IT & Security Pairs Wide Leads With Sharp Assistant Splits
This week's IT & Security report pairs several wide, unanimous leads with newly formed or narrowly supported results across ten markets.
This week's edition covers all ten IT & Security categories and keeps Best, Most Affordable, Easiest to Set Up, and Rising as separate category-relative rankings. IT & Security contains some of the week's widest margins and some of its sharpest assistant disagreements. That combination makes deployment context essential: a unanimous leader sends one signal, while a one-assistant first place asks buyers to inspect the full table.
Sources count distinct cited pages. Mentions count verified product-page occurrences. This week's IT & Security snapshot contains 160 ranked products, 1,287 Sources and 4,193 Mentions across the completed edition.
Password Managers
Open the complete Password Managers Best ranking| Rank | Product | AIQ | ChatGPT | Gemini | Claude | Perplexity | Sources | Mentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 85 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 36 | 55 | |
| 2 | 65 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 39 | 56 | |
| 3 |  Dashlane | 26 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 34 | 48 |
1Password leads at Best AIQ 85. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Gemini #2, Claude #1, Perplexity #2. It records 36 Sources and 55 Mentions in this scope.
Bitwarden is second at Best AIQ 65. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #2, Gemini #1, Claude #2, Perplexity #1. It records 39 Sources and 56 Mentions in this scope.
Dashlane is third at Best AIQ 26. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #4, Gemini #4, Claude #3, Perplexity #6. It records 34 Sources and 48 Mentions in this scope.
The assistant columns are the useful detail here. 1Password reaches first with coverage from 4 of 4 assistants.
Bitwarden and
Dashlane complete a podium separated by 59 AIQ points from first to third.
Most Affordable is led by Norton Password Manager at category-relative AIQ 55. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 5 Sources and 6 Mentions in this scope.
Easiest to Set Up is led by 1Password at category-relative AIQ 64. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Claude #2, Perplexity #3. It has no category rank from Gemini in this scope. It records 36 Sources and 55 Mentions in this scope.
Rising is led by Proton Pass at category-relative AIQ 83. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Gemini #2, Claude #1, Perplexity #7. It records 20 Sources and 29 Mentions in this scope.
Best is only the opening answer in this category. Buyers asking about price get Norton Password Manager; those asking about setup get
1Password; the emerging-product prompt returns
Proton Pass. The separation is the point of the four-ranking format.
Identity & Access (SSO/IAM)
Open the complete Identity & Access (SSO/IAM) Best ranking| Rank | Product | AIQ | ChatGPT | Gemini | Claude | Perplexity | Sources | Mentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 80 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 29 | 39 | |
| 2 | 43 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 8 | |
| 3 | 28 | 2 | — | — | — | 12 | 15 |
Microsoft Entra ID leads at Best AIQ 80. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Gemini #2, Claude #2, Perplexity #1. It records 29 Sources and 39 Mentions in this scope.
Okta is second at Best AIQ 43. Its assistant positions are Gemini #1, Claude #1, Perplexity #2. It has no category rank from ChatGPT in this scope. It records 6 Sources and 8 Mentions in this scope.
Okta Workforce Identity is third at Best AIQ 28. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #2. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 12 Sources and 15 Mentions in this scope.
Evidence volume and rank do not collapse into the same measure. Microsoft Entra ID has the largest Top 3 Sources footprint, while
Microsoft Entra ID leads the Best ranking with 29 Sources and 39 Mentions. The ranking uses recommendation position, not evidence volume.
Easiest to Set Up is led by Clerk at category-relative AIQ 55. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 7 Sources and 8 Mentions in this scope.
Rising is led by WorkOS at category-relative AIQ 70. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Claude #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Perplexity in this scope. It records 6 Sources and 10 Mentions in this scope.
Most Affordable is led by 
FusionAuth at category-relative AIQ 57. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Claude #9. It has no category rank from Gemini, Perplexity in this scope. It records 7 Sources and 10 Mentions in this scope.
Three prompts, 3 leaders: FusionAuth for Most Affordable, Clerk for Easiest to Set Up, and
WorkOS for Rising. That is a buying map, not a combined scorecard.
Endpoint Management (MDM)
Open the complete Endpoint Management (MDM) Best ranking| Rank | Product | AIQ | ChatGPT | Gemini | Claude | Perplexity | Sources | Mentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 75 | 1 | — | 1 | 1 | 31 | 37 | |
| 2 | 28 | 3 | — | 2 | 2 | 19 | 23 | |
| 3 |  Omnissa Workspace ONE UEM | 28 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | 2 |
Microsoft Intune leads at Best AIQ 75. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Claude #1, Perplexity #1. It has no category rank from Gemini in this scope. It records 31 Sources and 37 Mentions in this scope.
Jamf Pro is second at Best AIQ 28. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #3, Claude #2, Perplexity #2. It has no category rank from Gemini in this scope. It records 19 Sources and 23 Mentions in this scope.
Omnissa Workspace ONE UEM is third at Best AIQ 28. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #2. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 2 Sources and 2 Mentions in this scope.
Read this as a layered shortlist. First and third are 47 AIQ points apart. Microsoft Intune holds #1. The full table matters because each assistant contributes a distinct ordering.
Rising is led by Fleet at category-relative AIQ 55. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 43 Sources and 59 Mentions in this scope.
Most Affordable is led by 
Miradore at category-relative AIQ 73. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Claude #1, Perplexity #2. It has no category rank from Gemini in this scope. It records 22 Sources and 28 Mentions in this scope.
Easiest to Set Up is led by SimpleMDM at category-relative AIQ 75. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Claude #1, Perplexity #1. It has no category rank from Gemini in this scope. It records 5 Sources and 7 Mentions in this scope.
The category changes character when the question changes. Miradore owns the value answer, SimpleMDM the setup answer, and
Fleet the Rising answer. Best remains a separate recommendation set.
IT Service Management
Open the complete IT Service Management Best ranking| Rank | Product | AIQ | ChatGPT | Gemini | Claude | Perplexity | Sources | Mentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 38 | 48 | |
| 2 |  Freshservice | 48 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 37 | 53 |
| 3 | 35 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 14 |
Jira Service Management leads at Best AIQ 100. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Gemini #1, Claude #1, Perplexity #1. It records 38 Sources and 48 Mentions in this scope.
Freshservice is second at Best AIQ 48. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #2, Gemini #2, Claude #3, Perplexity #2. It records 37 Sources and 53 Mentions in this scope. Ivanti Neurons for ITSM is third at Best AIQ 35. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #3, Gemini #3, Claude #2, Perplexity #8. It records 13 Sources and 14 Mentions in this scope.
Jira Service Management holds #1, which gives the category continuity at the top. Behind it,
Freshservice and Ivanti Neurons for ITSM show that the next decision is less settled than the headline rank alone suggests.
Most Affordable is led by Znuny at category-relative AIQ 55. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 1 Source and 1 Mention in this scope.
Easiest to Set Up is led by Freshservice at category-relative AIQ 60. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #2, Gemini #1, Claude #3, Perplexity #2. It records 37 Sources and 53 Mentions in this scope.
Rising is led by 
Atomicwork at category-relative AIQ 55. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 3 Sources and 6 Mentions in this scope.
The constraint-specific map breaks away from Best. Most Affordable points to Znuny, Easiest to Set Up to
Freshservice, and Rising to Atomicwork. Each prompt produces its own leader.
Remote Support
Open the complete Remote Support Best ranking| Rank | Product | AIQ | ChatGPT | Gemini | Claude | Perplexity | Sources | Mentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 55 | 1 | — | — | — | 4 | 6 | |
| 2 | 41 | — | 1 | 1 | 6 | 30 | 41 | |
| 3 |  ScreenConnect Remote Support | 28 | 2 | — | — | — | 1 | 2 |
TeamViewer Remote leads at Best AIQ 55. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 4 Sources and 6 Mentions in this scope.
TeamViewer is second at Best AIQ 41. Its assistant positions are Gemini #1, Claude #1, Perplexity #6. It has no category rank from ChatGPT in this scope. It records 30 Sources and 41 Mentions in this scope.
ScreenConnect Remote Support is third at Best AIQ 28. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #2. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 1 Source and 2 Mentions in this scope.
TeamViewer Remote holds #1. The 27-point gap to third makes this a contest worth reading beyond first place. The leader appears in 1 of 4 assistant lists.
Easiest to Set Up is led by Zoho Assist at category-relative AIQ 69. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Gemini #7, Claude #3, Perplexity #1. It records 21 Sources and 29 Mentions in this scope.
Rising is led by RustDesk at category-relative AIQ 70. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Claude #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Perplexity in this scope. It records 8 Sources and 8 Mentions in this scope.
Most Affordable is led by Zoho Assist at category-relative AIQ 68. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Gemini #3, Claude #9, Perplexity #2. It records 21 Sources and 29 Mentions in this scope.
Two practical questions converge on Zoho Assist: Most Affordable and Easiest to Set Up. Rising then turns to
RustDesk. None of those answers should be blended into the Best result.
Backup & Recovery
Open the complete Backup & Recovery Best ranking| Rank | Product | AIQ | ChatGPT | Gemini | Claude | Perplexity | Sources | Mentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 80 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 11 | 18 | |
| 2 |  Commvault Cloud | 31 | 3 | 2 | — | — | 11 | 12 |
| 3 |  Cohesity DataProtect | 28 | 2 | — | — | — | 11 | 15 |
Veeam Data Platform leads at Best AIQ 80. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Gemini #1. It has no category rank from Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 11 Sources and 18 Mentions in this scope.
Commvault Cloud is second at Best AIQ 31. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #3, Gemini #2. It has no category rank from Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 11 Sources and 12 Mentions in this scope. Cohesity DataProtect is third at Best AIQ 28. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #2. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 11 Sources and 15 Mentions in this scope.
The assistant columns are the useful detail here. Veeam Data Platform reaches first with coverage from 2 of 4 assistants.
Commvault Cloud and Cohesity DataProtect complete a podium separated by 52 AIQ points from first to third.
Rising is led by HYCU R-Cloud at category-relative AIQ 55. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 2 Sources and 3 Mentions in this scope.
Most Affordable is led by 
Backblaze Business Backup at category-relative AIQ 55. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 3 Sources and 4 Mentions in this scope.
Easiest to Set Up is led by Backblaze Business Backup at category-relative AIQ 55. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 3 Sources and 4 Mentions in this scope.
Best is only the opening answer in this category. Buyers asking about price get Backblaze Business Backup; those asking about setup get Backblaze Business Backup; the emerging-product prompt returns HYCU R-Cloud. The separation is the point of the four-ranking format.
Business VPN
Open the complete Business VPN Best ranking| Rank | Product | AIQ | ChatGPT | Gemini | Claude | Perplexity | Sources | Mentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 28 | |
| 2 | 28 | 2 | — | — | — | 2 | 7 | |
| 3 |  Twingate | 22 | 3 | — | 4 | — | 10 | 11 |
NordLayer leads at Best AIQ 100. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Gemini #1, Claude #1, Perplexity #1. It records 23 Sources and 28 Mentions in this scope.
OpenVPN CloudConnexa is second at Best AIQ 28. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #2. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 2 Sources and 7 Mentions in this scope.
Twingate is third at Best AIQ 22. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #3, Claude #4. It has no category rank from Gemini, Perplexity in this scope. It records 10 Sources and 11 Mentions in this scope.
Evidence volume and rank do not collapse into the same measure. NordLayer has the largest Top 3 Sources footprint, while
NordLayer leads the Best ranking with 23 Sources and 28 Mentions. The ranking uses recommendation position, not evidence volume.
Most Affordable is led by Firezone at category-relative AIQ 55. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 1 Source and 2 Mentions in this scope.
Easiest to Set Up is led by GoodAccess at category-relative AIQ 63. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Claude #2. It has no category rank from Gemini, Perplexity in this scope. It records 6 Sources and 6 Mentions in this scope.
Rising is led by Firezone at category-relative AIQ 55. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 1 Source and 2 Mentions in this scope.
Three prompts, 2 leaders: Firezone for Most Affordable,
GoodAccess for Easiest to Set Up, and
Firezone for Rising. That is a buying map, not a combined scorecard.
Endpoint Security (EDR)
Open the complete Endpoint Security (EDR) Best ranking| Rank | Product | AIQ | ChatGPT | Gemini | Claude | Perplexity | Sources | Mentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 55 | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 7 | |
| 2 | 48 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 23 | 29 | |
| 3 | 43 | — | 1 | 1 | 2 | 23 | 31 |
CrowdStrike Falcon Endpoint Security leads at Best AIQ 55. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 1 Source and 7 Mentions in this scope.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is second at Best AIQ 48. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #2, Gemini #3, Claude #2, Perplexity #1. It records 23 Sources and 29 Mentions in this scope.
CrowdStrike Falcon is third at Best AIQ 43. Its assistant positions are Gemini #1, Claude #1, Perplexity #2. It has no category rank from ChatGPT in this scope. It records 23 Sources and 31 Mentions in this scope.
Read this as a compressed shortlist. First and third are 12 AIQ points apart. CrowdStrike Falcon Endpoint Security enters the published ranking at #1. The full table matters because each assistant contributes a distinct ordering.
Easiest to Set Up is led by Microsoft Defender for Business at category-relative AIQ 63. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Claude #2. It has no category rank from Gemini, Perplexity in this scope. It records 6 Sources and 8 Mentions in this scope.
Rising is led by Huntress Managed EDR at category-relative AIQ 55. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 3 Sources and 4 Mentions in this scope.
Most Affordable is led by Microsoft Defender for Business at category-relative AIQ 55. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 6 Sources and 8 Mentions in this scope.
The category changes character when the question changes. Microsoft Defender for Business owns the value answer,
Microsoft Defender for Business the setup answer, and
Huntress Managed EDR the Rising answer. Best remains a separate recommendation set.
Security Awareness Training
Open the complete Security Awareness Training Best ranking| Rank | Product | AIQ | ChatGPT | Gemini | Claude | Perplexity | Sources | Mentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Hoxhunt | 60 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 19 | 35 |
| 2 |  KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training | 55 | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | 11 |
| 3 | KnowBe4 | 30 | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 28 | 49 |
Hoxhunt leads at Best AIQ 60. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #2, Gemini #1, Claude #7, Perplexity #1. It records 19 Sources and 35 Mentions in this scope. KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training is second at Best AIQ 55. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 5 Sources and 11 Mentions in this scope. KnowBe4 is third at Best AIQ 30. Its assistant positions are Gemini #2, Claude #1, Perplexity #2. It has no category rank from ChatGPT in this scope. It records 28 Sources and 49 Mentions in this scope.
Hoxhunt climbs 1 place to #1, which gives the category a changed first-place result. Behind it, KnowBe4 Security Awareness Training and KnowBe4 show that the next decision is less settled than the headline rank alone suggests.
Rising is led by Adaptive Security at category-relative AIQ 100. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Gemini #1, Claude #1, Perplexity #1. It records 12 Sources and 22 Mentions in this scope.
Most Affordable is led by 
Phishr at category-relative AIQ 55. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 1 Source and 1 Mention in this scope.
Easiest to Set Up is led by Barracuda Security Awareness Training at category-relative AIQ 60. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Perplexity #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude in this scope. It records 3 Sources and 3 Mentions in this scope.
The constraint-specific map breaks away from Best. Most Affordable points to Phishr, Easiest to Set Up to Barracuda Security Awareness Training, and Rising to
Adaptive Security. Each prompt produces its own leader.
SaaS Management
Open the complete SaaS Management Best ranking| Rank | Product | AIQ | ChatGPT | Gemini | Claude | Perplexity | Sources | Mentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Zylo | 77 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| 2 |  BetterCloud | 61 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 24 | 32 |
| 3 |  Zluri | 33 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 38 |
Zylo leads at Best AIQ 77. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Gemini #2, Claude #2, Perplexity #3. It records 3 Sources and 4 Mentions in this scope. BetterCloud is second at Best AIQ 61. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #2, Gemini #1, Claude #5, Perplexity #1. It records 24 Sources and 32 Mentions in this scope. Zluri is third at Best AIQ 33. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #5, Gemini #6, Claude #1, Perplexity #2. It records 25 Sources and 38 Mentions in this scope.
Zylo holds #1. The 44-point gap to third makes this a contest worth reading beyond first place. The leader appears in 4 of 4 assistant lists.
Most Affordable is led by Substly at category-relative AIQ 66. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Gemini #4, Claude #5, Perplexity #3. It records 7 Sources and 9 Mentions in this scope.
Easiest to Set Up is led by 
Nudge Security at category-relative AIQ 55. Its assistant position is ChatGPT #1. It has no category rank from Gemini, Claude, Perplexity in this scope. It records 3 Sources and 13 Mentions in this scope.
Rising is led by 
CloudEagle at category-relative AIQ 95. Its assistant positions are ChatGPT #1, Gemini #1, Claude #1. It has no category rank from Perplexity in this scope. It records 15 Sources and 22 Mentions in this scope.
Budget favors Substly, while implementation favors
Nudge Security. Rising then turns to CloudEagle. None of those answers should be blended into the Best result.
The IT & Security readout
IT & Security offers both certainty and caution this week. Wide, unanimous leads sit beside narrow or newly formed results, so the assistant columns remain as important as the rank itself. The three largest category Mention footprints are Security Awareness Training at 491, Endpoint Management (MDM) at 481, Backup & Recovery at 471.
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