business English A & H Solutions, AI Automation NY, AutomateNexus and Flow Digital, tied
How can a company find a partner to build AI into its processes? English AnswerRocket, HatchWorks AI, Invoke Consulting, Roboyo USA Inc and Xebia, tied
How do I get help deploying AI agents in my business? English No brand recommended
Building AI in-house vs. hiring an AI agency for a mid-sized company English No brand recommended
AI freelancer vs. AI consulting firm for a small business English No brand recommended
Alternatives to hiring an in-house AI team English No brand recommended
Alternatives to large consulting firms for AI projects English Addepto, Caylent, DOOR3, Ryz Labs, Thoughtworks and Tribe AI, tied
I run a 100-person company and want to automate customer service with AI. Which agency should we work with? English Markovate
I lead operations at a manufacturer and need a partner to build AI workflows. English Accenture, GenFuse AI, Inevitability AI, Instrumental, Overview.ai, Slalom, SPR, Trio, VectisOS and Wipfli, tied

Each engine's top three

ChatGPT

No brand named in at least three answers.

Method

Each leaderboard ranks brands on two sides. AI is how ChatGPT, Gemini, Google AI Overviews and Google AI Mode answer the board's buyer questions. Search is Google's top 10 results for the keywords behind those questions. All combines the two, where Search is measured.

For the AI side, each month Heralded asks every engine the same buyer questions, twice each, and reads every answer. An answer counts 0 for a brand it leaves out, 50 for a brand it names and 100 for a brand it recommends, and the Heralded Score is built from those. A brand named in at least three answers gets a score and a place.

How the leaderboards are measured