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Here you’ll find the best antivirus software on the market.
I carefully selected them, after analyzing dozens of solutions.
Then I tested them firsthand and wrote detailed reviews.
But that’s not all you’ll find on this page.
But most importantly – my in-depth, data-driven reviews will guide you through your cyber security journey and help you make an informed choice.
That way you can find the best tool to protect your privacy, your family, and your devices.
AVG - Good free antivirus for cross-device protection
Let’s get something out of the way first.
An investigation revealed that one of Avast’s subsidiaries, Jumpshot, was selling browsing data gathered by Avast and AVG’s free antivirus versions. However, Avast terminated Jumpshot’s operations, so this practice is no longer in action.
Now.
Below you’ll find out the process I followed to find the leading antivirus solutions for 2022.
I checked out each antivirus software’s security features, including multi-layer protection, the technique they use to detect malware, and so on.
The samples included all types of nasty malware, including worms, Trojan horses, keyloggers, ransomware, zero-day malware, and so on.
That’s how I managed to evaluate each antivirus’s real-time protection capabilities.
When I got the results, I did a combined rating based on my in-house testing and the AV-TEST institute’s results. Naturally, when the independent lab didn’t have any recent tests on a given antivirus provider, I didn’t take the old ratings into account.
Not only should every antimalware solution protect you from adware, spyware, keyloggers, and so on – it should also give you additional tools for identity protection.
Even the most popular antivirus programs are worthless if they slow your device too much. That’s why I paid special attention to system performance during my tests.
The decrease in performance is inevitable, but the malware protection software shouldn’t “eat” all of your device’s resources.
Additionally, a full system scan shouldn’t last a decade because it uses more CPU power and memory. Sure, a virus scanner that takes two hours isn’t a deal-breaker, but you’ll want something faster that can free the system resources quicker.
On top of that, you’d want a solution that doesn’t detect too many false positives. Best case scenario – the number should be 0.
Thankfully, all utilities on this list do an excellent job both in terms of speed and performance.
Sure, an antivirus app’s UI isn’t as important as the protection it delivers.
However, the antimalware you choose should suit you like a glove, regarding both the interface design and the app’s ease of use. You wouldn’t want to wander within the menus to find the feature you are looking for – it will become annoying at some point.
Typically, you won’t be in constant contact with tech support. Still, you’ll want the reps to be available when you need them.
That’s why I evaluated each company’s support teams, based on their speed and professionalism.
Now that you know how I found and tested the suites on this list, it’s time to get to know them in detail.
Great balance between features and performance
Stellar customer support
Can’t encrypt the entire hard drive
Bitdefender is a flawless tool for detecting threats in real-time. Moreover, you can use this excellent antivirus with little to no compromise on system performance. It delivers top-notch real-time anti-phishing, anti-fraud, and malware threats protection. On top of that, Bitdefender offers numerous practical features, like anti-theft, VPN, password manager, and much more.
With Bitdefender, not only you’ll get top-notch antivirus protection, but the software comes with a bunch of useful features. Naturally, you’ll get award-winning virus protection, and the software can protect you from all types of e-threats – from simple worms to sophisticated zero-day exploitive malware and ransomware. All in all, Bitdefender is an excellent tool for detecting threats online.
Here’s why:
All in all, Bitdefender is top-notch antivirus software that offers all the essential features and then some.
A full scan with Bitdefender took about 50 minutes. While this isn’t ultra-fast scanning, it isn’t the slowest either. Still, I didn’t experience any performance issues, while the software was checking my system, so thumbs up!
On the other hand, a quick scan lasts less than two minutes.
You can schedule scans on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. However, you can’t schedule one on a particular date.
In addition to protecting you from all kinds of online threats, Bitdefender provides a fast, anonymous, and secure surfing experience.
In a nutshell, Bitdefender can give you all-round protection. In addition to all the features mentioned above, you also get a privacy firewall and a password manager. The latter isn’t one of the best password managers out there, but it’s a decent tool nonetheless.
One of the main reasons why we ranked Bitdefender on top is the excellent results the software achieved in our antivirus testing.
We bombarded Bitdefender Total Security with hundreds of malware, and the results were perfect. This top antivirus software scored a 100% success rate for detecting zero-day malware, trojans, ransomware, and so on. It also slammed an excellent 100% in fighting widespread malware samples.
However, we did get some false positives while performing a system scan, but it’s below the industry’s average.
All in all, Bitdefender offers top-notch protection against malware and other cyber threats.
Bitdefender Total Security offers an easy-to-use app that’s intuitive and even novice users won’t face any challenges while using it.
The app is neatly organized, and you can manage all features with one click.
For a smooth experience, you’ll need a Windows device with Intel CORE 2 Duo (2 GHz) or equivalent processor, 2 GB of RAM, and 2.5 GB free space. If you own a Mac, it should have 1 GB of free space, and macOS X Yosemite (10.10) or later.
Our performance tests show that Bitdefender Total Security a great antimalware tool that won’t slow down your PC. The software is lightweight and doesn’t use much of your system’s resources.
One of the things I liked about Bitdefender is that when we attacked it with malware, the utility used as much CPU as it required to eliminate the threats faster. For comparison, some other tools use about 30% but work extremely slow.
This lightweight antivirus also offers numerous features that ensure there’s no impact on your system’s performance.
Bitdefender has dedicated apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices.
Unfortunately, it can’t protect your router.
However, the company offers a solution called Bitdefender Box, which can secure all your IoT devices, including your router.
Now some of you are probably like: “Yeah like I need to secure my smart light bulbs.”
Well, let me tell you a story that isn’t exactly related to our antivirus reviews. It’s a short one, I promise.
In 2017 hackers managed to steal data from a casino.
Nothing unusual, you’d say.
However, what’s interesting is that the hackers managed to enter the casino’s entire network via an internet-connected fish tank thermometer.
So yeah, it’s a good rule of thumb to secure all your IoT devices.
In a nutshell, our #1 rated antivirus offers stellar support.
The reps are accessible via email, phone, or the 24/7 live chat function. The support teams are friendly, helpful, and reply fast.
The website also has a forum that supports topics in English, German, French, Spanish, and Romanian. Moreover, the community is quite active, and you can find help there, as well.
On top of that, the company's website offers an extensive knowledge base, FAQ, and supports an up-to-date YouTube channel.
It simply doesn’t get any better than that.
First of all, Bitdefender has a free version. It’s available for one Windows PC only and lacks all the software’s advanced features. However, you’ll still get real-time protection and regular updates. Unfortunately, that’s pretty much it.
If you want top-notch cyber security, you better get the paid version. There’s a 30-day free trial, and the company offers three subscription options for Bitdefender Total Security:
If you aren’t happy with the suite for some reason, the company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Certified for Mac
Built-in firewall
Easy to use
Intego is user-friendly and feature-rich antivirus software that detects Mac and Windows malware. It is your best bet to ensure safe browsing at home and to keep your confidential business information well-protected against cyber threats. It offers features like real-time protection, two-way firewall, clean-up tool, parental control, 24/7 system scan, and file backup – Intego really goes up and beyond.
Intego features a firewall that enhances the one included with your Mac device. It also includes anti-phishing tools that further help detect unsafe emails. Rest assured your personal and financial information is safe.
Intego runs quietly in the background and scans for potential threats. It’s a lightweight antivirus that doesn’t have a serious impact on the speed and performance of the system.
Intego is now available for PC as well.
The Windows antivirus suite is as good as the one for Mac and comes with a handful of practical features:
The suite also comes with the latest technology in behavior analysis and malware detection. That way you it will keep you safe from malware, spyware, adware, ransomware, and other threats.
You can get Intego Antivirus for your PC with a discount by following this link.
All in all, Intego has excellent malware detection. It offers a variety of antivirus software packages with basic and additional features. Benefit from its free trial service to see which package works best for you.
AI-powered threat detection
Unrestricted VPN service
Numerous features
Norton 360 Deluxe is one of the most recommended antivirus tools for both home and professional use. It’s easy to use for novice users and offers multiple security options for the advanced ones. It comes with numerous handy features, including an unrestricted VPN, excellent parental controls, and a built-in firewall. Norton’s product is a lightning-fast internet security solution that can detect all popular and emerging malware. Moreover, the company will return your money, in case you catch a virus and the software or the company’s technicians fail to remove it.
Without a doubt, you’ve heard of Norton. It’s been one of the most popular computer antivirus tools even before cybersecurity awareness was a thing. So, without further ado, let’s see what this veteran has in store today.
To top it all, Norton offers a Virus Protection Promise. If you purchase one of Norton’s antivirus solutions and you get a virus that the company’s technicians can’t remove, you get your money back. Simple as that. Moreover, there aren’t many antivirus providers that offer such a service.
On the downside, you can’t use this security software to encrypt files on your own. Also, there isn’t a file shredder for completely erasing your files. Still, if you find the lack of these features a deal-breaker, you can always pick another solution from our list.
In addition to its excellent machine learning algorithms for virus protection, Norton 360 Deluxe comes with several handy features that can keep you and your family secure.
As you can see, Norton offers a bunch of helpful features that come in handy in today’s dangerous online world. That said, if you need a simple anti-keylogging tool, Norton isn’t the best fit. It would be like having Thor’s hammer and using it to nail paintings on the wall.
However, Norton 360 Deluxe’s feature set isn’t complete – it lacks a secured browser for safe online banking.
Norton’s AI-powered virus scanner achieved a 100% success rate in detecting malware. We also got 0 false positives, which is great. It doesn’t get any better than that.
However, the downside is that Norton isn’t the best computer cleaner out there. Sure, it will detect malicious software, and it will prevent infection, but it won’t clean all infected files. In fact, you’ll have to remove them yourself or be prompted to get help from Norton’s technicians.
On the bright side, Norton offers one of the best on-demand malware removal services.
When we compare antivirus tools, we track the time it takes to perform a full scan.
Norton 360 Deluxe is the big winner in this contest. It took the software only 15 minutes to scan the entire system! The quick scan took about a minute.
All in all, Norton 360 Deluxe is one of the leading antivirus suites for PC and Macs when it comes to detection and speed.
The UI looks good and offers access to the main features directly in the main console. From there, you can find several security options that you can configure.
Not many antivirus brands have apps that are equally suited for beginners and advanced users. Thankfully, Norton is one of the few. The app is easy to use, yet it offers enough customization options to suit everyone’s taste.
To run Norton 360 Deluxe, you’ll need a computer with a 1 GHz processor, 2 GB RAM, and 300 MB of free space.
This top antivirus doesn’t have a serious impact on system performance. Our antivirus comparison tests put Norton somewhere in the middle. It slowed our devices by about 8%, which is good, albeit not excellent.
Undoubtedly, Deluxe is the top choice in Norton’s 360 family for home use. As such, it supports all popular devices running on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
However, it’s not compatible with Linux, and the other operating systems that aren’t mentioned above.
With one account, you get award-winning virus protection on up to five devices. If you need to secure more, the company offers two more plans – one that covers up to 10 devices, and one that doesn’t limit their number. Naturally, they are more expensive.
In terms of support, everything looks great – the company offers phone and live chat support. The reps are available 24/7 and reply extremely fast (in under a minute).
Being a cyber security leader for so long, Norton also has a massive community, and you can get help from your peers in the website’s forum.
The support reps are friendly and helpful and answered all my questions. However, I didn’t experience any issues with the software, so I checked other user-written antivirus reviews to see how the company’s support team handles serious problems. There were no negative comments about Norton’s support, so I take it the technicians are doing their job efficiently.
You can get one of the Norton 360 Deluxe for as low as $39.99 for the first year.
However, the renewal will cost you $99.99 for the following year. In a nutshell, you get a great deal, but only for the first year.
There is no free trial or free account. On the other hand, there’s a 60-day money-back guarantee, in case you don’t like the product.
One of the best range of antivirus features
Intuitive user interface
Affordable
TotalAV is a relatively new antivirus software that is creating waves in the market for all the right reasons. It is a great tool with a full suite of features, an intuitive interface, and a malware scanning system. It also has a proprietary VPN network for privacy protection.
TotalAV offers three different protection plans:
Surprisingly, all are great with some extra and value-adding features in each plan.
One of the reasons TotalAV is on this list is because it offers decent phishing protection even in the free version. However, the paid versions offer excellent protection against spyware, ransomware, Trojan, and other malware. Moreover, you can add VPN protection, ad blocking, and identity protection at an extra cost.
All in all, you get the antivirus essentials and then some.
It offers both quick and thorough system scanning. But the latter is only available in the premium plans. It is compatible with Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.
Offering both free and premium plans, Total AV is a competitively priced, easy-to-use, and feature-packed antivirus that provides excellent protection against threats to your system.
Advanced machine learning protection
Numerous features
Supports Linux
ESET Internet Security is a great choice for those looking for a solution that comes with a great number of security features. The software comes with two layers of security, powered by machine learning, as well as excellent detecting and removal capabilities, and an exciting set of additional features. There are many benefits to using ESET Internet Security, but the main advantage of this product is that it will keep you and your family safe from offline and online threats.
ESET Internet Security comes with one of the most feature-rich antivirus software packages. It’s the swiss army knife of antivirus programs and offers excellent protection.
If you are impressed with the previous paragraph, then you’ll find this one even better.
The only additional features that are missing from ESET’s impressive feature portfolio are the file shredder, password manager, and the ability to encrypt files. You can get the last two if you purchase ESET Smart Security Premium, which is more expensive.
ESET Internet Security performed excellently in our antivirus comparison tests. It detected more than 99% of all malware samples at the first scan and didn’t allow any of them to launch successfully.
It also has impressive cleaning capabilities. It’s one of the leading antimalware suits when it comes to removing Trojan horses and other viruses. ESET successfully deleted all threats either automatically or by asking me.
All in all, ESET achieves an impressive score in terms of security. There aren’t any recent (in the last few months) tests performed by AV-Test lab, so we didn’t take them into account.
This top antivirus solution needed only 28 minutes to perform a full system scan. Sure, it’s not ultra-fast scanning, but it’s impressive nonetheless.
You can also perform custom and boot sectors/UEFI scans, and several settings allow you to configure the scanning process. Although it can perform excellent in-depth scans, ESET used more system resources than I’m comfortable with, especially in terms of CPU usage. It used about 20% CPU power and 70 MB of RAM, while it was scanning.
Obviously, the company has tried its best to create an antivirus app that’s easy to use for novice users, but sophisticated enough for the advanced ones as well. I have to admit the developers have done a great job. Still, the sheer amount of features and settings may be a bit overwhelming for beginners.
Anyways, you get all the main features, distributed across six tabs, and you can gain access to the advanced features via a small button on the bottom of each console.
You don’t need a high-end PC to run ESET Internet Security. A computer with at least 1 GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM, and about 600 MB of free disk space will be enough.
This lightweight antivirus software won’t slow your system down. I didn’t experience any lag when playing games, not to mention browsing or watching movies. The program runs quietly in the background and uses about 50 MB of RAM.
You can purchase ESET Internet security and install it on devices running on Windows, macOS, Android, and Linux!
There’s no iPhone app, though.
However, this is a top antivirus for Windows that runs on Linux computers as well. You don’t get to see this that often. Sure, Linux machines are safer by default, but this doesn’t mean they don’t get viruses at all.
The company offers phone, email, and live chat support (available only in North America) that works Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. – 5 p.m. PST.
That means there’s no 24/7 support, and you can’t get help from ESET’s technicians during the weekends.
The reps replied relatively fast, with short answers. Typically, I don’t give much credit to support reps’ friendliness, but the ones I talked to weren’t exactly welcoming. In fact, I’d have a warmer conversation with a white walker.
One of the reps even closed the chat, although I was just typing another question. Still, I didn’t experience any problems with the software, so I can’t judge their professionalism.
However, I read many user-written antivirus reviews, and none complained about the company’s technical support.
Pricing is the main factor that cost ESET the top spot.
The problem is, that the license covers only one device.
Each additional device will cost you $10 extra. That means you’ll have to pay $89.99 per year for five devices. There are other solutions on this list that are twice cheaper.
Still, in all honesty, I have to admit I like the company’s transparent pricing model.
Excellent for mobile security
Four layers of AI-powered real-time protection
Light on system resources
Malwarebytes Premium is an excellent antivirus and antimalware tool that can detect and block numerous attack vectors. The AI-powered protection consists of four layers of security that can protect your privacy and keep your devices safe. This goes not only for the widely-spread malicious software, but for the next-generation malware as well, thanks to the software’s machine learning algorithm. Malwarebytes is easy to use, scans fast, and isn’t a resource hog, unlike some of the robust antivirus solutions on the market.
Malwarebytes is a well-known name in the antimalware industry. It started as a complimentary antivirus tool, but it’s a standalone solution for the last several years.
Let’s see what this cybersecurity solution has in store:
These four layers work simultaneously to protect you from all known malware and infected URLs. Moreover, the machine learning algorithm helps secure your device from new and unseen malicious software.
To top it off, Malwarebytes has a highly configurable exploit filter that can safeguard you against software vulnerability exploits and zero-day malware.
Unfortunately, Malwarebytes isn’t a feature-rich antivirus software. All it offers is real-time safety from a variety of attack vectors. After all, that’s the primary purpose of such a tool.
You can think of Malwarebytes Premium as Captain America – he can’t fly and doesn’t have an augmented suit, but he has an impenetrable shield that can stop everything.
However, if you need features like parental controls, backup, encryption, password manager, VPN, and so on, Malwarebytes isn't the right choice for you.
Our antivirus testing procedure didn’t reveal anything alarming.
The initial threat detection missed only a few malware samples. However, when we tried executing them, Malwarebytes blocked and removed all of them.
AV-Test labs haven’t tested the new version yet, so we ranked Malwarebytes based on our in-house antivirus tests alone.
Malwarebytes did a great job of performing a full system scan. It took about 24 minutes and didn’t have a serious impact on system performance.
The software offers an excellent scan scheduler that gives you numerous options of how and when you want a scan to occur. You can set a specific time or set scans regularly – hourly, daily, weekly, etc.
Considering there aren’t dozens of features, the antivirus app is extremely easy to use.
You have a clean and nice-looking dashboard, and the advanced settings are neatly arranged in several tabs.
There aren’t many configurable settings, but in terms of usability, Malwarebytes is an excellent app. Only the exploit module offers configuration at a granular level, but that’s about it.
However, you can tweak some of the settings, add trusted apps, and manage the silent mode. Still, if you are looking for a highly-configurable app, Malwarebytes isn’t a top contender.
This malware protection software requires a computer with at least an 800 MHz processor, 2 GB of RAM, and about 250 MB of free disc space.
In terms of performance, Malwarebytes isn’t a resource hog. However, it does use more system memory if we compare it to other antivirus providers.
The good news is that even when it’s scanning, Malwarebytes uses almost the same amount of RAM, while the CPU usage is about 6%. Still, even when attacked by malware, this antivirus software performed admirably – the CPU usage never got above 30%, but it did take some time to analyze all samples.
All in all, it’s a relatively lightweight antivirus solution.
You can download this antivirus utility for devices running on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
Although it’s a decent app for desktop and laptop computers, it shines the brightest when it comes to protecting Android and iOS devices.
Not only does it protect your smartphone (or tablet) from ransomware, adware, and other types of malware, but it also conducts a privacy audit for all apps on your device. Moreover, it blocks malicious websites while you are using Chrome or Safari.
On top of that, the Malwarebytes for mobile places scam messages into a dedicated folder, blocks ads and trackers, and detects calls from known and suspected scammers.
Malwarebytes offers email and live chat support. The latter is available only during business hours, while the email support team works 24/7. Phone support is unavailable, and if you need help ASAP off-hours, your best bet is the website’s knowledge base.
Although Malwarebytes is one of the best virus protection providers, its support leaves room for improvement. Live chat was randomly available, and the rep I managed to talk to, gave me one-liner answers with links to the website.
All in all, I didn’t have the best user experience while dealing with Malwarebytes’ support.
First of all, Malwarebytes has a free antivirus version. It offers all the software’s features for 14 days, and when the trial expires, you are left with a free virus and spyware removal tool. Still, the free version doesn’t offer real-time protection.
If you want to stay safe for more than two weeks, you’ll have to buy it.
On its pricing page Malwarebytes Premium offers two antimalware deals:
However, you can purchase a license that covers up to 10 devices. Each additional device will cost you $10 extra (for instance, you’ll have to pay $129 per year for 10 devices)
There’s also a 25% discount if you purchase a two-year license, and the company offers a 60-day money-back guarantee.
One license covers up to 10 devices
Stellar support
Light on system resources
One of the first antivirus providers has been delivering great antivirus solutions for more than 30 years. The company’s Total Protection Family is an excellent product for multi-device households that want to keep their computers and smartphones protected. McAfee offers good security, file encryption, firewall, and stellar support. On top of that, you’ll get a full refund in case you catch a virus that can’t be removed by McAfee.
All the interesting news about John McAfee aside, the company he founded still delivers one of the top solutions on the market. It can protect you from viruses, spyware, phishing, and other types of malware.
Here’s how:
All in all, McAfee offers all antivirus essentials and then some. Sure, AI and machine learning would be nice, but the heuristic-based detection has proven its effectiveness over the years.
In addition to its cybersecurity capabilities, McAfee offers several handy tools to keep you and your family safe.
The company also offers a VPN service, but it’s not included in the Total Protection Family suite. Moreover, the software doesn’t offer cloud backups or microphone and webcam protection.
McAfee Total Protection does a decent job of protecting your devices.
Its malware scanner can detect all widespread malware samples. Moreover, it achieved a score of 98.7% in detecting zero-day malware and online threats. Although this isn’t perfect, it’s still quite good.
Its virus and spyware removal capabilities are also on par with the leading AV suites on the market. It didn’t delete all samples, but it did stop them from launching and infecting our system.
McAfee Total Protection needed 46 minutes to perform a full scan on our system. Based on our antivirus comparison, the software does an average job in terms of fast scanning.
The quick scan, however, didn’t impress me. It took about four minutes, which is substantially more than other solutions on this list. On top of that, it never finished. It stopped at 99% with a message “Quick Scan canceled. No issues found.” It turned out that’s a common issue, and the support reps will gladly help you fix it.
McAfee’s antivirus app looks nice from a visual standpoint. It’s intuitive and easy to use, and you have access to all features with one to two clicks.
However, the UI feels somewhat outdated. Still, that’s not a deal-breaker, as long as the software does its job.
You can run the software on a computer with 1 GHz processor, 2 GB of RAM, and about 500 MB free disk space.
This excellent PC security software will work quietly in the background without a noticeable impact on your system’s performance. Compared to the industry’s average, McAfee is a lightweight antivirus.
McAfee Total Protection Family supports up to 10 devices running on the most popular operating systems – Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
Moreover, it’s a good antivirus for both Windows and Mac devices. So if you have a variety of devices running on different operation systems, McAfee is one of the best choices on the market.
However, like the majority of antimalware solutions, McAfee Total Protection doesn’t support Linux.
The company offers several types of support – virtual assistant, live chat, and phone support.
The virtual assistant is useful for basic information. It can guide you through the antivirus installation steps, help with product activation, etc.
Live chat and phone support are available 24/7.
The reps are polite and helpful, and can even access your device remotely to fix the issue you are having.
All in all, McAfee offers stellar customer support.
You can get this top antivirus solution for $44.99 for the first year.
Typically, the renewal price is $119.99. However, the sales reps assured me they offer discounts to their clients when the first year is over.
The company also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 30-day free trial.
AI-powered protection
Excellent scanning and malware removal capabilities
Outstanding parental control
If you are looking for a good home antivirus with virus protection, powered by machine learning – Kaspersky Total Security is your best bet. This excellent anti-malware software can crush computer viruses with ease and has impressive scanning capabilities. With Kaspersky, you get multi-layer protection against all kinds of online threats, including ransomware, Trojans, keyloggers, etc. It also offers an encrypted browser for safe online banking, VPN, and numerous practical features that will keep your privacy safe.
Note: Kaspersky has been accused of having close ties to the Russian government. However, since there isn’t any hard evidence on the matter, so we treat and test Kaspersky’s products the same way we do with all antivirus providers. That’s why we can safely recommend Kaspersky Total Security.
Kaspersky is well-known for delivering excellent internet security suites. Naturally, the company’s newest Total Security software is no different. The AI-powered real-time security delivers one of the best virus protection in the industry. Kaspersky Total Security will keep your devices safe from viruses, worms, Trojan horses, rootkits, spyware, and all the other nasty malware. Here’s what else it has in store for you:
To top it all, its creators are constantly working to make this tool an effective weapon against all known and emerging malware.
In addition to the total protection from viruses, Kaspersky comes with an impressive internet security pack.
Kaspersky performed excellently in terms of security. The software achieved a perfect 100% in our malware detection tests.
Moreover, in our antivirus comparison evaluation, Kaspersky Total Security is one of the few tools on this list that didn’t show any false positives.
On top of that, it's among the best tools to remove malware on an already infected device. Watching Kaspersky deal with malware is like watching the Hulk.
The downside is that it’s relatively slow.
In a nutshell, Kaspersky has top-notch threat detection and powerful virus removal tools.
Although Kaspersky’s scan showed perfect results in terms of accuracy, it took a long time. This antivirus solution ranked last in our antivirus speed comparison.
A full system scan took 96 minutes!
You can think of it as an extremely powerful but equally slow tank.
However, considering the excellent results, I’d trade time for perfection in a heartbeat.
On the other hand, the quick scan took a couple of minutes and didn’t have much of an impact on system performance.
As you can see, the UI is quite simple and easy on the eye.
Kaspersky is one of the best virus protection providers for the last 20+ years, and the company’s experience is visible in the app. You get all commonly-used features straight in the dashboard, and you can access the advanced ones from “More Tools.”
However, the app shows a notification about each blocked threat. Typically, every good antivirus should do the same, but it can get annoying. Thankfully, there’s a “Gamer Mode” that provides a zero-distraction experience.
Despite that, Kaspersky offers an excellent antivirus app.
To run Kaspersky Total Security, you need a computer with 2 GB RAM, a 1 GHz processor, and about 1.5 GB of free space.
Although the system requirements aren’t as high as with other antivirus programs, Kaspersky does take its toll on system performance. We experienced an overall 7% loss in performance, which is relatively high.
This is one of the software’s few disadvantages, and so is the opinion of other users, judging by their Kaspersky antivirus reviews. If it wasn’t such a resource hog, Kaspersky would’ve been one of our top picks.
Naturally, the best home antivirus offers cross-platform malware protection. The company has dedicated apps for Windows PCs, Macs, and Android devices.
Did you notice that something was missing?
Yup, iOS.
Sure, there’s little to no risk of your iPhone getting a virus, and that’s the reason why there isn’t an iOS app. At least that’s the company’s opinion. That said, if you want to secure your iPhone with one antivirus subscription, Kaspersky isn’t an option.
You can reach out to Kaspersky’s customer support via numerous channels – live chat, email, phone, social media, forum, and a virtual assistant.
My experience with the reps was a positive one. Phone and live chat support are great, but email communications take time. And by “time,” I mean, you’ll have to wait for about 24 hours to get a reply.
However, I read numerous user-written antivirus reviews, and the overall opinion is that the company offers good technical support, so nothing alarming there.
Like the majority of antivirus solutions, you can test Kaspersky Total Security for free for 30 days. Once it expires, you can purchase a license for one of the best internet security suites on the market. The company offers several subscription tiers:
If you aren’t happy with Kaspersky’s antivirus protection, you can take advantage of the company’s 30-day money-back guarantee.
Kaspersky also offers free antivirus software for PC protection. However, it doesn’t have any of Total Security’s advanced features.
Excellent phishing and privacy protection
Ultra-fast scanning
Great Price
If you are searching for an affordable solution – Trend Micro Maximum Security is an excellent choice. It offers top-notch smartphone and computer virus protection, powered by artificial intelligence. Moreover, this lightweight antivirus comes with lightning-fast scanning capabilities and numerous features that will protect you from all types of cybercrime.
Trend Micro Maximum Security comes with impressive internet security capabilities.
The company has been investing and machine learning for the last decade, and its AI, along with behavior tracking algorithms, can deliver the great protection.
However, it’s not all roses.
Micro Trend Maximum Security doesn’t offer data encryption. Sure, it’s not a must-have feature, but you can find it in many other antivirus solutions.
In addition to the antivirus essentials, Trend Micro comes with several handy tools that can improve your security and online experience.
However, one of the software’s downsides is that it doesn’t have a built-in VPN service.
In a nutshell – Trend Micro works like a charm when it comes to zero-day attacks and malware protection. It achieved excellent ratings in our tests, detecting 100% of all known malware.
On top of that, our antivirus comparison showed that Trend Micro found 0 false positives, which is admirable.
That said, if you want the best computer protection, Trend Micro Maximum Security is a safe bet.
This malware protection software gets an A+ in terms of fast scanning.
The full scan antivirus test took only 16 minutes and delivered satisfactory results. It didn’t detect every malware at first, but it didn’t allow the launch of the remaining ones.
So yes, it didn’t catch all files at first glance/scan – still, it matters more that it didn’t allow the system’s infection.
After all, that’s what you want from a reliable antivirus, right?
However, it did not automatically delete the infected .exe files that I tried to launch. If you are looking for the best virus cleaner, I’d recommend Kaspersky, ESET, or Bitdefender.
Trend Micro offers a great-looking antivirus app for PC and Macs.
You get the essential buttons on the main console, and configuring the settings is easy and straightforward.
Even if you haven’t used such a tool before, you’ll find Trend Micro Maximum Security extremely easy to use. Enabling and disabling real-time protection happens with a single click, and configuring each security and privacy setting is a breeze.
However, if you are a total security control freak (like me), you may find the app a bit too simple. There aren’t any advanced security options to tweak. Still, it’s not a deal-breaker, considering the software has much to offer.
Trend Micro requires a computer with at least a 1 GHz processor, 2 GB RAM, and about 1.5 GB of free space.
While running, it doesn’t take a serious toll on your system’s performance. The time for launching and installing apps increased by about 10%, which is close to the average you can expect from a top antivirus tool.
However, a complete system antivirus check used only about 1% CPU and about 30 MB of RAM, which is beyond excellent.
In fact, judging by other antivirus reviews, Trend Micro is among the best PC security software in terms of resource usage.
Trend Micro offers a full antivirus suite for all popular operating systems – Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. So if you are looking for a cybersecurity solution for your Mac, for a reasonable price – you can count on Trend Micro Maximum Security.
However, it’s unavailable for Linux users.
The good news is that you can install this antivirus on up to 10 devices with one account, which is more than enough for the everyday user.
One of the best internet security software comes with top-notch support.
First of all, the website has a huge knowledge base, including articles, how-tos, and FAQs. There’s also a decent YouTube channel with more than 40 videos that can guide you through your cybersecurity journey.
On top of that, this security software company offers numerous support channels – live chat, phone, and email. You can also use Facebook Messenger to talk to Vanessa, one of the company’s reps. She’s quite helpful, and I’d recommend talking to her instead of the live chat reps.
Why?
I spent hours talking to different reps about the company’s otherwise top antivirus product. Long story short – not all of them have an in-depth knowledge of the software and its features.
So let’s just say support is hit-and-miss and leave it at that.
When it comes to pricing, this top antivirus provider keeps it simple.
You can purchase Trend Micro Maximum Security for $39.95 for one year.
The company offers two antivirus packages – for 5 and 10 devices. At the time of writing, they are both at the same price!
You can also purchase a two-year license that will cost you $59.90 for 5 devices and $79.90 for 10.
All in all, If we compare the top antivirus providers, Trend Micro offers the most affordable antivirus plans on our list.
It’s certainly not the cheapest antivirus solution on the market, but it’s the best value for money you can buy for under $40 a year.
Total protection from viruses
Well-executed user interface
Machine learning and big data
Panda Distribution, Inc. is a software security company dedicated to providing all-round protection to users. By using its big data and machine learning approach, it identifies known as well as unknown APTs, fileless attacks, malware, and other types of malicious behaviors and threats before they do your device any harm.
Moreover, it continuously monitors your system, keeping your private data, safe from cybercriminals. and preventing data leaks. With this antivirus software, you can discover and promptly resolve application and system vulnerabilities.
The next-gen anti-malware technology integrated into this software program ensures quick security scans keeping potential risks and threats at bay. It secures Wi-Fi networks against third-party attacks.
However, it has pretty weak anti-phishing abilities. And although it does come with a VPN, the feature might slow down your connection.
These include
It works smoothly in the background while you work on the front end. It doesn’t slow or impact the speed or performance of your system/device.
Panda Security offers a one-month free trial, so download it and test yourself. It is definitely on par with the other top antivirus software in the market. And that detecting-threats-before-they-affect-you feature is definitely something we could all use!
Light-weight antivirus
Free antivirus software
Real-time security and protection
Avast is one of the top antivirus software with a variety of built-in and bonus features that you can buy. It guarantees you will browse safely, work online with unmatched security from malware. Most importantly, it will keep your confidential data protected. Along with advanced protection, it also helps lower security risks by keeping your other apps up-to-date.
Avast offers top-notch security. Not only does it provides virus protection for multiple devices but also a firewall to protect remote devices and servers. Avast performs data virtualization too. It also gives customers the power to add more protection layers to their emails.
The only thing that we’d point out as a weakness in terms of security is that the password manager offered has limited features.
Some advanced features that you can enjoy in their Premium and Ultimate Security packages are:
It is a light-weight software that runs in the background without impacting your processes or system performance. Moreover, automatic updates take place seamlessly without the users noticing it.
All in all, it is a great choice for people looking for a free antivirus with advanced security features.. It runs smoothly and conducts operations without interfering with your browsing.
Easy to use
Customizable scans
Free version available
AVG is, without a doubt, one of the strongest competitors among the free antivirus packages available. One of the most distinguishable features of AVG is that it provides users with plenty of features for free.
It offers constant scans of the device and real-time updates to ensure your system is properly protected from threats. It has a straightforward dashboard that can easily be used by beginners.
As one of the best-rated antivirus software, it comes with a wide range of security features, including:
AVG also offers some advanced features, mostly in its premium plans. They include:
Some of them are also available in the free version.
This anti-malware software provides sufficient protection but the performance can be slightly inconsistent – it has been known to produce false-positive reports.
It does, however, slow down your computer while scanning, so it definitely has a negative impact on system performance.
AVG antivirus comes up with more false-positive results than other antiviruses and also leads to system impact. But! It is still the preferred choice for many people. Why? It offers the cleanest and simplest user interfaces on the market and is still the top choice for advanced users looking to customize their threat detection software.
High threat detection ratio
Excellent server and client communication
Stellar technical support
Kaspersky Endpoint Security Cloud is the best business antivirus solution for your company’s network. It comes with automated hardware discovery and monitors every piece of software on the devices. You also get real-time monitoring of your corporate network via the extremely effective management console. It comes with top-notch security, encryption, and multi-layered protection over all the devices on your network. On top of that, it’s an excellent tool for removing ransomware and other malware on already infected devices.
Kaspersky offers the best business antivirus, no matter your company’s size. It can keep you safe from all types of attacks, enterprise hackers, and other cybercriminals.
It’s an excellent tool for detecting threats and blocking them before they have an impact on your network. Here’s what the best business antivirus has in store to keep your company safe:
The company also offers Endpoint Security Cloud Plus, which is an excellent tool that offers numerous manageable security features.
The best business antivirus protection comes at a price.
And that price is $430 per year for 10 devices.
The good news is that you get two mobile licenses per user for free.
However, if you need to secure more than 10 devices (and chances are you do) the price goes up.
Still, the more devices you need, the less you’ll pay for each one. For instance, if you need to protect 100 devices, the license will cost you $2.850.
Easy to use
Multi-layer node protection
Top-notch detection capabilities
Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security is a great choice for small and mid-sized companies. It offers top-notch, AI-powered, multi-layered endpoint protection. You can manage your entire network’s security from a centralized platform in the cloud. That way, you don’t need any extra infrastructure or additional IT staff. It’s deployable on all kinds of environments and protects against all commonly known and next-generation malware.
Not only does Bitdefender offer the best home antivirus, but the company’s business utility is also an excellent choice for small to mid-sized companies.
With Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security, you get:
Should you choose to purchase this excellent business antivirus software, you’ll also get endpoint risk management, application behavior monitoring, and a centralized console. The latter can help you install this top antivirus remotely on the devices on your network. And the best part is, the console is in the cloud, so you won’t need any dedicated hardware to manage your network’s security.
All business antivirus solutions’ prices depend on the number of devices you want to protect. To keep these business antivirus reviews easy to digest, we’ll keep it simple.
You can get a one, two, or three-year subscription. Naturally, you’ll get the best business antivirus plans if you prepay for a longer period.
First of all – there’s a ton of cybercrime statistics about the damage it does.
Still, if you don’t care much about numbers, let me tell you what happens if you don’t have any protection against malware.
There are millions of malicious URLs out there. In fact, there are more than 18 million infected websites at any time. These websites can collect your data, steal your credentials, infect your system with malware, and read your files on your system.
Spam, scam, and phishing attacks are the most widely spread attack vectors. The famous Nigerian prince is a long-time-forgotten phenomenon, but there are new and insanely creative phishing attacks. You can easily become a victim of ransomware. In case you aren’t familiar with this cyberattack, you can check out this handy guide.
You can’t be 100% sure you are downloading a safe file unless you have a malware scanner. The file can be infected with all sorts of nasty malware, including ransomware, a cryptominer, a Trojan horse, and so on.
That’s right – you can get malware on your device even without doing anything.
See, there’s this thing called zero-day attack (a.k.a. zero-day exploit). Your browser, OS, or any installed app can have a vulnerability that can be exploited by a cybercriminal.
These are just a few examples to make you at least consider downloading an antivirus app for your PC, Mac, or smartphone.
Okay, I think you’ve got the idea.
Now let’s see what you should be looking for, when choosing the best product.
Let’s get something straight.
There is no 100% cybercrime-proof solution on the market. There never will be.
Malware is evolving fast. Cybercriminals are finding new ways to slip malicious code into the target device.
There are, however, a few things you should have in mind when choosing an antimalware solution for you, your family, or your business.
Make sure the product you’re buying can recognize malware. Anything with a malware detection rate above 99% can be considered higher than the industry average. You can check our antivirus reviews or check any independent lab’s scores.
A good antivirus will effectively block phishing websites. Hackers spit out thousands of those every day, so the antivirus must know how to detect them.
An antivirus shouldn’t baffle you. Some vendors go to extremes with adding menus, buttons, and ticks: enough to completely confuse the user.
A simple, clean interface with an easy-to-understand menu is a must. What’s the point of having a full-featured cybersecurity solution, if you can’t easily find its settings?
Nowadays, antivirus programs come with a variety of useful features. Providing a VPN service is one of them.
However, those antivirus providers who do offer such a feature usually limit the daily bandwidth. If that’s the case, you have two options available – you can either get a subscription for the service (to remove the restrictions) or go with a third-party vendor.
Should you choose the latter, you should take a look at our best VPN picks. You’ll also find out how using such a service can add an extra layer of security and privacy on top of the antivirus protection.
Choosing the best antivirus isn’t like shooting fish in a barrel.
There are too many solutions and too many factors to consider.
That’s why I spent a lot of time evaluating each product to give you the best of the best. For a reasonable price at that.
No matter if you are looking for the best business antivirus, best home antivirus, or best “I don’t know jack about malware, but I don’t want someone messing with my stuff” antivirus – you’ll find it on this list.
You can find more security solutions and useful tools here on Techjury.
Stay safe!
Is it worth paying for professional police officers? Or doctors?
Of course it is. The same goes for antivirus programs.
Unfortunately, nothing that comes for free is actually free. On top of that, even the best free antivirus can’t offer you the top-notch protection, and security features a paid one can.
Let me put it this way – Windows Defender offers basic protection.
Imagine your Windows Defender as a soldier with a sword that’s attacked by an army armed with assault rifles.
Remember this metaphor the next time someone asks, “Do I need another antivirus if I have Windows Defender?” or “Do I still need antivirus for Windows 10?”
In short – yes, they can.
Not only that, but they can act as a gateway to your entire home network. That way, cybercriminals can not only control your smart bulb, for instance, but they can gain access to all devices connected to the network. Thankfully, most modern antivirus software should be able to protect your smart home devices as well.
Apple’s devices are far more secure than Windows and Android ones. However, they aren’t immune to cyberattacks.
There are numerous malware that targets Macs specifically. I even downloaded numerous samples from such a database while performing my antivirus tests.
And if you wonder what the best antivirus software for Mac is – go with Intego.
Christo Petrov
Christo knows very well how tech has revolutionized the way we live, communicate, and create value. TechJury is his way to help users find detailed, unbiased information about all aspects of technology, the glorious opportunities it presents, the threats it poses, and the ways to stay safe in the modern world.
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