The most visible antivirus apps in United Kingdom, October 2026

October 2026 · 15 questions asked from United Kingdom in 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.

Leader

Norton

28%of answers name it

Most cited source

youtube.com

30citations

From Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews

Where engines disagree most

Microsoft Defender

1/4engines put it in their top three

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

Brands

Rank Brand Rank change Heralded Score Score trend Mentioned Recommended By engine Mentioned by Change
– Adaware SE Unranked Too few answers
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% None First reading
– Aura US Unranked Too few answers
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% First reading
– Avira DE Unranked Too few answers
–
  • : Unranked
3% 1% First reading
– Emsisoft NZ Unranked Too few answers
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% None First reading
– ESET SK Unranked Too few answers
–
  • : Unranked
4% 3% First reading
– F-Secure FI Unranked Too few answers
–
  • : Unranked
3% 0% First reading
– G DATA DE Unranked Too few answers
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% None First reading
– Intego FR Unranked Too few answers
–
  • : Unranked
4% 2% First reading
– Lookout US Unranked Too few answers
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% None First reading
– MacKeeper UA Unranked Too few answers
–
  • : Unranked
1% 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 8.3% 3 of 4 5 Not read
12 tomsguide.com Media 8.3% 2 of 4 5 Not read
13 facebook.com Social 5.0% 2 of 4 3 Not read
14 safetydetectives.com Media 6.7% 2 of 4 4 Not read
15 security.org Media 6.7% 3 of 4 3 3
16 cnet.com Media 3.3% 2 of 4 3 Not read
17 hp.com Vendor site 5.0% 1 of 4 2 1
18 rokform.com Vendor site 5.0% 2 of 4 2 3
19 android.com Vendor site 3.3% 1 of 4 2 Not read
20 av-comparatives.org Review site 1.7% 1 of 4 2 Not read

The questions, and who wins each

QuestionLanguageWins it
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

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