4 AI models · 10 ranked · updated this week
Best Antivirus & Endpoint Security, according to AI (2026).
Bitdefender is the answer this week: the consensus #1 at a score of 33 across all 4 models.
This guide is built from the recorded answers of ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity to the real questions buyers ask about antivirus & endpoint security. We logged 1,340 of them this period, covering 10 tools. We report what the models said, in the order they said it. Nobody paid to be here, and we don't add opinions of our own.
Prefer the raw board? See the full model-by-model ranking. Every rank, every score, every week.
The ranked list
Bitdefender holds the consensus #1 at a score of 33, with ChatGPT and Claude and Perplexity placing it first outright.
It entered the ranking this week. A new name in the models' answers.
ChatGPT and Claude place Norton at #1, even though it sits at #2 on consensus. That is a genuine split in the record.
It entered the ranking this week. A new name in the models' answers.
ChatGPT and Claude place McAfee at #1, even though it sits at #3 on consensus. That is a genuine split in the record.
It entered the ranking this week. A new name in the models' answers.
ChatGPT and Claude place ESET at #1, even though it sits at #4 on consensus. That is a genuine split in the record.
The models disagree about it more than most: #1 on ChatGPT but #4 on Perplexity, a spread of 3.
It entered the ranking this week. A new name in the models' answers.
ChatGPT and Claude place Malwarebytes Premium Security at #1, even though it sits at #5 on consensus. That is a genuine split in the record.
The models disagree about it more than most: #1 on ChatGPT but #5 on Perplexity, a spread of 4.
It entered the ranking this week. A new name in the models' answers.
ChatGPT and Claude place G Data Antivirus at #1, even though it sits at #6 on consensus. That is a genuine split in the record.
The models disagree about it more than most: #1 on ChatGPT but #6 on Perplexity, a spread of 5.
It entered the ranking this week. A new name in the models' answers.
ChatGPT and Claude place Sophos Home Premium at #1, even though it sits at #7 on consensus. That is a genuine split in the record.
The models disagree about it more than most: #1 on ChatGPT but #7 on Perplexity, a spread of 6.
It entered the ranking this week. A new name in the models' answers.
ChatGPT and Claude place Trend Micro Antivirus+ at #1, even though it sits at #8 on consensus. That is a genuine split in the record.
The models disagree about it more than most: #1 on ChatGPT but #8 on Perplexity, a spread of 7.
It entered the ranking this week. A new name in the models' answers.
ChatGPT and Claude place Surfshark One at #1, even though it sits at #9 on consensus. That is a genuine split in the record.
The models disagree about it more than most: #1 on ChatGPT but #9 on Perplexity, a spread of 8.
It entered the ranking this week. A new name in the models' answers.
ChatGPT and Claude place TotalAV at #1, even though it sits at #10 on consensus. That is a genuine split in the record.
The models disagree about it more than most: #1 on ChatGPT but #10 on Perplexity, a spread of 9.
It entered the ranking this week. A new name in the models' answers.
It is the most contested name in this category. It carries the widest cross-model disagreement on the board.
Questions people ask.
What is the best antivirus & endpoint security according to AI?
Bitdefender holds the consensus #1 this week with a score of 33 out of 100, ahead of Norton. The models don't fully agree: 1 different brand is crowned #1 across the four models.
Which antivirus & endpoint security does ChatGPT recommend first?
ChatGPT currently places Bitdefender at #1 for antivirus & endpoint security, per this week's recorded answers.
Which antivirus & endpoint security does Claude recommend first?
Claude currently places Bitdefender at #1 for antivirus & endpoint security, per this week's recorded answers.
How are these rankings measured?
We ask each model the same buying questions every week (1,340 queries this period), record the full answers, and score each named brand 0-100 by how early and how consistently it appears. Every question runs through the official model APIs, with web search on, not through the consumer chat apps, so nothing is personalized to a user. Each model is scored independently; the consensus blends all 4.
Do the AI models agree with each other?
At the top, yes. Every model crowns the same #1 this week. Further down the board they diverge, which is why each brand carries a spread figure: the gap between its best and worst model rank.
This is the guide. The record has more.
The full ranking shows every model’s column side by side, 12 weeks of movement, and the methodology behind every number.