Home / AI Search Index
Original data · collected 2026-10-19 · US, English
AI Search Index: who do AI engines recommend?
We asked ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Mode the same buyer question in 20 software categories, 80 answers in total, and recorded which brands each engine named first, which it mentioned, and which websites it cited.
- All four engines named the same brand first in 8 of 20 categories: CRM software (HubSpot), Accounting software (QuickBooks), Payroll & HR software (Gusto), Website builders (Wix), Ecommerce platforms (Shopify), SEO tools (Semrush), Video conferencing software (Zoom), Team chat apps (Slack).
- The most-cited website was zapier.com, cited in 30 of 80 answers (38%). Of 588 domain citations, 75% went to third-party sites (reviews, listicles, forums, publishers) and 25% to the tracked vendors' own domains.
- 1 of 80 answers cited no source at all.
Brand named first, by engine
Click a category for every brand mentioned, the order, and the cited domains.
| Category | ChatGPT | Perplexity | Gemini | Google AI Mode | Named by all 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRM software | HubSpot | HubSpot | HubSpot | HubSpot | HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho CRM |
| Project management software | ClickUp | Asana | Trello | monday work management | Asana, Trello, ClickUp, Notion |
| Email marketing software | MailerLite | Constant Contact | MailerLite | MailerLite | Klaviyo |
| Accounting software | QuickBooks | QuickBooks | QuickBooks | QuickBooks | QuickBooks, Xero, FreshBooks, Wave |
| Help desk software | Freshdesk | Zendesk | Zendesk | Zendesk | Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom |
| Payroll & HR software | Gusto | Gusto | Gusto | Gusto | Gusto, Rippling |
| Website builders | Wix | Wix | Wix | Wix | Wix, Squarespace, Shopify, WordPress |
| Ecommerce platforms | Shopify | Shopify | Shopify | Shopify | Shopify, WooCommerce, Wix |
| SEO tools | Semrush | Semrush | Semrush | Semrush | Semrush, Ahrefs, SE Ranking |
| Video conferencing software | Zoom | Zoom | Zoom | Zoom | Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Webex |
| Password managers | 1Password | Keeper | Keeper | Bitwarden | Keeper, 1Password, Bitwarden |
| Note-taking apps | Microsoft OneNote | Microsoft OneNote | Microsoft OneNote | Notion | Microsoft OneNote, Notion, Obsidian |
| Team chat apps | Slack | Slack | Slack | Slack | Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Chat |
| Cloud storage for business | Microsoft OneDrive | Dropbox | Google Drive | Google Drive | Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox |
| AI coding assistants | Claude Code | Cursor | Cursor | GitHub Copilot | Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Claude Code |
| Social media management tools | Buffer | Buffer | Buffer | Metricool | Buffer, Metricool |
| Online form builders | Tally | Jotform | Jotform | Typeform | Jotform, Typeform, Google Forms |
| E-signature software | Dropbox Sign | SignNow | DocuSign | PandaDoc | PandaDoc |
| Web hosting | Hostinger | Hostinger | SiteGround | Hostinger | Hostinger, SiteGround, Bluehost |
| Web scraping tools | Bright Data | Zyte | Bright Data | Bright Data | Bright Data |
Most-cited websites across all 80 answers
These are the pages AI engines lean on for software recommendations. Getting listed on them is the most direct lever for AI visibility.
| Domain | Answers citing it | Share |
|---|---|---|
| zapier.com | 30 | 38% |
| pcmag.com | 22 | 28% |
| techradar.com | 16 | 20% |
| reddit.com | 13 | 16% |
| wix.com | 8 | 10% |
| zdnet.com | 7 | 9% |
| dupple.com | 6 | 8% |
| youtube.com | 6 | 8% |
| hostinger.com | 6 | 8% |
| learn.g2.com | 6 | 8% |
| shopify.com | 6 | 8% |
| zoho.com | 5 | 6% |
| salesforce.com | 5 | 6% |
| microsoft.com | 5 | 6% |
| business.com | 5 | 6% |
images.openai.com (ChatGPT's image CDN) is excluded. A domain counts once per answer.
Download
One row per category and engine: model, first brand, ordered mentions, other brands, cited domains. CC BY 4.0.
Method and FAQ
How was this measured?
On 2026-10-19 we asked one buyer-intent question per category (for example "What is the best CRM software for a small business?") to ChatGPT (with web search), Perplexity (Sonar), Gemini and Google AI Mode, from the United States in English, using our own AI Search Visibility Tracker. For each answer we recorded which tracked brands were named and in what order, which other brands were named, and which domains were cited.
How reliable is one answer per engine?
AI answers vary between runs and users. This is a snapshot: one prompt, one run, one location. Two Gemini answers (ecommerce platforms, form builders) came back truncated in the first pass and were re-collected the same day. Treat it as a directional sample, not a ranking. To measure your own brand, run the tracker on a schedule with several prompts per topic and compare trends.
How were brands chosen?
For each category we tracked the six or seven best-known vendors. The tracker also records any other brand an engine named (shown as "other brands named"), so a vendor outside the list still shows up there.
Can I use this data?
Yes, under CC BY 4.0: please credit "Wrenfield Data AI Search Index" with a link to this page. Download the CSV below.
Where does your brand show up?
Run the same check for your own brand, competitors and prompts across 6 AI engines. $0.04 per prompt per engine; the prefilled example finishes in about 30 seconds.
AI Search Visibility Tracker