Sophos vs Zscaler:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Sophos and Zscaler were level in searches among cybersecurity vendors worldwide, with an estimated 199K versus 201K branded searches, at 3.5% of the total each. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about cybersecurity vendors, Sophos appeared in three of the five answers and Zscaler in two. Sophos and Zscaler were each mentioned first in two of the four answers.
Who do people search for more?
Zscaler and Sophos are searched for about as often as each other.
Who does AI mention more?
Sophos, mentioned in 3 of 5 answers, Zscaler in 2
Who does AI recommend more?
Each is named first in 2 of 4 answers.
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Top cybersecurity vendors in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Sophos was mentioned in three out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. Zscaler was mentioned in two out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Sophos and Zscaler were each listed first in two of the four answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
CrowdStrike1st
Palo Alto Networks2nd- Sophos3rd
Fortinet4th
SentinelOne5th
Zscaler6th
Cloudflare7th
Check Point8th
CyberArk9th
Tenable10th- +2 more
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- CrowdStrike4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Sophos3 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Palo Alto Networks3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- SentinelOne3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Cloudflare2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Okta2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers- Fortinet2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Zscaler2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- CyberArk2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Tenable2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about cybersecurity vendors
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which cybersecurity vendor should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best cybersecurity vendors?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best cybersecurity vendor for a small IT team?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“cybersecurity vendors”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“small business cybersecurity”
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 Sophos or Zscaler more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Sophos and Zscaler by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 12 cybersecurity vendors we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Zscaler, Sophos. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Cloudflare | Okta | Fortinet | Zscaler | Sophos | Palo Alto Networks | CyberArk | Tenable | Darktrace | Check Point | CrowdStrike | SentinelOne |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 54.8% | 16.5% | 9% | 6% | 6% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 0.33% | 0.04% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 83.9% | 6.2% | 3.4% | 1.8% | 1.9% | 0.83% | 0.83% | 0.68% | 0.37% | 0.11% | 0.01% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 71.9% | 11.8% | 5.3% | 2.9% | 3.3% | 1.6% | 1.3% | 1.1% | 0.58% | 0.21% | 0.02% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 60.8% | 14.9% | 8.2% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 2.4% | 2% | 1.3% | 0.9% | 0.36% | 0.04% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 61.5% | 15.1% | 6.8% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1.4% | 0.91% | 0.33% | 0.04% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 64.5% | 15.8% | 5.8% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.2% | 0.78% | 0.31% | 0.03% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 66.7% | 13.4% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 0.81% | 0.29% | 0.03% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 65.4% | 13.1% | 7.2% | 4.8% | 3.8% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 1.2% | 0.65% | 0.26% | 0.03% | <0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 65% | 13.1% | 8.7% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 0.96% | 0.64% | 0.29% | 0.02% | <0.01% |
| Jul 2026 | 66.9% | 13.4% | 6% | 4% | 4% | 2.2% | 1.5% | 0.99% | 0.66% | 0.26% | 0.02% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 71% | 11.7% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 3.3% | 2.3% | 1.3% | 0.86% | 0.57% | 0.23% | 0.02% | <0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 70.9% | 11.7% | 5.2% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 2.3% | 1.3% | 0.86% | 0.57% | 0.25% | 0.02% | <0.01% |
How has the Sophos and Zscaler comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- The lead changed hands 2 times in the 12 months ending September 2026: Sophos took it in November 2025, Zscaler took it in April 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Sophos’ share of searches among cybersecurity vendors worldwide moved from 6% to 3.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 244K to 199K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Zscaler’s share of searches among cybersecurity vendors worldwide moved from 6% to 3.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 246K to 201K.
How did search popularity change for cybersecurity vendors worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
How are branded searches counted?
4 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Sophos’ and Zscaler’s 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.
Other head-to-heads among cybersecurity vendors
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