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Heralded

The most visible antivirus apps, October 2026

October 2026 · 15 questions asked in English, worldwide · ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Google AI Mode · 84 answers read

Most cited source

microsoft.com

24citations

From Google AI Mode, Gemini, Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT

Where engines disagree most

Norton

1/4engines put it in their top three

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

Brands

Rank Brand Rank change Heralded Score Score trend Mentioned Recommended By engine Mentioned by Change
1 Microsoft Defender US New entry 55 , range 44–69
55
  • : score 55 · #1
 49% 37% First reading
2 Bitdefender RO New entry 49 , range 40–63
49
  • : score 49 · #2
 44% 30% First reading
3 Norton US New entry 41 , range 34–50
41
  • : score 41 · #3
 41% 12% First reading
4 Malwarebytes US New entry 39 , range 32–48
39
  • : score 39 · #4
 27% 21% First reading
5 McAfee US New entry 31 , range 10–39
31
  • : score 31 · #5
 22% 5% First reading
6 Avast CZ New entry 16 , range 6–35
16
  • : score 16 · #6
 15% 3% First reading
7 Kaspersky RU New entry 16 , range 7–34
16
  • : score 16 · #7
 18% 0% First reading
8 Intego FR New entry 6 , range 2–30
6
  • : score 6 · #8
 4% 4% None First reading
9 F-Secure FI New entry 4 , range 2–21
4
  • : score 4 · #9
 6% 0% None First reading
10 Sophos GB New entry 4 , range 1–20
4
  • : score 4 · #10
 4% 1% First reading

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

This month's moves

First reading. No comparable previous month yet.

Biggest risers

No clear rise.

Biggest fallers

No clear fall.

Drop-outs

No drop-outs.

Most cited sources

Rank Source Type Cited in Engines Pages cited Brands its pages mention
11 reddit.com Community 9.5% 3 of 4 8 6
12 security.org Media 10.7% 3 of 4 3 3
13 allaboutcookies.org Reference 8.3% 3 of 4 3 6
14Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
15Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
16Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
17Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
18Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
19 quora.com Community 4.8% 1 of 4 5 5
20Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.

The questions, and who wins each

QuestionLanguageWins it
do i need antivirus protection if i only download apps from official stores English Microsoft Defender
what can replace relying on built-in security to protect my laptop English Bitdefender and Malwarebytes, tied
how can i replace separate security apps with one for my devices English Microsoft Defender
i work remotely and need to protect my laptop on public wi-fi English Microsoft Defender
i have children using shared devices and need to block unsafe downloads English Microsoft Defender

Each engine's top three

Method

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