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
Best Introductory Price
Screenshot Norton.com, November 2020
- Premium price Range: $19.99-$55.99 ($24.99-$89.99)
- Free Version?: No
Norton software has not only excellent features but also the best introductory price. A paid antivirus software suite’s average cost runs around $30, which is $5 more expensive than Norton’s regular price for their “Norton Antivirus Plus” tier. But for the first year, Norton’s antivirus software costs from $19.99 for their Norton Antivirus Plus, $29.99 for Norton 360 Standard, $39.99 for Norton 360 Deluxe, and $55.99 for Norton 360 Premium. Just be wary that, after the first year, you’ll be paying more for each tier, which, as we looked at other antivirus products, is pretty average in the antivirus software industry.
For features, even the lowest tier, Norton Antivirus Plus, includes more than the typical antivirus software, with a password manager, a smart firewall, 2GB of Cloud backup storage, and on-call expert support. On the downside, Norton isn’t the cheapest for multiple devices. The first two tiers can only be installed in one device, and if you want to protect 5 of them, you have to purchase Norton 360 Deluxe, which costs $39.99 ($64.99 after the first year).
McAfee review
Best for Multiple Devices
Screenshot Mcafee.com, November 2020
- Price Range: $19.99-$39.99 ($89.99-$129.99)
- Free Version?: No
McAfee antivirus software offers protection for five or ten devices as bundled, two-year subscriptions for $24.99 and $29.99, respectively, with their “Individual/Couple” and “Family” tiers. Of course, these are introductory prices, so they will increase to $109.99 (Individual/Couple) and $129.99 (Family).
Most antivirus software companies charge around $60 as an introductory price for the highest antivirus tier during the first year, and they typically cover five to ten devices. But Mcaffee’s bundle offers double the protection time at almost the same price.
For features, even the lowest tier comes prepared to handle any online threat. Their “Single Device” tier provides antivirus and malware protection, as well as a secure VPN, performance optimization, firewall protection, file shredder, password manager, and online support.
Total AV review
Best User-Friendly Interface
Screenshot Totalav.com, November 2020
- Price Range: $29-$59 ($99-$149)
- Free Version?: Yes
TotalAV stands out for having the most user-friendly interface on our list. No matter if you have the free or paid version, when opening the TotalAV tab, you’ll see several features highlighted to your left, including diagnostics, antivirus, and a disk cleaner tab. You’ll also see the extra features highlighted with a paid tier, which can include web security (web shield), a password vault, browser cleanup, and even a cookie tracker eliminator. Clicking on these tabs bring you to interfaces that break down the different functionalities that you can run. For example, clicking on the “web security” tab brings you to an interface where you can manage three main features with just one click each: Safe Browsing (VPN), Web Shield, and the AdBlock Pro feature.
TotalAV’s biggest downside is that it doesn’t support as many devices as other antivirus software companies on this list. Their “Antivirus Pro” ($29.99 for the first year) only covers one device, while their highest tier, “Total Security,” only covers six devices. The software’s post-introductory prices are among the highest on this list, increasing to $99 for their basic “Antivirus Pro” and $149 a year for their “Total Security” tier.
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.
Avast review
Best for Small Businesses
Screenshot Avast.com, November 2020
- Price Range: $36.99-$56.99 per device
- Free Version?: Yes
Avast Business Antivirus brings to the table essential features such as cloud management console, server protection, privacy and identity protection, and 24/5 customer support. Additionally, the premium version includes a variety of tools for your business servers. “SharePoint” provides a protected digital space for workers to store and share documents and an “exchange protection” feature that lets you scan email attachments to protect you from any form of malware.
Avast business includes a data shredder that permanently deletes files from your computer and a “rescue disk” feature that creates an external backup to protect documents from PCs that have been attacked by malware. Since license costs range from $36.99 to $56.99 per device, Avast isn’t the cheapest antivirus for small businesses, but the software amends this with great features for you and your company.
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.