The answer to the question “What is being talked about in the software world in 2026?” is no longer just a list of frameworks. Search behavior blends productized software trends, AI agents, privacy tools, and developer infrastructure into a single picture. In this article, as of January 2026 (the early days of the year), I compiled the 10 topics that stand out in the software ecosystem and dominate search interest, together with their monthly search volumes and growth rates. The data is based on current metrics from the “Software Trends” list.
1) Brave Search — 2.24M/month, +1088%
As a privacy-centered search engine, it is rising among both end users and tech communities. The “no tracking” message is strong; therefore, searches are not just product curiosity but also a signal of a “privacy-first” transformation on the enterprise side.
Exploding Topics
Geographic insight: In Europe (especially in markets with high regulatory sensitivity), “privacy tooling” is becoming institutionalized more rapidly. This trend also intersects with concerns about data leakage in AI tools.
2) Manus (autonomous AI agent) — 2.24M/month, +367%
The concept of “agents” gained momentum at the end of 2025 and became clearly visible as we entered 2026. Autonomous agents attract searches with the promise of “single prompt → multiple steps” for tasks such as execution, automation, reporting, and integration.
Exploding Topics
Background: AI is shifting from “writing code” to “doing work.” The impact of this shift is frequently covered in the tech media through AI agents and AI coding competition.
3) Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) — 1M/month, +219%
It sounds classic, but the growth rate is clear: ERP is no longer a “single massive system.” It is being searched again through integration, modularization, data layers, automation, and AI add-ons.
Geographic insight: Modernization dominates in North America and Western Europe, while in many regions including MENA and the Balkans, the motivation is “getting the first correct setup.”
4) Jellyfin — 201K/month, +200%
An open-source media server. It aligns with the idea of “my data should stay with me.” Search volume is high because installation, plugins, and Docker-based deployment scenarios are very common.
5) Containerization — 22.2K/month, +270%
One of the most “developer-scented” topics. Containerization searches are fueled by practical problems such as microservices, scalable deployment, CI/CD, and cost optimization.
Exploding Topics
Geographic insight: In markets where the number of developers is growing (especially Asia), the container + cloud-native learning curve manifests itself strongly in search behavior. India’s share of developers added on GitHub in 2025 is particularly notable.
6) Portmaster (app firewall) — 33.1K/month, +274%
Application-level network control, monitoring, privacy, and security. The question “What is my machine communicating with externally?” is being asked more frequently. Moreover, the era of remote work and multi-device usage has increased the visibility of such tools.
7) Skyflow (data privacy & security) — 5.4K/month, +558%
Privacy platforms focused on tokenization and encryption are especially coming to the forefront in products that carry “customer data.” Searches usually emerge from pain points such as “How do we secure PCI/PII?”
8) APILayer (API marketplace) — 27.1K/month, +650%
The reflex of “launching products quickly with ready-made APIs.” As API purchasing and subscription models grow for MVPs, integration projects, and B2B products, searches increase accordingly.
9) Codeberg (FOSS code hosting) — 8.1K/month, +333%
Open-source communities are increasingly looking toward “independent, non-profit” infrastructure. Search behavior ranges from repository migration to federation concepts.
10) Tripo AI (text/image → 3D) — 33.1K/month, +2400%
Tools that accelerate “3D production” in gaming, AR/VR, and product visualization are attracting serious attention. These searches are often directly tied to production needs: “generate the asset quickly, plug it into the pipeline.”
So, in which regions are these searches more meaningful?
Although search volume is global, the question “which regions commercialize faster?” is critical. Here, there are two strong signals:
Developer density and growth: GitHub data indicates that India reached a very strong share in new developer additions in 2025, accelerating the search + learning + production cycle in the Asia-Pacific region.
Community signal: In the Stack Overflow 2025 survey, the countries with the highest response volumes include the United States, Germany, India, the United Kingdom, and France. This provides a practical answer to the question of “which markets have more visible technical search behavior.”
AI tool adoption: JetBrains’ 2025 report states that the majority of developers use AI tools, explaining why AI agents and AI coding topics are being searched “everywhere” in 2026.
