DNS security software: AI search visibility ranking (2026)
How AI search engines rank dns security software by visibility and citations. 20 brands measured monthly across Google AI Mode: which brands the AI names in answers, which domains it cites as sources, and how the leaders compare. Security platforms used to filter malicious domains, protect DNS traffic, enforce policy, and reduce phishing and malware exposure. Composite score: 70% visibility (% of AI answers naming the brand) + 30% citation rate (% citing the brand's domain). Full methodology →
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At a glance
What we observed in this categoryauto-generated
DNSFilter leads the DNS security software category with a composite score of 16.2, the only brand clearly ahead of the pack. The category average visibility sits at just 1.9%, making DNSFilter's 12.5% visibility and 25% citation rate a significant outlier. Cisco Umbrella and Quad9 match DNSFilter's visibility at 12.5% each but score far lower overall at 8.8, meaning DNSFilter's citation advantage is the primary driver of its lead.
Control D presents the sharpest divergence between visibility and citation in the entire dataset. It holds 0% visibility yet a 37.5% citation rate, the highest citation figure of any brand in the category. This means Google AI Mode is actively referencing Control D as a trusted source in responses without consistently naming it in the narrative layer. Cisco Umbrella and Quad9 show the inverse pattern, appearing in AI narratives but receiving zero citations.
Google AI Mode is the top engine for every ranked brand, indicating the category's AI visibility landscape is almost entirely shaped by a single engine. The top cited sources include g2.com, reddit.com, controld.com, youtube.com, dnsfilter.com, and privacyguides.org. The presence of reddit.com and privacyguides.org alongside vendor domains suggests the AI is anchoring on community and privacy-focused editorial content rather than purely on vendor or analyst material.
Movers & shakers since last refresh
Biggest visibility risers
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DNSFilter 0% → 12% · rank #0 → #1+12pp
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Cisco Umbrella 0% → 12% · rank #0 → #3+12pp
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Quad9 0% → 12% · rank #0 → #4+12pp
The ranking
| # | Brand | Visibility | Citation | Top engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
dnsfilter.com
|
12% | 25% | Google AI Mode |
DNSFilter leads with a composite score of 16.2, visibility at 12.5% and citation at 25%, both well above the category averages of 1.9% and 3.1% respectively. |
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| 2 |
controld.com
|
0% | 38% | Google AI Mode |
Control D earns the highest citation rate in the category at 37.5% despite 0% visibility, a rare split suggesting AI trusts its domain as a source but rarely names it directly. |
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| 3 |
umbrella.cisco.com
|
12% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
Cisco Umbrella matches DNSFilter's 12.5% visibility but holds 0% citations, indicating it appears in AI narratives without its content being pulled as a reference source. |
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| 4 |
quad9.net
|
12% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
Quad9 ties Cisco Umbrella with 12.5% visibility and 0% citations, scoring 8.8 composite, well below DNSFilter despite identical visibility figures. |
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| 5 |
cloudflare.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
Cloudflare Gateway scores 0 across all three metrics, visibility, citation, and composite, despite Cloudflare's domain appearing in top cited sources for the broader category. |
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| 6 |
infoblox.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 7 |
paloaltonetworks.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 8 |
akamai.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 9 |
proofpoint.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 10 |
watchguard.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 11 |
webroot.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 12 |
comodo.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 13 |
bluecatnetworks.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 14 |
fortinet.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 15 |
zscaler.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 16 |
cleanbrowsing.org
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 17 |
nextdns.io
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 18 |
titanhq.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 19 |
safedns.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
| 20 |
scoutdns.com
|
0% | 0% | Google AI Mode |
Sources AI engines trust in this category
Across the 8 buyer-intent queries we ran on dns security software, these are the domains Google AI Mode cited most often. If you're not on this list — or if your competitors are — that's a concrete PR / linkbuilding target.
How to read this ranking
Four things worth knowing before you act on the numbers above. These are the same definitions across every industry page — for category-specific observations, see the What we observed section above (where available) and the per-brand insights inline in the ranking.
Visibility = being named
A brand's visibility % is the share of AI answers that mention it by name in the response prose. This is who AI engines actively recommend to the buyer.
Citation rate = being trusted
Citation rate is the share of AI answers that include the brand's domain as a clickable source link. This is what the AI treats as authoritative evidence — different from being named.
Top engine differs by brand
The "top engine" column shows which AI surface each brand performs best on. Big gaps between a brand's score across engines usually points to specific content or schema gaps.
Rankings move month to month
AI engines re-crawl and re-rank on shorter cycles than classical search. We re-audit every brand on this list at least every 30 days and refresh this page automatically.
Get your own dns security software brand audited
The brands above were curated from public market-leader lists. Want the same measurement against your own brand — including the queries you appear on, which competitors get named instead, and a prioritised fix list? Run a free preview.
Frequently asked about dns security software AI visibility
Who leads AI visibility in DNS security software?
DNSFilter leads with a composite score of 16.2, driven by 12.5% visibility and a 25% citation rate. No other brand scores above 11.2.
Which brand has the highest citation rate in this category?
Control D holds the highest citation rate at 37.5%, despite having 0% visibility, meaning AI engines cite it as a source without naming it prominently in responses.
What sources does AI cite most for DNS security software research?
The top cited sources are g2.com, reddit.com, controld.com, youtube.com, dnsfilter.com, and privacyguides.org, a mix of review platforms, community forums, and privacy-focused editorial sites.
How concentrated is AI visibility in this category?
Visibility is highly concentrated. Only three brands, DNSFilter, Cisco Umbrella, and Quad9, hold any visibility above 0%, with the category average sitting at just 1.9%.
Which engine dominates AI visibility for DNS security software?
Google AI Mode is the top engine for every ranked brand in the dataset, making it the sole engine shaping AI visibility outcomes in this category.
Are any major enterprise brands visible in AI responses for this category?
Cisco Umbrella appears at rank 3 with 12.5% visibility, but Infoblox, Palo Alto Networks Prisma Access, Akamai, and Proofpoint all score 0 across visibility, citation, and composite.