Leader
52Heralded Score, range 28–60
The most visible VPNs in United Kingdom, October 2026
Most cited source
22citations
From ChatGPT
Where engines disagree most
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 All | AI | Search | Score trend | Mentioned | Recommended | By engine | Mentioned by | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | | New entry | 7 , range 1–43 | 4= #10 | 11#17 | 7
| 5% | 1% | None | First reading | |
| 12 | | New entry | 6 , range 1–46 | 6#7 | 4= #24 | 6
| 4% | 2% | | First reading | |
| – | | Unranked | Too few answers | Not measured | 0= #32 | –
| 0% | 0% | None | First reading | |
| – | | Unranked | Too few answers | Not measured | 10#18 | –
| 1% | 0% | None | First reading | |
| – | | Unranked | Too few answers | Not measured | 0= #32 | –
| 0% | 0% | None | First reading | |
| – | | Unranked | Too few answers | Not measured | 0= #32 | –
| 0% | 0% | None | First reading | |
| – | | Unranked | Too few answers | Not measured | 2= #28 | –
| 0% | 0% | None | First reading | |
| – | | Unranked | Too few answers | Not measured | 0= #32 | –
| 0% | 0% | None | First reading | |
| – | | Unranked | Too few answers | Not measured | 0= #32 | –
| 1% | 0% | None | First reading | |
| – | | Unranked | Too few answers | Not measured | 0= #32 | –
| 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 | | Regulator | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 12 | | Reference | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 3 | Not read |
| 13 | | Media | 5.0% | 1 of 4 | 2 | 8 |
| 14 | | Regulator | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 3 | Not read |
| 15 | | Directory | 5.0% | 1 of 4 | 2 | 3 |
| 16 | | Reference | 5.0% | 2 of 4 | 2 | 9 |
| 17 | | Vendor site | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 3 | Not read |
| 18 | | Regulator | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 19 | | Media | 5.0% | 3 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
| 20 | | Media | 3.3% | 1 of 4 | 2 | Not read |
Questions asked
| Question | Language | Most recommended |
|---|---|---|
| What’s the best VPN for employees working remotely? | English | |
| What VPN can travelers use to protect their data online? | English | |
| What VPN is best for small businesses with employees in multiple locations? | English | |
| How can a remote employee securely access their company’s network? | English | No brand recommended |
| How can I protect my data when using public Wi-Fi? | English | No brand recommended |
| VPN connection or remote access for small teams? | English | |
| What are some alternatives to public Wi-Fi for employees working from cafés? | English | No brand recommended |
| What are some alternatives to hotel Wi-Fi for travelers? | English | No brand recommended |
| I manage a company with 10 remote employees. How can I secure their connections? | English | |
| I work in accounting and access client data from home. How can I protect it? | English | No brand recommended |
Each engine's top three
Google AI Mode
- 1
ExpressVPN
- = 2
NordLayer
- = 2
Proton VPN
Gemini
- 1
NordVPN
- 2
Surfshark
- 3
Google AI Overviews
ChatGPT
- 1
- = 2
- = 2
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.