The most visible antivirus apps in Netherlands, October 2026

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

AI: how the engines answer the board's questions; Search: Google's top 10 for the questions' demand keywords; All: both combined. How the Heralded Score works.

Most cited source

microsoft.com

19citations

From Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews and ChatGPT

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

Rank Brand Rank change Heralded Score Score trend Mentioned Recommended By engine Mentioned by Change
11 F-Secure FI New entry 12 , range 1–71
12
  • : score 12 · #11
2% 1% None First reading
12 McAfee US New entry 10 , range 3–48
10
  • : score 10 · #12
8% 3% First reading
= 13 Adaware SE New entry 9 , range 0–71
9
  • : score 9 · #13
1% 0% None First reading
= 13 Trend Micro JP New entry 9 , range 0–71
9
  • : score 9 · #13
1% 0% First reading
15 TotalAV GB New entry 7 , range 0–70
7
  • : score 7 · #15
1% 0% None First reading
16 MacKeeper UA New entry 5 , range 0–70
5
  • : score 5 · #16
1% 0% None First reading
17 G DATA DE New entry 4 , range 0–70
4
  • : score 4 · #17
1% 0% None First reading
= 18 Panda Security ES New entry 3 , range 0–66
3
  • : score 3 · #18
0% 0% None First reading
= 18 Surfshark NL New entry 3 , range 0–66
3
  • : score 3 · #18
2% 0% First reading
= 20 Acronis SG New entry 0 , range 0–48
0
  • : score 0 · #20
0% 0% 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. 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.

Most cited sources

Rank Source Type Cited in Engines Pages cited Brands its pages mention
1 microsoft.com Brand site 16.7% 3 of 4 17 1
2Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
3Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
4 google.com Vendor site 10.0% 3 of 4 8 0
5 apple.com Vendor site 10.0% 3 of 4 7 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.
9Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
10Withheld. 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 ESET and Malwarebytes, tied
How can I replace separate security apps with one for my devices? English Bitdefender and Microsoft Defender, tied
I work remotely and need to protect my laptop on public Wi-Fi. English No brand recommended
I have children using shared devices and need to block unsafe downloads. English No brand recommended

Each engine's top three

Method

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