GetIntel Research · August 2026

The AI Software Index 2026

What ChatGPT and Gemini actually recommend when a buyer asks for software — measured, not guessed.

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What we did

  • ·We wrote ~80 questions per software category — the way real buyers ask them. Things like "What's the best CRM for a small business?" or "I'm a freelancer and need invoicing software."
  • ·We asked them on the real ChatGPT and Gemini apps — the same thing a buyer sees, not a developer API.
  • ·For every answer we recorded which brands were named, which one was recommended first, and which websites the AI cited as sources.
~10,000
answers analyzed
126
software categories
1,825
brands measured
2
engines (ChatGPT + Gemini)

What we found

Seven things the data says, in plain English.

  1. 1ChatGPT and Gemini disagree a lot. In 1 out of 3 categories, they name a different #1 product. Which AI your buyer uses changes who gets recommended.
  2. 2ChatGPT links to the winner's own website. Gemini doesn't. When ChatGPT recommends a product, it cites that product's own site 53% of the time. Gemini: only 13%. Gemini relies on third-party pages instead.
  3. 3Gemini trusts small blogs, not big media. Its most-cited "independent" sources are blog posts written by other software companies — often about categories they have nothing to do with.
  4. 4Review sites barely matter. G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius together get only 5% of all citations.
  5. 5The answer changes when you rephrase the question. In some categories one brand always wins. In others, asking the same thing in different words gives you a different "best" tool almost every time.
  6. 6Saying who you are changes the answer. "I'm a freelancer" and "we're an enterprise" get different recommendations — in some categories a brand jumps from winning 34% of answers to 90%.
  7. 7US and UK buyers get different winners. The #1 recommendation flips between US- and UK-phrased questions in about half of the categories we could measure.

The most AI-visible software brands

How many category leaderboards each brand appears on, and how many categories it actually wins.

HubSpot
19 leaderboards · wins 3
Salesforce
13 leaderboards · wins 0
Shopify
10 leaderboards · wins 2
Google Workspace
10 leaderboards · wins 0
Notion
9 leaderboards · wins 2
Xero
9 leaderboards · wins 0
ClickUp
9 leaderboards · wins 1
Asana
9 leaderboards · wins 2
Zoho
8 leaderboards · wins 1
BambooHR
8 leaderboards · wins 1
Rippling
8 leaderboards · wins 2
Zendesk
7 leaderboards · wins 2

Being everywhere and winning are different things. Salesforce shows up on 13 leaderboards and wins none of them. QuickBooks shows up on 7 and wins 5.

Locked up vs. up for grabs

In some categories one brand wins no matter how you ask. In others, the winner changes with the wording.

One clear winner

CI/CD softwareGitHub · 91%E-commerce platformShopify · 84%Whiteboard softwareMiro · 83%Point of sale softwareSquare · 78%Screen recording softwareLoom · 76%Code review softwareGitHub · 72%

Anyone's game

Affiliate marketing softwaretop pick only 5%Contract management softwaretop pick only 13%Customer journey analytics softwaretop pick only 19%Invoicing softwaretop pick only 19%Order fulfillment softwaretop pick only 19%Live chat softwaretop pick only 19%

The websites AI trusts most

The domains cited most often across all ~10,000 answers.

  1. 1.techradar.com1,114
  2. 2.reddit.com807
  3. 3.zapier.com418
  4. 4.learn.g2.com342
  5. 5.hubspot.com326
  6. 6.microsoft.com283
  7. 7.zoho.com262
  8. 8.gartner.com238
  9. 9.atlassian.com206
  10. 10.clickup.com176
  11. 11.monday.com175
  12. 12.guideflow.com158
  13. 13.pcmag.com143
  14. 14.asana.com141
  15. 15.zendesk.com132
  16. 16.quickbooks.intuit.com123

All 126 categories

Every page has the full AI leaderboard for that category — filterable by engine, buyer type, and region.

Accounting softwareAccounts payable automation softwareAffiliate marketing softwareAgile scrum softwareAPI management softwareApplicant tracking systemAppointment scheduling softwareAuto repair shop softwareBackground check softwareBackup softwareBenefits administration softwareBlogging platformBookkeeping softwareBudgeting softwareBug tracking softwareBusiness intelligence softwareChatbot softwareChildcare management softwareChurch management softwareCI/CD softwareCloud storage softwareCMS softwareCode review softwareCommunity platform softwareConstruction management softwareContent marketing platformContract management softwareCRM softwareCustomer data platformCustomer feedback softwareCustomer journey analytics softwareCybersecurity softwareData visualization softwareDental practice management softwareDocument management softwareDonor management softwareDropshipping softwareE-commerce platformE-signature softwareEmail marketing softwareEmail security softwareEmployee engagement softwareEmployee onboarding softwareEmployee scheduling softwareEndpoint security softwareEvent management softwareExpense management softwareFeature flag management softwareField service management softwareFile sharing softwareFitness studio management softwareFleet management softwareForm builder softwareGantt chart softwareGym membership softwareHelp desk softwareHotel management softwareHR softwareIdentity and access management softwareInfluencer marketing platformInventory management softwareInvoicing softwareIT asset management softwareIT helpdesk softwareKanban board softwareKnowledge base softwareLanding page builderLearning management systemLegal practice management softwareLive chat softwareLoyalty program softwareMarketing analytics platformMarketing automation softwareMedical practice management softwareMembership management softwareNetwork monitoring softwareNo-code app builderNonprofit CRM softwareNote-taking softwareNPS survey softwareOrder fulfillment softwarePassword manager softwarePayment processing softwarePayroll softwarePerformance management softwarePoint of sale softwareProduct analytics softwareProduct information management softwareProject management softwareProperty management softwareProposal softwareReal estate CRMRecruiting softwareReferral marketing softwareRemote desktop softwareResource management softwareRestaurant POS softwareRestaurant reservation softwareSales enablement softwareSales engagement platformSalon and spa softwareSchool management softwareScreen recording softwareSEO softwareSession replay softwareShipping softwareSMS marketing softwareSocial media management softwareSubscription billing softwareSurvey softwareTask management softwareTax softwareTeam chat softwareTelehealth softwareTicketing softwareTime tracking softwareVacation rental softwareVeterinary practice softwareVideo conferencing softwareVPN softwareWebinar softwareWebsite analytics softwareWebsite builder softwareWhiteboard softwareWorkflow automation softwareWorkforce management software

Methodology: 9,978 usable answers (5,023 ChatGPT / 4,955 Gemini), collected 2026-08-06 on the live web apps — not APIs. ~80 structured prompt variants per category: generic, audience-framed, and US/UK-localized. Refreshed quarterly.

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