Leader
83%of answers name it
The most visible VPNs, October 2026
Most cited source
56citations
From Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews
Where engines disagree most
2/4engines put it in their top three
Top three on Gemini and ChatGPT, not on Google AI Mode and Google AI Overviews
Brands
| Rank | Brand | Rank change | Heralded Score | Score trend | Mentioned | Recommended | By engine | Mentioned by | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | New entry | 82 , range 75–87 | 82
| 83% | 63% | | First reading | |
| 2 | | New entry | 79 , range 72–85 | 79
| 78% | 60% | | First reading | |
| 3 | | New entry | 73 , range 64–80 | 73
| 73% | 49% | | First reading | |
| 4 | | New entry | 73 , range 63–79 | 73
| 71% | 49% | None | First reading | |
| 5 | | New entry | 44 , range 37–53 | 44
| 37% | 25% | None | First reading | |
| 6 | | New entry | 10 , range 5–32 | 10
| 10% | 5% | | First reading | |
| 7 | | New entry | 9 , range 4–31 | 9
| 9% | 4% | None | First reading | |
| 8 | | New entry | 8 , range 4–30 | 8
| 9% | 3% | None | First reading | |
| 9 | | New entry | 5 , range 2–17 | 5
| 6% | 1% | | First reading | |
| 10 | | New entry | 4 , range 2–17 | 4
| 5% | 1% | 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.
Biggest risers
No clear rise.
Biggest fallers
No clear fall.
New entries
Drop-outs
No drop-outs.
Most cited sources
| Rank | Source | Type | Cited in | Engines | Pages cited | Brands its pages mention |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | Vendor site | 7.3% | 2 of 4 | 17 | 6 |
| 2 | Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it. | |||||
| 3 | Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it. | |||||
| 4 | Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it. | |||||
| 5 | Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it. | |||||
| 6 | Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it. | |||||
| 7 | Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it. | |||||
| 8 | Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it. | |||||
| 9 | Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it. | |||||
| 10 | | Vendor site | 1.0% | 1 of 4 | 1 | Not read |
The questions, and who wins each
| Question | Language | Wins it |
|---|---|---|
| best VPNs | English | |
| VPNs recommendations for travellers | English | |
| top VPNs | English | |
| how to choose VPNs | English | |
| what to look for in VPNs | English | No brand recommended |
| VPNs for families | English | |
| VPNs that work with a smart TV | English | |
| VPNs with GDPR-compliant hosting | English | |
| best VPNs for streaming | English | |
| most reliable VPNs | English | |
Each engine's top three
Google AI Mode
- 1
NordVPN
- 2
Surfshark
- 3
ExpressVPN
Gemini
- 1
- 2
- 3
Proton VPN
Google AI Overviews
- 1
- 2
- 3
ChatGPT
- 1
- 2
- 3
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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.