The most visible antivirus apps on Google AI Mode, October 2026

October 2026 · 15 questions asked in English, worldwide · Google AI Mode · 20 answers read

Most cited source

pcmag.com

4citations

From Google AI Mode

Where engines disagree most

One engine

This page reads Google AI Mode only. Set Engine to All to compare them.

Brands

Rank Brand Heralded Score Mentioned Recommended By engine Mentioned by Change
1 Bitdefender RO 66 , range 44–81 58% 46% First reading
2 Malwarebytes US 61 , range 41–79 54% 42% First reading
3 Microsoft Defender US 54 , range 38–75 54% 29% First reading
4 Norton US 36 , range 14–56 29% 13% First reading
5 Avast CZ 29 , range 3–47 17% 8% First reading
6 McAfee US 8 , range 1–40 13% 0% First reading
– Aura US Too few answers 0% 0% First reading
– AVG CZ Too few answers 0% 0% First reading
– Avira DE Too few answers 0% 0% First reading
– ESET SK Too few answers 0% 0% 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 pcmag.com Media 20.0% 1 of 4 3 Not read
2 google.com Vendor site 10.0% 1 of 4 3 1
3Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
4 reddit.com Community 5.0% 1 of 4 2 7
5 allaboutcookies.org Reference 5.0% 1 of 4 1 4
6Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
7 cnet.com Media 5.0% 1 of 4 1 8
8Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
9 microsoft.com Brand site 5.0% 1 of 4 1 1
10 security.org Media 5.0% 1 of 4 1 3

The questions, and who wins each

QuestionLanguageWins it
what antivirus app should i use to protect my windows laptop from malware English Bitdefender and Microsoft Defender, tied
which antivirus app can protect a family’s phones and computers English Bitdefender and Norton, tied
what should i use to keep my mac safe from viruses and ransomware English Bitdefender, Intego and Malwarebytes, tied
which antivirus app helps protect my android phone from malicious apps English Avast and Sophos, tied
how do i stop malware from infecting my laptop English No brand recommended
how can i protect my family from phishing links and unsafe downloads English Bitdefender and Malwarebytes, tied
how do i remove a virus and keep it from coming back English Malwarebytes and Microsoft Defender, tied
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 No brand recommended
should i use one security app across my phone and computer or separate apps English Bitdefender and Microsoft Defender, tied

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