AI Is Making Software Easier to Find and Harder to Buy, According to New G2 Research

• Evaluation has overtaken research as the longest stage of the software buying journey.
• 82% of B2B software buyers sourced software recommendations from an AI chatbot in the last two years.
• 49% say a CFO vetoed an already-approved software purchase in the last 12 months.
• 80% say their organization provides developers or technical teams with a dedicated token or LLM usage budget.
• Only 9% are comfortable letting AI agents execute purchases within approved guardrails, and just 2% would allow purchases without pre-approval.

CHICAGO, July 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- G2, the world's largest and most trusted data source on B2B software, today published the G2 2026 Buyer Behavior Report: The Evaluation Maze, based on a survey of more than 1,000 B2B software buyers. The study, which examines evolving trends and preferences in software buying, reveals that AI has made it faster for buyers to reach a shortlist, but harder for brands to win the deal once they are selected.

G2's April 2026 Answer Economy report found that AI has accelerated software discovery. But its latest July 2026 Buyer Behavior Report reveals that the same speed has surfaced new scrutiny in the evaluation stage. As buyers purchase more AI products, some of the toughest resistance now comes from within their organizations. G2's report shows that the share of buyers citing internal resistance to AI adoption as a concern rose from 16% to 29% in a single year.

"AI has taken most of the friction out of finding software, but it raised new questions about cost, security, and internal trust," said Tim Sanders, Chief Innovation Officer at G2. "Winning the deal today means going beyond discoverability and actually helping buyers work through that scrutiny and defend the decision internally. The software brands that consistently show up as trusted, authoritative sources will continue to have the edge before the buying process begins, but the ones that arm buyers with proof and answers to objections stand the best chance of winning the deal."

Evaluation is now the longest stage of the buying journey, and the shortlist decides who gets to compete for the deal

AI has compressed software discovery, but it has moved the friction. Buyers are getting to a shortlist faster than ever thanks to AI, and that shortlist faces more internal scrutiny before a purchase is approved.

• Evaluation is now the longest stage of the buying journey at 40%, surpassing research (down to 36%).
• IT security review is the single biggest source of delay after a vendor is selected, cited by 39% of buyers, rising to 50% among enterprise buyers.
• Budget approval (32%) and implementation planning (25%) follow as the next biggest post-selection delays.
• Concerns about internal resistance to AI adoption grew from 16% to 29% in a single year — the largest single-year shift in the entire study.

The shortlist forms faster with AI

AI has made software easier to find, and buyers who use it for recommendations are more likely to choose a vendor from their initial shortlist. Brands missing from AI answers and review sites are eliminated before a buyer ever reaches out.

• 82% of buyers sourced software recommendations from an AI chatbot in the last 24 months.
• 50% of those who used AI chatbots said that it had the greatest impact when narrowing and comparing options.
• Review sites (38%) are now the top source influencing which vendors make the buyer's shortlist, surpassing AI chatbots (37%) for the first time.

CFOs are reshaping how software deals get done

Finance involvement in software decisions has surged over the last year, and finance leaders are now reversing decisions that buying teams thought were already approved.

• Finance involvement in software decisions jumped from 31% to 46% in a single year.
• 49% of buyers say their CFO vetoed an already-approved software purchase in the last 12 months.
• Among organizations with a dedicated token or LLM budget, that 49% climbs to 54% — nearly double the 29% rate among organizations without one.
• Buyers who have seen an approved deal vetoed by their CFO approach their next software purchase differently. Three in four expect positive ROI within six months of signing. They also push for contract terms under 12 months at more than double the rate of buyers who have not experienced a late-stage veto (40% vs 18%, respectively).

AI is rewriting the economics of SaaS

The financial scrutiny applied to software purchases is higher than ever. AI has introduced pricing variables that are harder to predict, defend, and budget for, and buyers are demanding more flexibility in response.

• 70% of buyers say the pace of technology innovation is pushing them toward shorter contracts.
• 80% say their organization provides developers or technical teams with a dedicated token or LLM usage budget.
• Preference for outcome-based pricing more than doubled in a single year, from 11% to 23%.
• 49% of respondents have already been offered a variable-cost pricing option instead of a traditional seat license or subscription, and another 42% have been told those changes are coming.

Agents are entering software evaluation, but humans still make the decisions

Buyers are using AI agents in the software buying process, but stopping short of giving them full purchasing authority.

• 61% of buyers currently use or plan to use AI agents as part of the software buying process, and 19% would for select use cases.
• Top agent use cases are evaluating total cost of ownership (51%), building shortlists (51%), researching solutions (49%), and evaluating shortlisted vendors (46%).
• 47% would allow an agent to conduct research and make recommendations while humans retain all final decision-making authority.
• Only 9% are comfortable letting AI agents execute purchases within approved guardrails, and just 2% would allow purchases without pre-approval.

About the report

The G2 2026 Buyer Behavior Report: The Evaluation Maze is based on an online survey of 1,038 B2B software decision-makers conducted in June 2026, spanning individual contributors through C-suite executives across North America, EMEA, and APAC. Qualitative research was conducted through 55 interviews with B2B software marketers and go-to-market leaders using G2's AI Custom Research (AICR) solution.

About G2

G2 is the world's largest and most trusted data source on B2B software, helping businesses reach their peak potential by enabling confident buying and go-to-market decisions. Offering trusted data, authentic peer reviews, and real-time market intelligence, the G2 ecosystem — which includes Capterra, Software Advice, and GetApp — serves more than 200 million annual buyers, representing teams at every Fortune 500 company.

As buyers increasingly shift from traditional search to AI search platforms, G2 has become the most-cited B2B software source across those AI-first channels where software discovery happens. Leading software and services companies like Salesforce, IBM, SAP, Adobe, and Clay also trust G2 to influence discovery, build brand credibility, reach in-market buyers, and accelerate revenue growth. To learn more, visit www.g2.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

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SOURCE G2