Edition 01 · September 2026
67 buying questions, six ways each
Each category is one buying question, put to twelve models in six framings: 72 answers a category per segment. Share counts the four framings that ask for a pick, so 48 of the 72. The verdict comes first: whether the models agree, whether one product leads clearly, or whether the order is still contested. The page for each category shows who leads, who is warned against, how every model answered, and every judgment call made between the raw labels and the numbers.
67 categories: 1 consensus, 55 with a clear leader, 50 contested. Share counts the four framings that ask for a pick.
What the verdicts meanThe leader changes here
Security operations15 categories. Detecting, investigating and reducing threats: SIEM, endpoint and extended detection, vulnerability and attack surface management, email security, awareness, data loss prevention, and the governance, risk and compliance that reports on it.Function page →
Security operations · ASMAttack surface management“attack surface management platform”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
Security operations · Compliance automationCompliance automation“compliance automation platform”A different leader in every segment
Security operations · DLPData loss prevention“data loss prevention platform”One leader in all three segments
Security operations · Email securityEmail security“email security platform”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
Security operations · EDREndpoint detection and response“EDR platform”A different leader in every segment
Security operations · XDRExtended detection and response“XDR platform”Mid-market and enterprise share a leader. Small business differs.
Security operations · GRCGRC platforms“GRC platform”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
Security operations · MDRManaged detection and response“MDR service”A different leader in every segment
Security operations · PTaaSPenetration testing as a service“penetration testing service”A different leader in every segment
Security operations · Awareness trainingSecurity awareness training“security awareness training platform”Mid-market and enterprise share a leader. Small business differs.
Security operations · SIEMSIEM platforms“SIEM platform”Mid-market and enterprise share a leader. Small business differs.
Security operations · SOARSOAR platforms“SOAR platform”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
Security operations · TPRMThird-party risk management“third-party risk management platform”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
Security operations · Threat intelThreat intelligence platforms“threat intelligence platform”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
Security operations · Vuln managementVulnerability management platforms“vulnerability management platform”A different leader in every segment
IT operations and endpoint11 categories. Running the estate day to day: observability and monitoring, incidents and on-call, service management, and the laptops, phones and servers an IT team manages and patches.Function page →
IT operations and endpoint · APMApplication performance monitoring“APM tool”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
IT operations and endpoint · Endpoint protectionEndpoint protection“endpoint protection platform”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
IT operations and endpoint · IncidentsIncident management and on-call“incident management platform”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
IT operations and endpoint · Infra monitoringInfrastructure monitoring“infrastructure monitoring tool”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
IT operations and endpoint · ITAMIT asset management“IT asset management platform”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
IT operations and endpoint · ITSMIT service management“ITSM platform”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
IT operations and endpoint · LogsLog management“log management platform”A different leader in every segment
IT operations and endpoint · ObservabilityObservability platforms“observability platform”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
IT operations and endpoint · PatchingPatch management“patch management tool”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
IT operations and endpoint · RMMRemote monitoring and management“RMM platform”Mid-market and enterprise share a leader. Small business differs.
IT operations and endpoint · UEMUnified endpoint management“unified endpoint management platform”One leader in all three segments
Cloud and infrastructure9 categories. Where workloads run and how they are secured and paid for: hosting, posture management, containers, Kubernetes, infrastructure as code, cost, backup and storage.Function page →
Cloud and infrastructure · Backup and DRBackup and disaster recovery“backup and disaster recovery solution”A different leader in every segment
Cloud and infrastructure · FinOpsCloud cost management“cloud cost management platform”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
Cloud and infrastructure · Cloud hostingCloud hosting“cloud hosting provider”Mid-market and enterprise share a leader. Small business differs.
Cloud and infrastructure · CSPMCloud security posture management“cloud security posture management platform”Mid-market and enterprise share a leader. Small business differs.
Cloud and infrastructure · CNAPPCloud-native application protection“CNAPP”Mid-market and enterprise share a leader. Small business differs.
Cloud and infrastructure · Container securityContainer and Kubernetes security“container security platform”Mid-market and enterprise share a leader. Small business differs.
Cloud and infrastructure · IaCInfrastructure as code“infrastructure-as-code tool”One leader in all three segments
Cloud and infrastructure · Managed KubernetesManaged Kubernetes platforms“managed Kubernetes platform”Mid-market and enterprise share a leader. Small business differs.
Cloud and infrastructure · Object storageObject storage“object storage service”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
Developer platform9 categories. How software is built and shipped: source control, CI/CD, feature flags, APIs, AI coding assistants, code security and error monitoring.Function page →
Developer platform · AI codingAI coding assistants“AI coding assistant”One leader in all three segments
Developer platform · API gatewaysAPI gateways“API gateway”Mid-market and enterprise share a leader. Small business differs.
Developer platform · API managementAPI management“API management platform”A different leader in every segment
Developer platform · CI/CDCI/CD platforms“CI/CD platform”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
Developer platform · Error monitoringError and crash monitoring“error monitoring tool”One leader in all three segments
Developer platform · Feature flagsFeature flags“feature flag platform”Mid-market and enterprise share a leader. Small business differs.
Developer platform · SCASoftware composition analysis“software composition analysis tool”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
Developer platform · Source controlSource control hosting“source control hosting platform”One leader in all three segments
Developer platform · SASTStatic application security testing“SAST tool”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
Data platform9 categories. Where data is stored, moved and modelled: databases, warehouses, streaming, pipelines, orchestration, vector search and machine learning.Function page →
GTM data · Data warehousesData warehouses“cloud data warehouse”Mid-market and enterprise share a leader. Small business differs.
GTM data · ETLETL and ELT“ETL tool”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
GTM data · LLM gatewaysLLM gateways and observability“LLM gateway”One leader in all three segments
GTM data · Managed databasesManaged relational databases“managed relational database service”One leader in all three segments
GTM data · ML platformsML platforms“machine learning platform”A different leader in every segment
GTM data · NoSQLNoSQL databases“NoSQL database”One leader in all three segments
GTM data · StreamingStreaming platforms“event streaming platform”Mid-market and enterprise share a leader. Small business differs.
GTM data · Vector databasesVector databases“vector database”A different leader in every segment
GTM data · OrchestrationWorkflow orchestration“workflow orchestration tool”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
Identity and access7 categories. Who and what may reach a system: workforce and customer identity, MFA, privileged access, governance, passwords and secrets.Function page →
Identity and access · Password managersBusiness password managers“business password manager”Mid-market and enterprise share a leader. Small business differs.
Identity and access · CIAMCustomer identity and access management“customer identity platform”Mid-market and enterprise share a leader. Small business differs.
Identity and access · IGAIdentity governance“identity governance platform”A different leader in every segment
Identity and access · MFAMulti-factor authentication“MFA solution”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
Identity and access · PAMPrivileged access management“privileged access management platform”A different leader in every segment
Identity and access · SecretsSecrets management“secrets management tool”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
Identity and access · Workforce identityWorkforce identity and SSO“workforce identity platform”Mid-market and enterprise share a leader. Small business differs.
Network and edge7 categories. Connecting and protecting traffic: SASE, zero trust access, firewalls, SD-WAN, web application firewalls, DDoS protection and content delivery.Function page →
Network and edge · CDNContent delivery networks“CDN”One leader in all three segments
Network and edge · DDoSDDoS protection“DDoS protection service”One leader in all three segments
Network and edge · FirewallsNext-generation firewalls“next-generation firewall”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
Network and edge · SASESASE platforms“SASE platform”A different leader in every segment
Network and edge · SD-WANSD-WAN“SD-WAN platform”A different leader in every segment
Network and edge · WAFWeb application firewalls“web application firewall”One leader in all three segments
Network and edge · ZTNAZero trust network access“ZTNA solution”Small business and mid-market share a leader. Enterprise differs.
Twelve models, six framings per category. September 2026 Edition.