Leader
51Heralded Score, range 20–60
The most visible VPNs in Germany, October 2026
Most cited source
22citations
From Google AI Mode, Gemini and Google AI Overviews
Where engines disagree most
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 All | AI | Search | Score trend | Mentioned | Recommended | By engine | Mentioned by | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | New entry | 51 , range 20–60 | 40#3 | 71#1 | 51
| 23% | 18% | | First reading | |
| 2 | | New entry | 48 , range 15–56 | 35#4 | 70#2 | 48
| 21% | 10% | | First reading | |
| 3 | | New entry | 48 , range 21–61 | 42#1 | 59#3 | 48
| 25% | 17% | | First reading | |
| 4 | | New entry | 40 , range 21–59 | 40#2 | 40#6 | 40
| 21% | 16% | | First reading | |
| 5 | | New entry | 23 , range 2–48 | 9#7 | 46#5 | 23
| 7% | 7% | | First reading | |
| 6 | | New entry | 17 , range 5–37 | 27#5 | 0= #16 | 17
| 8% | 7% | | First reading | |
| 7 | | New entry | 10 , range 2–45 | 6#9 | 16#7 | 10
| 7% | 1% | None | First reading | |
| 8 | | New entry | 8 , range 2–41 | 9#8 | 6= #10 | 8
| 5% | 5% | | First reading | |
| 9 | | New entry | 6 , range 2–34 | 9#6 | 0= #16 | 6
| 5% | 4% | None | First reading | |
| – | | Unranked | Too few answers | Not measured | 0= #16 | –
| 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. AI and Search give each brand’s score and rank on that side alone. 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 | | Media | 6.7% | 3 of 4 | 3 | 5 |
| 12 | | Review site | 5.0% | 3 of 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 13 | | Regulator | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 14 | | Vendor site | 3.3% | 2 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 15 | | Media | 5.0% | 2 of 4 | 1 | 4 |
| 16 | | Regulator | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 3 | Not read |
| 17 | | Media | 5.0% | 1 of 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 18 | | Reference | 3.3% | 2 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 19 | | Regulator | 1.7% | 1 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 20 | | Regulator | 1.7% | 1 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
Questions asked
| Question | Language | Most recommended |
|---|---|---|
| best vpn service for remote workers | English | |
| secure browsing for people working from home | English | No brand recommended |
| best vpn for streaming fans who travel | English | |
| how can i keep my browsing private on public wi-fi | English | No brand recommended |
| how to protect my internet traffic while traveling | English | |
Each engine's top three
Google AI Mode
- 1
NordVPN
- 2
ExpressVPN
- 3
Proton VPN
Gemini
- = 1
- = 1
Surfshark
- 3
Google AI Overviews
- 1
- 2
- 3
ChatGPT
- 1
- 2
- 3
NordLayer
Related leaderboards
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.