Best Antivirus Software Based on In-Depth Reviews
- 200+Hours of research
- 40+Sources used
- 15Companies vetted
- 3Features reviewed
- 5Top
Picks
- Keep your antivirus software updated at all times
- Mac and Linux users should still consider antivirus software
- Safe web browsing is key to maintaining your device malware-free
- Antivirus software is essential for small and medium businesses
How We Found the Best Antivirus Software
Our Top Picks: Antivirus Software Reviews
Before vetting antivirus software companies, we wanted to make sure that, in 2020, a free or paid antivirus was worth downloading and subscribing to. After all, every Windows 10 computer comes with Windows Defender, already a reliable basic antivirus software. That being said, the more we researched antivirus software, the more we realized that a basic antivirus wasn’t enough, especially if your work relies heavily on web browsing or if you own a business with a computer network.
Our antivirus software reviews are based on online research and data conducted by two independent antivirus software test labs: AV Test and AV Comparatives. We researched online for product reviews and other feedback and evaluated each software focusing on three factors: features and value, system compatibility, and customer service.
You will notice that each software review has two price points, one on its own and another between parentheses. The first price displays introductory price ranges, if any, and the parentheses show the software’s average price range.
Norton review
Norton Antivirus Software Features:
- Malware Detection and Removal: Norton Antivirus excels in detecting and removing viruses, spyware, ransomware, and other malware threats using advanced machine learning and comprehensive scanning technology.
- Anti-Phishing Protection: Blocks phishing attempts and malicious sites designed to steal your data.
- Real-Time Threat Monitoring: Continuously scans and monitors for new and emerging threats to keep your devices secure at all times.
Additional Protection Tools:
Secure VPN, Password Manager, Dark Web Monitoring, Parental Controls, and Cloud Backup for data protection.
Compatibility:
Norton supports Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices, providing cross-platform protection for seamless security across all your devices.
Pricing and Plans:
Total AV review
TotalAV Antivirus Software Features:
- Malware Detection and Removal: TotalAV provides real-time protection against viruses, malware, and online threats. Its advanced cloud scanning technology ensures rapid identification and elimination of potential risks.
- Anti-Adware: TotalAV blocks intrusive advertisements and prevents advertisers from installing unwanted tracking software on your devices.
- Real-Time Protection: TotalAV offers continuous real-time scanning, checking downloads, installations, and executables for threats each time your computer accesses them.
Additional Protection Tools:
TotalAV includes a Secure VPN for safe browsing, a Password Vault for secure password management, Total Adblock to eliminate annoying ads, and System Tune-Up tools to optimize device performance.
Compatibility:
TotalAV is compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices, providing comprehensive protection across multiple platforms for seamless, cross-device security.
Pricing and Plans:
TotalAV offers promotional pricing for new customers, with the Antivirus Pro plan available for $19 for the first year, renewing at $99 per year thereafter. Other plans, such as Internet Security and Total Security, are available with additional features and device coverage. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
ESET review
ESET Antivirus Software Features:
- Malware Detection and Removal: ESET provides real-time protection against viruses, malware, ransomware, spyware, and phishing attacks. Its advanced AI-powered threat detection ensures rapid identification and elimination of potential risks.
- Anti-Adware: ESET blocks intrusive advertisements and prevents advertisers from installing unwanted tracking software on your devices.
- Real-Time Protection: ESET offers continuous real-time scanning, ensuring your system is safeguarded against new and emerging threats.
Additional Protection Tools:
ESET enhances your security with features such as a Secure Browser for safe online transactions, a Password Manager for secure password storage, encryption for sensitive files, and a Virtual Private Network (VPN) for anonymous browsing. The Ultimate plan also includes Identity Protection with dark web monitoring to alert you if your personal information is at risk.
Compatibility:
ESET supports Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices, providing comprehensive protection across multiple platforms for seamless, cross-device security.
Pricing and Plans:
ESET offers flexible pricing options to suit different needs. The Essential plan starts at $59.99 per year for three devices, providing antivirus and online privacy protection. The Premium plan is available for $69.99 per year for three devices, adding features like Password Manager and file encryption. The Ultimate plan, priced at $179.99 per year for five devices, includes all features plus unlimited VPN and Identity Protection. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bitdefender review
Best for Features
Screenshot Bitdefender.com, November 2020
- Price Range: $24.99-$59.99 ($59.99-$149.99)
- Free Version?: Yes
From network threat prevention and ransomware protection to a vulnerability assessment and a sandbox system for safe file booting, Bitdefender’s Antivirus Plus ranks has the best features on our list of antivirus software.
Additionally, you can secure three devices with their “Antivirus Plus” for $24.99, which is around the average cost of protecting one single device with other antivirus software companies. Their premium version, “Total Security,” also goes all out with extra features, including microphone monitor, webcam protection, parental control, privacy firewall, anti-theft tools, file shredder, and anti-spam features. On the offset, their “Premium Security” tier isn’t cheap, but it averages with the premium costs of other companies, costing $59.99 ($149.99 after one year) for ten devices.
Aura Antivirus review
Aura Antivirus Software Features:
- Malware Detection and Removal: Aura Antivirus is highly effective in detecting and removing viruses, spyware, ransomware, trojans, and other malware threats. Its advanced AI-driven engine swiftly identifies and neutralizes potential risks.
- Anti-Adware: Stops advertisers from installing unwanted tracking software on your devices.
- Real-Time Protection: Aura provides real-time scanning and proactive threat detection, keeping your system continuously safeguarded from new and emerging threats.
Additional Protection Tools:
VPN with Safe Browsing, Identity Protection, Credit Monitoring, Parental Controls, and System Optimization Tools.
Compatibility:
Aura supports Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices, providing comprehensive protection across multiple platforms for seamless, cross-device security.
Pricing and Plans:
Aura provides flexible pricing options starting at $3 per month (billed annually), with a first-year cost of $35.99. Customers can choose from three subscription plans: the Antivirus Plan, Antivirus Plus Plan, and Ultimate Plan. Each plan includes a 60-day money-back guarantee and is available for annual subscription.
Avast review
Avast Antivirus Software Features:
- Malware Detection and Removal: Avast excels at detecting and removing viruses, ransomware, spyware, and other malware. With a powerful threat-detection engine backed by AI, it provides robust protection against both known and emerging threats.
- Anti-Adware: Avast blocks intrusive adware and prevents advertisers from installing tracking software on your devices.
- Real-Time Protection: Avast offers continuous real-time scanning to detect and neutralize threats before they can harm your system.
Additional Protection Tools:
Avast goes beyond antivirus with a suite of features, including a SecureLine VPN for safe browsing, a Password Manager, Webcam Protection, Sandbox for testing suspicious files, and Performance Optimization tools to boost device speed and efficiency.
Compatibility:
Avast supports all major platforms, including Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, delivering a unified security experience across devices.
Pricing and Plans:
Avast offers free and premium plans, with the Premium Security plan starting at $4.19/month (billed annually). The Ultimate plan includes additional features such as a VPN, Cleanup Premium, and AntiTrack. All premium plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Further Insight into Our Methodology
When we began researching antivirus software companies, our initial thoughts were the following: free versions are all the same, and each one offers the same features at differing prices. Although this is true in some respects—some companies only provide just the basic protection in their free versions, and prices always vary—, we were surprised at how much variety there was in terms of free software features and tier/cost range.
The number of protected devices varied greatly, too. Some protected up to 3 devices with their most basic antivirus protection, while others would limit their highest protection level to just one device.
To find the best antivirus software, we spent more than 140 hours of research, studied more than 40 sources, and vetted 15 companies. We discovered that features and value, system compatibility, and customer service are essential factors for antivirus software. Let’s take a look at each:
Features & Cost
With antivirus software, we found that features and cost are interconnected. Some companies offer a low number of security features at a high annual subscription cost, while others offer more features at an equal or lower price. Cost and features can also increase if you subscribe to a more premium tier, meaning that, typically, the more you pay, the more features you’ll get. For this reason, we decided to evaluate the number of features the antivirus software included in terms of its overall annual cost. Companies that offered more features for less scored higher with us.
Also, as we looked at all the prices for products and tiers, we concluded that the average antivirus software cost for the first year stands at around $30 for the most basic level of premium protection. In comparison, the highest tier stands at approximately $60, so we used these as a basis for our evaluation. For example, Norton’s “Antivirus Plus” costs $19.99 for the first year for one device, and it offers many useful tools such as a password manager and 2GB of PC Cloud backup. In contrast, Bitdefender’s most basic paid tier, “Antivirus Pro,” is more expensive than Norton’s basic tier, starting at $29.99 for the first year. Still, it has all the features of Norton’s “Antivirus Plus,” supporting up to 3 devices.
System Compatibility
We found that some antivirus companies limit their scope to just protecting Windows PCs, while others protect Windows and macOS PCs, but not smartphones or tablets. For this reason, we made sure that all of the companies on our list supported Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices.
Customer Service
If your antivirus software suddenly freezes, stops working, or is a feature that you don’t know how to use, it would be more comfortable to easily communicate directly with the software developer to answer your questions, right? That’s why, as we evaluated antivirus software companies, we weighed heavily on their customer service accessibility. Some companies only offer a fillable request form, while others have live chat and community forums available. The more ways a company had to communicate with them, the better. The result? Except for TotalAV and Avast, which lack live chat, all of the companies we chose have a phone number, email, fillable form, social media support, FAQ, community forum, and a live chat.
Helpful information about Antivirus Software
What is antivirus software?
Antivirus software is a program designed to search, detect, remove, and prevent malicious software, known as malware, from infecting your computer, smartphone, and tablets. To do this, the antivirus software monitors, searches, and analyzes the data that is in your device— be it through downloaded files, websites, files, or software programs— looking for, flagging, and eliminating any known and potential threats. Since hackers attack every 39 seconds, and because security breaches have increased by 67% since 2014, it’s no surprise how essential antivirus software is in the world we live in today.
What an antivirus software can and can’t do
An antivirus is limited to monitoring, detecting, and eliminating malware from your computer or smart device. However, it’s important to note that 95% of all cybersecurity breaches are due to human error: someone downloads something from a suspicious website or clicks on an unverified, unprotected link from an email. Therefore, even with an antivirus installed, there is a chance that you unknowingly breach that protection and put your device and data in danger. That’s why you need to know what antivirus can and can’t do for you and your devices. Here’s a quick list:
✅ Quarantine and/or delete malware codes and software from your device.
✅ Confirm or warn about your device’s safety.
✅ Schedule scans and updates to keep your device safe.
✅ Warn you about potential threats in documents or websites.
❌ Prevent you from downloading or installing malware files.
❌ Protect you from malware that it isn’t programmed to detect or deduct via heuristic scanning.
Malware and Viruses
You should know that all viruses are malware, but not all malware are viruses. Malware is a catch-all term for malicious software, so really an antivirus software should be called “antimalware software” and not the other way around. The problem is that the antivirus industry and people, in general, have grown accustomed to the term “antivirus,” which is why it has stuck for so long. However, a virus isn’t the only malware out there; there are many varieties of malware that target, redirect, substitute, and even hold your device’s data ransom. To help you sift through it all, we’ve made a list of the most relevant malware:
A virus is malware located inside an executable file, like a program or a document, and it won’t activate until you execute it. However, once executed, it can do many things, such as destroy your data and slow down your device.
Just like with the Trojan horse in Homer’s Iliad, a Trojan disguises itself as legitimate, harmless software but spring into action once downloaded and executed. Once in your system, a Trojan can steal your sensitive data, and it can even grant hackers access to your system.
This software has one definite purpose: to replicate and spread itself as much as possible in a given computer network. Unlike viruses, worms can spread automatically, without the need for human interaction.
An Adware is software that, once installed, displays unwanted pop-up advertisements (pop-up Ads) or redirects your web browser to a specific website. The software can also include other forms of malware embedded within.
This malware is designed to spy on your device, monitoring everything you do when using it. Since it’s spying on your actions, it can access sensitive information, including usernames and passwords.
Ransomware will block access to your computer, technically holding it hostage until you pay the hacker a specified amount of money.
Free vs. Paid Antivirus Software: Is there a difference?
Although free antivirus software downloads protect your device from traditional malware, such as viruses, worms, and trojans, they may not be able to detect more complex forms of malware, such as spyware and ransomware, or even newer malware altogether. Additionally, you are typically on your own with free antivirus software if there’s a problem you can’t solve. With a paid service, you can contact a company directly and assess your situation with them.
Paid antivirus software typically comes with handy features, such as a firewall, ad blocker, integrated VPNs, parental controls, and file shredders, which eliminate all traces of a file in your computer. Suppose you don’t venture into the internet frequently. In that case, a free or default antivirus software will suffice, but if you are using your desktop or laptop for work or do more internet-heavy activities like gaming, paid antivirus software would be your best bet.
What to Watch Out for With Antivirus Software
Keep your antivirus software up to date at all times
According to the Hosting Tribunal, 30,000 new malware is created by hackers every day, with a hacker attack every 39 seconds. This means that since antivirus software queue up updates to keep up with all of this new malware, skipping on just one could leave your computer unprotected. You might argue that there’s nothing to worry about since your antivirus software automatically updates itself on a weekly or monthly basis. However, not all antivirus software has automatic updates, especially if the free versions. Therefore the best way to assure that your computer is protected from past, present, and future malware is to check that your antivirus software is up to date regularly.
Do not incur in dangerous activities while browsing the internet
Just because antivirus software protects your PC doesn’t mean that you can browse unsecured websites or click on suspicious emails. Note that antivirus software isn’t foolproof; there will always be a hacker creating new malware that could infiltrate your computer, which is why you need to follow safe habits when browsing the web. These include the following:
Keep an eye out for introductory prices
As a way to compete with other companies, many antivirus software products offer an introductory price. These prices are meant to call a customer’s attention. Still, they typically only last for the first year, meaning that when Avast or Norton charges you next year, they’ll do it using the regular cost of the antivirus software—typically 20 to 50% more expensive than the introductory price.
macOS and Android users should still consider antivirus software
Even if you have a MacBook or an Android device, you should always consider installing some form of malware protection software. Although Apple devices are indeed less targeted by hackers and malware—so much so that Apple touted until 2012 that their devices were virus-free—that doesn’t mean that they can’t get malware. There are several well-known Mac viruses and malware that can attack the system today. The same can be said about Android devices. Just like macOS computers, there is less malware targeting Android devices. However, since Android’s operating system is open-sourced, app creators and phone owners can modify and adjust the device to make it more prone to malware. There are many companies out there that offer macOS and Android-friendly versions of their antivirus software.
Antivirus Software is a must for small and medium-sized businesses
Roughly 43% of cyberattacks target small businesses, with 60% of those victims going out of business within six months of the attacks. Hackers don’t create malware without intention, and one of their main goals is financial theft. As a hacker, you could get a thousand or two thousand dollars if you hack one person using ransomware, but how much money would you be able to get out if you hack a small business? We found that cyberattacks cost small companies $200,000 on average.
FAQs about Antivirus Software
Will my antivirus software slow down my computer?
Just like any other program, antivirus software will always slow down your computer. However, the slowdown is typically trivial, so you won’t notice anything as long as you aren’t running a lot of programs simultaneously as you are performing a scan. Remember, the more programs you have running simultaneously, the more processing power your computer needs, and the slower it will get.
Why did one of my installed antivirus software detect a problem, but the other didn’t?
Since antivirus software is coded differently, using a database to identify potential threats, and because some companies own and expand their malware databases, the chances are that one picked up something that its database recognized as malware, while the other didn’t. Since these databases are updated daily, after rerunning the scan after a few days, you’ll notice they both identify the same file as a threat.
I downloaded new antivirus software, but I already had another installed. Should I uninstall the previous one before running the new one?
Although it’s unnecessary to uninstall the previous antivirus software, each software takes space off your hard drive, so you might test them first and choose the one you like best. However, you mustn’t perform scans with them simultaneously because, as they scan your computer for malware, they might detect each other’s scanning attempts as a threat. Therefore, run individual scans with each antivirus software, and decide which one worked best for you.
Does my Android phone and/or tablet need antivirus software?
Although Android smartphones and other devices, like tablets, have fewer chances of getting infected by malware, the possibility still exists. Luckily, many of today’s antivirus companies offer their software as free or paid apps for smartphones and tablets so that you can install them quickly and efficiently.