Personal VPN ads in ChatGPT
Ads shown in ChatGPT conversations about Personal VPN. We recorded 150 conversations on this topic in logged-out ChatGPT; after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed 149 ads from 31 advertisers. Most often shown: Bitdefender, Groupon and GetApp.
Our captureLogged-out ChatGPT, USOct 3–4, 2026
Advertisers shown in Personal VPN conversations
top 25 of 31Ranked by how many of the conversations on this topic ended with their ad on screen; share of the 149 shown ads.
| # | Advertiser | Ads shown | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bitdefender | 78 | 52.3% |
| 2 | Groupon | 13 | 8.7% |
| 3 | GetApp | 5 | 3.4% |
| 4 | Aura Consolidated Group | 4 | 2.7% |
| 5 | Rocket Money | 4 | 2.7% |
| 6 | bestproxyandvpn.com | 3 | 2.0% |
| 7 | Box | 3 | 2.0% |
| 8 | Contabo | 3 | 2.0% |
| 9 | Fubo | 3 | 2.0% |
| 10 | gridpanel.net | 3 | 2.0% |
| 11 | Proton | 3 | 2.0% |
| 12 | Tailscale | 3 | 2.0% |
| 13 | Avast | 2 | 1.3% |
| 14 | dataimpulse.com | 2 | 1.3% |
| 15 | Decodo | 2 | 1.3% |
| 16 | ESET | 2 | 1.3% |
| 17 | top10bestvpn.com | 2 | 1.3% |
| 18 | Airalo | 1 | 0.7% |
| 19 | Bluehost | 1 | 0.7% |
| 20 | Consumer Picks | 1 | 0.7% |
| 21 | Holafly Plans | 1 | 0.7% |
| 22 | internationalsos.com | 1 | 0.7% |
| 23 | Lyca Mobile USA | 1 | 0.7% |
| 24 | Maya Mobile | 1 | 0.7% |
| 25 | Miles IT | 1 | 0.7% |
6 more advertisers shared the other 6 shown ads.
Ad formats
| Format | Ads shown | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Text ad (advertiser name and headline) | 136 | 91.3% |
| Shopping ad (product name and price) | 13 | 8.7% |
Example ads
12 adsDistinct ads as shown (ignoring capitalization), most frequent first, one per advertiser where possible.
- BitdefenderText ad
Browse Safely With Unlimited VPN
Shown 69 times
- GrouponShopping ad
Deals on Software & Electronics
$85
Shown 10 times
- GetAppText ad
Free Top Software List
Shown 5 times
- Rocket MoneyText ad
Cancel unwanted subscriptions
Shown 4 times
- TailscaleText ad
Your VPN shouldn’t create more work
Shown 3 times
- gridpanel.netText ad
Movil LTD
GridPanel
Shown 3 times
- ContaboText ad
VPS 4 – 8 GB, from $5.28/mo
Shown 3 times
- ProtonText ad
Up to 70% Off Proton VPN
Shown 3 times
- Aura Consolidated GroupText ad
Data Breach Alerts
Shown 2 times
- bestproxyandvpn.comText ad
Extra Consult SRL
Whitelist It Once
Shown 2 times
- AvastText ad
Avast Free Antivirus
Shown 2 times
- FuboText ad
Fubo - Watch Live Sports & TV
Shown 2 times
Example conversations
12 examplesChosen to cover different advertisers and question types. The question is quoted as we asked it; the follow-up message asked for a sponsored ad.
In a conversation that began “is expressvpn worth paying more for compared to cheaper options like surfshark or pia”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Groupon.
Shopping ad: Deals on Software & Electronics · $85
Worth it question · Oct 4, 02:10 ET
In a conversation that began “i'm a remote worker whose company vpn is clunky, should i add a personal vpn for non-work browsing, and which one?”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Bitdefender.
Text ad: “Browse Safely With Unlimited VPN”
Long scenario question · Oct 3, 23:32 ET
In a conversation that began “is a paid vpn worth it”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from top10bestvpn.com.
Text ad: “Top 10 VPNs For Streaming”
Worth it question · Oct 3, 23:34 ET
In a conversation that began “what do i need to set up a vpn router”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Miles IT.
Text ad: “Looking for a Top-Rated IT Company?”
Fix or choose question · Oct 4, 01:02 ET
In a conversation that began “nordvpn auto-renewed at a much higher price, how do i get a refund and switch to something cheaper”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Rocket Money.
Text ad: “Cancel unwanted subscriptions”
Fix or choose question · Oct 3, 23:09 ET
In a conversation that began “best vpn for streaming live sports from other countries without constant buffering or blocks”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Fubo.
Text ad: “Fubo - Watch Live Sports & TV”
Best for question · Oct 4, 04:35 ET
In a conversation that began “best vpn for families with many devices”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Qustodio Technologies SL.
Text ad: “Best Parental Control App 2026”
Best for question · Oct 4, 04:20 ET
In a conversation that began “i'm going on a three week trip through asia and need a vpn that works in hotels and airports there, what should i get?”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Airalo.
Text ad: “Travel eSIM for China”
Long scenario question · Oct 3, 23:22 ET
In a conversation that began “windscribe vs proton vpn free”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from GetApp.
Text ad: “Free Top Software List”
Comparison question · Oct 3, 23:07 ET
In a conversation that began “my work laptop's vpn conflicts with my personal vpn at home, how do i fix the connection issues”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Tailscale.
Text ad: “Your VPN shouldn’t create more work”
Fix or choose question · Oct 3, 23:22 ET
In a conversation that began “how to check if my vpn is working”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Avast.
Text ad: “Avast Free Antivirus”
Fix or choose question · Oct 3, 23:21 ET
In a conversation that began “how to fix dns leak on vpn”, after the follow-up message, ChatGPT showed an ad from Decodo.
Text ad: “Proxies That Just Work”
Fix or choose question · Oct 3, 23:20 ET
Question types
How the conversations on this topic were asked, and how many of the shown ads came from each kind.
| Question type | Ads shown | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | 30 | 20.1% |
| Price | 23 | 15.4% |
| Long scenario | 22 | 14.8% |
| Comparison | 22 | 14.8% |
| Fix or choose | 22 | 14.8% |
| Short search | 15 | 10.1% |
| Worth it | 15 | 10.1% |
More in Productivity & Creative AI
Other Productivity & Creative AI topics (ads shown):
How this data was captured
We used logged-out ChatGPT from US internet connections and started a new conversation for every question. Message 1 was the question. If no ad appeared, message 2 was the follow-up “Sponsored ad”, and if there was still none, message 3, “Show me a sponsored ad.”, was a last try. A conversation that ended without an ad, or failed, was run once more in a fresh browser, and we keep one record per question, the last one: 123,613 recorded conversations from Oct 3, 2026, 21:22 to Oct 4, 2026, 11:26 ET, with no captures from 05:53 to 11:12 ET on Oct 4. Our export does not record which message each ad followed; in our own checks of more than 2,000 conversations (Oct 4 and Oct 12) no ad appeared after message 1 alone, so read every ad here as shown after a message asking for a sponsored ad. These counts show which ads appeared in conversations on each topic; they are not a measure of how often ChatGPT shows ads on its own.
Only ads drawn on screen count as shown. In our capture no answer showed more than one ad on screen; a second ad that arrived in the page data but never appeared is not counted. Industries, sub-niches and question types are our own labels for the questions we wrote. Independent; not affiliated with OpenAI. Full methodWhy this is not an ad rateWhat the ads looked like
How does your brand show up in ChatGPT and AI search?
We look at the answers and ads shown for your category and where your brand appears in them.