The most visible VPNs 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

Leader

NordVPN

52Heralded Score, range 28–60

Most cited source

ncsc.gov.uk

22citations

From ChatGPT

Where engines disagree most

ExpressVPN

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
– CopVPN Unranked Too few answers Not measured 0= #32
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% None First reading
– Cryptostorm Unranked Too few answers Not measured 6#22
–
  • : Unranked
1% 0% None First reading
– F-Secure VPN FI Unranked Too few answers Not measured 0= #32
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% None First reading
– FastestVPN Unranked Too few answers Not measured 2#31
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% First reading
– GOOSE VPN Unranked Too few answers Not measured 0= #32
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% None First reading
– hide.me MY Unranked Too few answers Not measured 0= #32
–
  • : Unranked
1% 0% First reading
– HMA Unranked Too few answers Not measured 7#20
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% First reading
– Hola VPN Unranked Too few answers Not measured 3#27
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% First reading
– Hotspot Shield US Unranked Too few answers Not measured 4= #24
–
  • : Unranked
0% 0% First reading
– InfoPeak VPN Unranked Too few answers Not measured 0= #32
–
  • : Unranked
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 cisa.gov Regulator 3.3% 1 of 4 2 Not read
12 eff.org Reference 3.3% 1 of 4 3 Not read
13 findingtheuniverse.com Media 5.0% 1 of 4 2 8
14 ico.org.uk Regulator 3.3% 1 of 4 3 Not read
15 itechguides.com Directory 5.0% 1 of 4 2 3
16 management.org Reference 5.0% 2 of 4 2 9
17 microsoft.com Vendor site 3.3% 1 of 4 3 Not read
18 nicybersecuritycentre.gov.uk Regulator 3.3% 1 of 4 2 Not read
19 rtings.com Media 5.0% 3 of 4 2 Not read
20 vpnsearch.co.uk Media 3.3% 1 of 4 2 Not read

Questions asked

QuestionLanguageMost recommended
What’s the best VPN for employees working remotely? English NordLayer, NordVPN, Proton VPN and Surfshark, tied
What VPN can travelers use to protect their data online? English Surfshark
What VPN is best for small businesses with employees in multiple locations? English NordLayer
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 NordLayer and Tailscale, tied
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 NordLayer
I work in accounting and access client data from home. How can I protect it? English No brand recommended

Each engine's top three

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.

How the leaderboards are measured