Microsoft Defender vs Sophos:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sophos had more branded searches than Microsoft Defender among endpoint security software worldwide. Sophos had about 199,000 branded searches, while Microsoft Defender had 181,000. Sophos made up 7.1% of all endpoint security software searches we track, and Microsoft Defender accounted for 6.5%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about endpoint security software, Microsoft Defender appeared in all five answers and Sophos in four. Microsoft Defender was mentioned before Sophos in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Sophos, about 10% more searches than Microsoft Defender
Who does AI mention more?
Microsoft Defender, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Microsoft Defender, named ahead of Sophos in 3 of 5 answers
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Top endpoint security software in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Microsoft Defender appeared in all five answers. Sophos was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Microsoft Defender was listed before Sophos in three out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
CrowdStrike1st- Microsoft Defender2nd
SentinelOne3rd- Sophos4th
Bitdefender5th
ESET6th
Malwarebytes–
Trellix–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- CrowdStrike5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Microsoft Defender5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- SentinelOne5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Sophos4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Bitdefender2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- ESET2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Malwarebytes0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Trellix0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about endpoint security software
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which endpoint security software should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best endpoint security software options?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best endpoint security software for business devices?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“endpoint security software”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“endpoint protection software”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Microsoft Defender or Sophos more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Microsoft Defender and Sophos by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight endpoint security software we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Sophos, Microsoft Defender. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Malwarebytes | Bitdefender | CrowdStrike | ESET | Sophos | Microsoft Defender | SentinelOne | Trellix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 29.8% | 23.2% | 11.4% | 13.1% | 8.5% | 8.6% | 4% | 1.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 36.1% | 22.7% | 9.4% | 12.9% | 7.1% | 7% | 3.3% | 1.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 33.6% | 25.3% | 8.7% | 12% | 7.5% | 7.9% | 3.7% | 1.3% |
| Jan 2026 | 36.5% | 22.3% | 9.4% | 12.8% | 7% | 7.6% | 3.3% | 1.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 34.6% | 21.2% | 10.8% | 12.3% | 8% | 8% | 3.7% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 36.4% | 22.3% | 11.3% | 10.8% | 7% | 6.9% | 3.9% | 1.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 39.1% | 20% | 10% | 11.3% | 7.3% | 7.3% | 3.5% | 1.5% |
| May 2026 | 35.8% | 20.8% | 11% | 10.4% | 7.8% | 8% | 3.8% | 2.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 36.7% | 21.3% | 11.2% | 10.6% | 8.2% | 6.8% | 3.9% | 1.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 35.8% | 23.2% | 10.9% | 10.4% | 8% | 6.6% | 3.8% | 1.3% |
| Aug 2026 | 35.9% | 21.8% | 11.2% | 10.7% | 7.8% | 7.5% | 3.9% | 1.4% |
| Sep 2026 | 37.1% | 23.6% | 11.7% | 9.5% | 7.1% | 6.5% | 3.4% | 1.2% |
How has the Microsoft Defender and Sophos comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 5 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Sophos took it in November 2025, Microsoft Defender took it in December 2025, Sophos took it in February 2026, Microsoft Defender took it in April 2026, Sophos took it in June 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Microsoft Defender’s share of searches among endpoint security software worldwide moved from 8.6% to 6.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 245K to 181K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sophos’ share of searches among endpoint security software worldwide moved from 8.5% to 7.1%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 244K to 199K.
How did search popularity change for endpoint security software worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Microsoft Defender lost share of searches among endpoint security software worldwide, from 7.5% to 6.5%.
In September 2026, Sophos lost share of searches among endpoint security software worldwide, from 7.8% to 7.1%.
How are branded searches counted?
5 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Microsoft Defender’s and Sophos’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Microsoft Defender
2 branded search terms
- microsoft defender
- windows defender
Sophos
3 branded search terms
- sophos
- sophos central
- sophos firewall
Other head-to-heads among endpoint security software
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