G2 Winter 2026 Reports: Rise of AI Software and New Market Leaders

G2, one of the largest software marketplace and review platforms, has released its Winter 2026 Reports, offering a data-driven look at trends shaping more than 1,300 software and services categories this season. Built on millions of verified user reviews and G2’s market-presence scoring, the quarterly report highlights the rapid evolution of business software as organizations re-evaluate their technology stacks heading into 2026.

One of the report’s most notable developments is the sharp rise of AI-driven software categories. For the first time, Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) — along with five other AI-native categories — qualified for inclusion in G2’s Grid® rankings. These changes reflect a broader market shift: among the 10 fastest-growing software categories, several are AI-first, including Agentic AI, AI Chatbots, AI Content Creation Platforms, as well as tools in Web Security and SMS Marketing. Together, they underscore how organizations are increasingly prioritizing automation, intelligent workflows, and digital-security readiness.

Despite the rapid expansion of new software segments, G2 notes that only around 3% of products and services analyzed this season earned a coveted “Leader” badge. This low proportion highlights a competitive environment where few solutions demonstrate both high customer satisfaction and strong market presence — a sign that while the software landscape is expanding, true category leadership remains difficult to achieve.

The Winter 2026 Reports also reveal significant shifts among major vendors, signaling evolving market dynamics. Microsoft, for example, increased its presence across G2’s category reports this season, reflecting broader enterprise adoption trends. Meanwhile, the list of products with top G2 Scores featured a mix of long-standing tools and newer entrants, with Grammarly ranking at the top this season.

In addition to AI-centric categories, the report shows continued momentum in infrastructure, security, compliance, and governance technologies, suggesting that organizations are balancing innovation with operational stability. G2 also added 16 new report-ready categories this quarter — ranging from Autonomous Endpoint Management to AI Note-Taking and AI Orchestration — a sign that buyer needs are becoming more specialized as markets mature.

Overall, the Winter 2026 Reports illustrate a software ecosystem in transition: AI is accelerating across nearly every business function, yet organizations continue to demand reliability, security, and proven performance. As software buyers enter 2026, G2’s latest analysis offers a snapshot of which tools are gaining traction — and where the next wave of innovation is emerging.

Sources: 

G2 Winter 2026 Reports summary (G2 Company Newsroom)
https://company.g2.com/news/g2-winter-2026-reports

Additional coverage: G2 Winter 2026 release (Yahoo Finance)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/g2-publishes-winter-2026-reports-150000475.html