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The most visible antivirus apps on ChatGPT, October 2026

October 2026 · 15 questions asked in English, worldwide · ChatGPT · 19 answers read

Where engines disagree most

One engine

This page reads ChatGPT only. Set Engine to All to compare them.

Brands

Rank Brand Heralded Score Mentioned Recommended By engine Mentioned by Change
1 Microsoft Defender US 62 , range 39–80 46% 46% First reading
2 Bitdefender RO 41 , range 25–69 27% 27% First reading
= 3 McAfee US 33 , range 17–53 27% 8% First reading
= 3 Norton US 33 , range 17–53 27% 8% First reading
5 Malwarebytes US 25 , range 11–47 12% 12% None First reading
6 Avast CZ 22 , range 10–44 15% 4% First reading
– Aura US Too few answers 0% 0% None First reading
– AVG CZ Too few answers 4% 0% First reading
– Avira DE Too few answers 4% 0% First reading
– ESET SK Too few answers 8% 8% 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.

Most cited sources

Rank Source Type Cited in Engines Pages cited Brands its pages mention
1 microsoft.com Brand site 42.1% 1 of 4 12 3
2Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
3 apple.com Vendor site 42.1% 1 of 4 7 0
4Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
5 google.com Vendor site 36.8% 1 of 4 6 0
6Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
7Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
8Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
9 av-comparatives.org Review site 5.3% 1 of 4 2 9
10Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.

The questions, and who wins each

QuestionLanguageWins it
what antivirus app should i use to protect my windows laptop from malware English Bitdefender, ESET and Microsoft Defender, tied
which antivirus app can protect a family’s phones and computers English Bitdefender, McAfee and Norton, tied
what should i use to keep my mac safe from viruses and ransomware English Malwarebytes
which antivirus app helps protect my android phone from malicious apps English Bitdefender
how do i stop malware from infecting my laptop English Microsoft Defender
how can i protect my family from phishing links and unsafe downloads English No brand recommended
how do i remove a virus and keep it from coming back English No brand recommended
how can i tell if spyware is tracking my phone English No brand recommended
is built-in device security enough or should i install an antivirus app English Microsoft Defender
should i use one security app across my phone and computer or separate apps 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