Vantage research · November 2026 · software
What AI cites for “best vpn”
ChatGPT cited 9 sites, Gemini cited 7 sites, Perplexity cited 9 sites. 1 site was cited by all three.
Updated every 3 monthsNext edition 1 February 2027
ChatGPTGeminiPerplexity dots beside a site: the other engines that cite it too
ChatGPT
9 sites · opens with a sentence · no table · opening 15 words
- nordvpn.com
- protonvpn.com
- surfshark.com
- mullvad.net
- expressvpn.com
- tomsguide.com
- security.org
- rtings.com
- techradar.com
Brands namedNordVPN, Proton VPN, Surfshark, Mullvad VPN, ExpressVPN, Budget, Devices
Since October: new nordvpn.com, protonvpn.com, surfshark.com, mullvad.net
Gemini
7 sites · opens with a sentence · no table · opening 27 words
- de-epea.readme.io
- passwordmanager.com
- thebestvpn.com
- myvegantravels.com
- cnet.com
- top10vpn.com
- techradar.com
Brands namedNordVPN, Surfshark, Proton VPN, ExpressVPN, No-Logs Policy, Server Network, Device Limits
Since October: new de-epea.readme.io, passwordmanager.com, thebestvpn.com, myvegantravels.com; dropped cybernews.com, google.com, reddit.com
Perplexity
9 sites · opens with a sentence · no table · opening 34 words
- gizmodo.com
- techradar.com
- rtings.com
- pcmag.com
- cnet.com
- wired.com
- nytimes.com
- cnbc.com
- safewise.com
Brands namednone
Since October: new rtings.com, pcmag.com, nytimes.com, safewise.com; dropped experte.com, highspeedinternet.com, security.org, thebestvpn.com
Cited by more than one engine
- techradar.com
- rtings.com
- cnet.com
Is your site one of them?
Ask your AI agent to run Vantage's analyze_citation_coverage for your domain and “best vpn”, on all
three engines, and it will tell you whether you are cited, who is instead, and what changed since your last check.
More software questions
Each engine was asked once, in English, as from the United States, on 2026-11-01. Answers change from run to run, so read this as a snapshot. Download the data.