The most visible antivirus apps in Europe, October 2026

October 2026 · 105 questions asked from 7 countries · ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini and Google AI Mode · 420 answers read

Most cited source

youtube.com

151citations

From Google AI Mode, Gemini and Google AI Overviews

Where engines disagree most

Malwarebytes

1/4engines put it in their top three

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

Brands

Search is not measured for this board yet, so it ranks on AI answers.

Rank Brand Rank change Heralded Score All AI Score trend Mentioned Recommended By engine Mentioned by Change
1 Microsoft Defender US New entry 48 , range 45–53 48#1
48
  • : score 48 · #1
43% 30% First reading
2 Bitdefender RO New entry 48 , range 45–53 48#2
48
  • : score 48 · #2
44% 29% First reading
3 Norton US New entry 37 , range 34–40 37#3
37
  • : score 37 · #3
30% 13% First reading
4 Malwarebytes US New entry 33 , range 31–36 33#4
33
  • : score 33 · #4
20% 13% First reading
5 Kaspersky RU New entry 21 , range 12–31 21#5
21
  • : score 21 · #5
19% 2% First reading
6 Avast CZ New entry 21 , range 10–31 21#6
21
  • : score 21 · #6
15% 5% First reading
7 ESET SK New entry 16 , range 9–30 16#7
16
  • : score 16 · #7
11% 7% First reading
8 McAfee US New entry 9 , range 7–20 9#8
9
  • : score 9 · #8
11% 3% First reading
9 AVG CZ New entry 6 , range 4–9 6#9
6
  • : score 6 · #9
7% 2% First reading
10 Intego FR New entry 4 , range 2–6 4#10
4
  • : score 4 · #10
3% 2% 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 gives each brand’s score and rank from the engines’ answers; Search is not measured for this board yet. 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
11 pcmag.com Media 5.0% 3 of 4 11 Not read
12 techradar.com Media 4.0% 4 of 4 9 15
13 bund.de Regulator 2.4% 3 of 4 13 Not read
14 ftc.gov Regulator 2.1% 2 of 4 9 Not read
15 security.org Media 3.3% 4 of 4 3 3
16 safetydetectives.com Media 3.1% 3 of 4 11 12
17 tomsguide.com Media 3.1% 2 of 4 6 Not read
18 cybermalveillance.gouv.fr Regulator 1.2% 1 of 4 9 Not read
19 cnet.com Media 2.4% 3 of 4 7 8
20 lenovo.com Vendor site 2.1% 2 of 4 11 Not read

Questions asked

QuestionLanguageMost recommended
How can I protect my family from phishing links and unsafe downloads? English Microsoft Defender
How can I remove a virus and stop it coming back? English Microsoft Defender
How can I tell if spyware is tracking my phone? English No brand recommended
Is my device’s built-in security enough, or should I install an antivirus app? English Malwarebytes and Microsoft Defender, tied
Should I use one security app across my phone and computer, or separate apps? English Microsoft Defender
Do I need antivirus protection if I only download apps from official app stores? English Microsoft Defender
What can I use instead of relying on my laptop’s built-in security? English Bitdefender
How can I replace separate security apps with a single one for my devices? English Norton
I work remotely and need to protect my laptop when using public Wi-Fi. English Microsoft Defender
My children share devices, and I need to block unsafe downloads. English No brand recommended

Each engine's top three

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