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The most visible VPNs in Italy, October 2026

October 2026 · 15 questions asked from Italy in Italian 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.

Leader

NordVPN

23%of answers name it

Most cited source

techradar.com

7citations

From Gemini and ChatGPT

Where engines disagree most

Surfshark

1/4engines put it in their top three

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

Brands

Rank Brand Rank change Heralded Score Score trend Mentioned Recommended By engine Mentioned by Change
1 NordVPN LT New entry 32 , range 22–62
32
  • : score 32 · #1
 23% 16% First reading
2 ZeroTier US New entry 30 , range 0–75
30
  • : score 30 · #2
 3% 0% None First reading
3 Proton VPN CH New entry 29 , range 22–62
29
  • : score 29 · #3
 21% 18% First reading
4 Surfshark NL New entry 27 , range 20–57
27
  • : score 27 · #4
 16% 14% First reading
5 ExpressVPN VG New entry 26 , range 20–58
26
  • : score 26 · #5
 18% 14% First reading
6 NordLayer LT New entry 21 , range 10–54
21
  • : score 21 · #6
 12% 10% None First reading
7 Proton for Business CH New entry 20 , range 6–52
20
  • : score 20 · #7
 11% 8% None First reading
8 IPVanish US New entry 9 , range 0–74
9
  • : score 9 · #8
 1% 0% First reading
9 Tailscale CA New entry 6 , range 2–47
6
  • : score 6 · #9
 4% 4% First reading
10 PureDome HK New entry 4 , range 0–72
4
  • : score 4 · #10
 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.

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
1 techradar.com Media 6.7% 2 of 4 4 19
2Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
3 cnet.com Media 6.7% 3 of 4 3 11
4 security.org Media 6.7% 2 of 4 4 11
5 tomshw.it Media 6.7% 3 of 4 2 11
6Withheld. Run a full Snapshot to see it.
7 aranzulla.it Media 5.0% 3 of 4 3 Not read
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
best vpn service for remote workers English ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Proton VPN and Surfshark, tied
secure browsing for people working from home English No brand recommended
best vpn for streaming fans who travel English Surfshark
how can i keep my browsing private on public wi-fi English No brand recommended
how to protect my internet traffic while traveling 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