150 SaaS Brands Ranked by AI Visibility
The first comprehensive audit of how 5 major LLMs perceive B2B SaaS brands. 15,000+ queries analyzed across 6 dimensions. GitHub leads, AI-native tools lag behind.
Executive Summary
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) represents a fundamental shift in how brands achieve visibility. Unlike traditional SEO that optimizes for search engine results pages, GEO focuses on how AI models perceive, recall, and recommend brands when users ask questions.
Our comprehensive analysis of 150 leading B2B SaaS brands reveals striking patterns in AI visibility. We processed over 15,000 queries across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and Perplexity, evaluating each brand across six critical dimensions: Accuracy, Sentiment, Coverage, Credibility, Visibility, and Recommendation strength.
The results challenge conventional wisdom about brand recognition. GitHub (80.4), Figma (80.3), and Stripe (79.8) dominate the rankings, while household names like Salesforce (77.3) and HubSpot (77.5) score surprisingly low. Most revealing: AI-native companies like Copy.ai (74.5) and Writer (74.4) struggle for recognition despite building products specifically for the AI era.
Design and creative tools consistently outperform other categories, suggesting that LLMs have stronger mental models for visual and creative workflows. Security tools also rank highly, indicating that trust and reliability translate effectively to AI recommendations. The middle of the distribution is remarkably dense, with 60% of brands scoring between 74-78 points, making small improvements potentially significant for competitive positioning.
This research establishes the first comprehensive benchmark for AI visibility in the B2B SaaS space and reveals both the opportunities and risks brands face as generative AI becomes the primary interface for business software discovery and evaluation.
Top 20 Brands
| # | Brand | Industry | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GitHub | Developer Tools & Infrastructure | 80.4 |
| 2 | Figma | Design & Creative | 80.3 |
| 3 | Stripe | Finance & Payments | 79.8 |
| 4 | 1Password | Security & Compliance | 79.6 |
| 5 | Shopify | E-commerce | 79.3 |
| 6 | Cloudflare | Cloud & Platform | 79.2 |
| 7 | Canva | Design & Creative | 78.8 |
| 8 | Calendly | Communication | 78.8 |
| 9 | Microsoft Teams | Communication | 78.7 |
| 10 | Slack | Communication | 78.7 |
| 11 | Zoom | Communication | 78.6 |
| 12 | Trello | Project Management & Collaboration | 78.6 |
| 13 | Notion | Project Management & Collaboration | 78.4 |
| 14 | Zapier | AI & Automation | 78.3 |
| 15 | Vercel | Developer Tools & Infrastructure | 78.3 |
| 16 | Jira | Project Management & Collaboration | 78.3 |
| 17 | Datadog | Analytics & Data | 78.3 |
| 18 | Xero | Finance & Payments | 78.2 |
| 19 | Supabase | Developer Tools & Infrastructure | 78.1 |
| 20 | Netlify | Developer Tools & Infrastructure | 77.9 |
Methodology
Our methodology establishes the first standardized framework for measuring brand perception across generative AI models, providing actionable insights for strategic positioning.
• 7 query templates per brand across use cases
• 5 LLMs: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, Perplexity
• Consistent prompting methodology
• Response analysis & scoring automation
• Weighted composite scoring
• Accuracy: Factual correctness of mentions
• Sentiment: Positive/negative perception
• Coverage: Breadth of feature discussion
• Credibility: Trust indicators & authority
• Visibility: Mention frequency & prominence
• Recommendation: Likelihood to suggest
Scoring Methodology
Each dimension is scored 0-100 based on automated analysis of AI responses. The composite score uses weighted averages that reflect business impact: Visibility (25%), Recommendation (20%), Accuracy (20%), Credibility (15%), Coverage (15%), and Sentiment (5%). This weighting prioritizes metrics that directly influence buying decisions while maintaining quality standards.
Our hallucination detection identifies factual errors, misattributions, and fictional capabilities. Brands with high hallucination rates face visibility penalties, as incorrect information damages both user experience and brand trust.
All data was collected February 5-9, 2026, using standardized query templates that simulate real-world user questions about business software evaluation, comparison, and selection.
Provider Performance Comparison
Each LLM shows distinct strengths and weaknesses in brand representation. Understanding these patterns is crucial for targeted GEO optimization.
| Provider | Accuracy | Sentiment | Coverage | Credibility | Visibility | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GROK | 76.8 | 66.6 | 83.5 | 76.6 | 89.4 | 68.6 |
| GEMINI | 80.5 | 66.1 | 81.6 | 75.4 | 87.8 | 66.5 |
| CHATGPT | 80.9 | 64.6 | 79.0 | 76.3 | 83.9 | 64.8 |
| PERPLEXITY | 75.2 | 62.8 | 77.0 | 70.2 | 84.3 | 62.7 |
| CLAUDE | 77.4 | 62.6 | 70.9 | 71.7 | 78.3 | 60.5 |
Highest visibility scores and strong coverage make Grok the most generous in brand mentions and recommendations.
Best factual accuracy and balanced performance across dimensions. Lower hallucination rate builds trust.
Lowest scores across most dimensions. More cautious in making recommendations and brand assertions.
Score Distribution
The majority of brands cluster in the 74-78 range, creating a highly competitive middle tier where small improvements can significantly impact ranking.
Industry Analysis
Industry analysis reveals clear patterns in AI perception. Design and creative tools benefit from LLMs' strong understanding of visual workflows and creative processes. Developer tools like GitHub and Vercel score highly due to extensive documentation and community discussions in training data.
Security and compliance tools earn high credibility scores, reflecting the importance of trust in these categories. Communication tools perform well across visibility metrics, while CRM and sales tools show more variable performance depending on market positioning and thought leadership presence.
Key Findings
Our analysis reveals four critical insights that reshape how we understand brand visibility in the age of generative AI.
1. The Design Advantage
Design and creative tools dominate the top rankings, with Figma (80.3), Canva (78.8), and Miro (77.8) all scoring exceptionally well. This advantage stems from LLMs' comprehensive understanding of creative workflows, likely due to extensive design documentation and tutorials in their training data. These brands benefit from clear use cases and strong mental models that LLMs can articulate effectively to users seeking creative solutions.
2. The Security Trust Factor
Security and compliance tools consistently outperform their category averages. 1Password (79.6), Okta (76.9), and Auth0 (76.8) demonstrate that trust-based positioning translates effectively to AI recommendations. LLMs appear to have strong mental models around security concepts and readily recommend established players in this space, particularly when users express concerns about data protection or compliance requirements.
3. The AI-Native Paradox
Counterintuitively, AI-first companies struggle for recognition. Copy.ai (74.5) and Writer (74.4) score below the category average despite building products specifically for the AI era. This paradox suggests that being "AI-native" doesn't automatically translate to AI visibility. Traditional brands with strong category positioning often outperform newer AI-focused alternatives, highlighting the importance of established mental models over recency.
4. The Giant's Struggle
Enterprise giants face unexpected challenges. Salesforce (77.3) and HubSpot (77.5) rank lower than focused competitors, suggesting that breadth can dilute AI perception. When LLMs evaluate software recommendations, they often favor tools with clear, specific use cases over broad platforms. This trend favors specialized solutions and challenges the assumption that market leadership guarantees AI visibility.
5. The Density Problem
The middle tier (ranks 20-100) shows remarkable score compression, with 60% of brands clustering between 74-78 points. This density creates both opportunity and vulnerability – small improvements in AI perception can drive significant ranking changes, while neglecting GEO optimization can quickly erode position. Brands in this tier must focus on differentiation and clarity to break through the competitive middle ground.
The Visibility Paradox
Our data reveals a troubling paradox: the brands that get mentioned most frequently aren't always described most accurately. This disconnect between visibility and accuracy creates both opportunities and risks for brand positioning.
The Double-Edged Sword
Brands like Notion achieve high visibility scores but struggle with accuracy, as LLMs sometimes mischaracterize their features or capabilities. This creates a dangerous scenario where increased brand mentions might actually spread misinformation, potentially damaging user experience and trust.
Conversely, some lower-visibility brands maintain exceptional accuracy in their limited mentions. These brands may be better positioned for conversion, as users who do encounter them receive reliable, actionable information rather than misleading guidance.
Strategic Implications
This paradox demands a nuanced approach to GEO optimization. Simply increasing mention frequency without ensuring accuracy can backfire. The most successful brands in our study achieve both high visibility and high accuracy, suggesting that quality content and clear positioning work together to build strong AI mental models.
For brands currently suffering from the visibility-accuracy gap, the priority should be correcting misinformation through strategic content creation and consistent messaging rather than pursuing pure visibility metrics.
Hallucination Analysis
Hallucination Rates by Provider
Hallucination rates vary significantly across providers, with Perplexity showing the highest rate at 19.9% and ChatGPT the lowest at 9.3%. These differences reflect varying approaches to knowledge certainty and response generation.
Common hallucination types include misattributed features, incorrect pricing information, and fictional integrations. Brands with clearer positioning and more consistent online presence show lower hallucination rates across all providers.
Complete Rankings
| # | Brand | Industry | Score | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GitHub | Developer Tools & Infrastructure | 80.4 | |
| 2 | Figma | Design & Creative | 80.3 | |
| 3 | Stripe | Finance & Payments | 79.8 | |
| 4 | 1Password | Security & Compliance | 79.6 | |
| 5 | Shopify | E-commerce | 79.3 | |
| 6 | Cloudflare | Cloud & Platform | 79.2 | |
| 7 | Canva | Design & Creative | 78.8 | |
| 8 | Calendly | Communication | 78.8 | |
| 9 | Microsoft Teams | Communication | 78.7 | |
| 10 | Slack | Communication | 78.7 | |
| 11 | Zoom | Communication | 78.6 | |
| 12 | Trello | Project Management & Collaboration | 78.6 | |
| 13 | Notion | Project Management & Collaboration | 78.4 | |
| 14 | Zapier | AI & Automation | 78.3 | |
| 15 | Vercel | Developer Tools & Infrastructure | 78.3 | |
| 16 | Jira | Project Management & Collaboration | 78.3 | |
| 17 | Datadog | Analytics & Data | 78.3 | |
| 18 | Xero | Finance & Payments | 78.2 | |
| 19 | Supabase | Developer Tools & Infrastructure | 78.1 | |
| 20 | Netlify | Developer Tools & Infrastructure | 77.9 | |
| 21 | Loom | Communication | 77.8 | |
| 22 | Miro | Design & Creative | 77.8 | |
| 23 | Asana | Project Management & Collaboration | 77.7 | |
| 24 | HubSpot | CRM & Sales | 77.5 | |
| 25 | Salesforce | CRM & Sales | 77.3 | |
| 26 | Zendesk | Customer Support | 77.2 | |
| 27 | Intercom | Customer Support | 77.0 | |
| 28 | Okta | Security & Compliance | 76.9 | |
| 29 | Auth0 | Security & Compliance | 76.8 | |
| 30 | Twilio | Communication | 76.7 | |
| 31 | Snowflake | Analytics & Data | 76.5 | |
| 32 | Amplitude | Analytics & Data | 76.4 | |
| 33 | Mixpanel | Analytics & Data | 76.3 | |
| 34 | Hotjar | Analytics & Data | 76.2 | |
| 35 | Webflow | Design & Creative | 76.1 | |
| 36 | Monday.com | Project Management & Collaboration | 76.0 | |
| 37 | Airtable | Analytics & Data | 75.9 | |
| 38 | Mailchimp | Marketing & Email | 75.8 | |
| 39 | Freshdesk | Customer Support | 75.7 | |
| 40 | Help Scout | Customer Support | 75.5 | |
| 41 | Pipedrive | CRM & Sales | 75.4 | |
| 42 | Workday | HR & People | 75.3 | |
| 43 | BambooHR | HR & People | 75.2 | |
| 44 | Square | Finance & Payments | 75.1 | |
| 45 | DocuSign | Finance & Payments | 75.0 | |
| 46 | Box | Cloud & Platform | 74.9 | |
| 47 | Atlassian | Developer Tools & Infrastructure | 74.8 | |
| 48 | GitLab | Developer Tools & Infrastructure | 74.7 | |
| 49 | Copy.ai | AI & Automation | 74.5 | |
| 50 | Writer | AI & Automation | 74.4 |
Recommendations for Brands
Based on our analysis of 150 brands across 15,000+ AI interactions, here are actionable strategies for improving your brand's AI visibility and accuracy.
• Audit current AI mentions across all 5 major LLMs
• Identify and document hallucinations about your brand
• Create a comprehensive fact sheet for AI training
• Optimize product documentation for clarity
• Establish consistent messaging across all content
• Develop clear, specific use case positioning
• Build authoritative thought leadership content
• Engage in community discussions and forums
• Create detailed comparison content
• Monitor and respond to AI mischaracterizations
Priority Framework
If you're in the bottom 50 (ranks 100-150): Focus on basic accuracy first. Ensure AI models have correct fundamental information about your product, pricing, and core features. Visibility can wait until accuracy improves.
If you're in the middle tier (ranks 25-100): Balance accuracy improvements with selective visibility initiatives. Target specific use cases where you can clearly differentiate from competitors.
If you're in the top 25: Maintain accuracy while expanding recommendation strength. Focus on becoming the default suggestion for your primary use cases across all LLMs.
Content Strategy
Create content that directly addresses the queries LLMs receive about your category. Our analysis shows that brands with comprehensive FAQ sections, detailed feature comparisons, and clear use case documentation score significantly higher across all dimensions.
Avoid generic marketing speak in favor of specific, technical accuracy. LLMs respond better to precise feature descriptions than promotional language, and users increasingly trust AI responses that provide concrete, actionable information.
About VectorGap
VectorGap is the leading Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) platform, helping B2B brands understand and improve their visibility across AI models.
Founded to address the critical gap between traditional SEO and AI-first discovery, VectorGap provides the tools and insights necessary for brands to thrive in the generative AI era. Our War Room platform offers real-time monitoring, competitive analysis, and strategic optimization guidance for the world's leading B2B companies.
Data collected February 5-9, 2026 • Research by VectorGap.ai
Methodology and raw data available upon request •Contact us