The Best Antivirus Protection Software of 2023

1. TotalAV Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Malware Protection

Editors Rating:

9.7 /10

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Specs

All-Around Digital Security Protection

TotalAV is the Swiss Army knife of antivirus software. In its most basic configuration, it protects your devices from a wide variety of viruses and malware, optimizes your devices’ performance, and makes sure your browser isn’t compromised. With the most advanced subscription, TotalAV will also protect your privacy using a VPN, block intrusive ads, and save your passwords in a secure vault.

But let’s shift our focus on TotalAV’s ability to protect your devices from malware. If you scan your device using TotalAV, nothing gets past it. We tested it ourselves: It detected all the malware we hid in our computer, even the ones that were inside .zip archives (one of the sneakiest places where malware hides). That unmistakably shows that TotalAV is great at detecting malware.

TotalAV also offers convenient and easy ways to protect your devices. It offers real-time protection (which isn’t perfect as you can see in our TotalAV review), it lets you schedule full and quick scans, and it has options for custom scans. We recommend utilizing all three scan features for best protection, but even just running a scan regularly gets you the protection you need against viruses and malware.

2. Kaspersky Antivirus - The Best Free Antivirus Software

Editors Rating:

9.6 /10

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Editor’s Note: The German cybersecurity agency BSI put out a warning that the anti-virus software developed by Moscow-based Kaspersky poses a threat of “a serious hacking attack.” This warning comes as Russia’s invasion and attacks on Ukraine escalate.

Kaspersky responded that it is a privately-managed company with no ties to the Russian government and that the BSI warning was politically motivated. We will keep you updated on this development as new information comes forward.

Specs

Free Antivirus Software, Premium Protection

As part of our review process, we hid five viruses in our computer to see which antivirus software detects which malware. Out of the 40-something software we tested, Kaspersky was among the only two that got a 100-percent score. And that’s not even the most surprising part. During our testing, we used the free Kaspersky antivirus software. That goes to show that even the free version is capable of protecting you from malware.

Buying a subscription makes sense if you want all-around protection. Unlike the free version, a premium Kaspersky subscription gets you useful additional features like a VPN, identity protection, online payment protection, and a lot more. We call those ‘useful extras’, because even though they are just extra features, they go a long way in protecting you digitally.

Whether you stick to the free version or get a premium subscription, you’ll get top-quality virus protection from Kaspersky.

3. Surfshark Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software For Digital Security

Editors Rating:

8.9 /10

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Surfshark is new to the antivirus game, and frankly, it isn’t the most well-developed antivirus software yet. What we like about it, though, is the inclusion of other cybersecurity tools in its ultra-affordable subscriptions.

Surfshark One is what Surfshark calls its antivirus subscription, and it includes antivirus software, a password manager, and secure search engine. You can also bundle it with Surfshark’s VPN, which is the main product from the brand.

Surfshark One

Current Surfshark VPN users can add Surfshark Antivirus for $1.49 a month, while non-users can pay as low as $3.98 a month for the whole deal — VPN, antivirus, password manager, and safe search included. Surfshark antivirus features on-demand scanning, scheduled scanning, and real-time malware detection on Android. And since it uses the same app as the VPN, users get a seamless meshing of vital digital security tools.

4. Norton Antivirus - The Best Cross-Platform Antivirus Software

Editors Rating:

9.5 /10

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Mobile Device Protection At Its Finest

Smartphones have become the prime target of malware these days, with all the sensitive data and apps we have on our mobile devices. That’s why it’s important for antivirus brands like Norton to offer mobile device protection.

In our experience, Norton has one of the best mobile apps. First of all, the app is easy to navigate and clutter-free. Case in point: You can start a scan with a press of button, and there are widgets available so you can access features without having to open the app.

In terms of malware detection, an independent audit by AV-TEST in March 2023 shows just how good Norton’s Android antivirus is. It provided protection against 99.9-percent of the latest and most prevalent Android malware at the time, and 100-percent of most widespread malware up to a month prior to the test. AV-TEST used around 3,000 samples for each test, and those ratings are just spectacular.

5. McAfee Antivirus - The Most Complete Cybersecurity Software

Editors Rating:

8.8 /10

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Multiple Digital Safety Tools In One App

The cybersecurity landscape is evolving quickly, and the latest trend is apps that cover multiple facets of digital safety and security. McAfee is a shining example of this. If you buy a McAfee subscription, you’re not just giving your devices virus and malware protection. You’ll also get a VPN or virtual private network, a password manager, identity monitoring, a safer browsing experience, three-bureau credit monitoring, identity theft insurance, and many more.

This long list of digital and identity safety features doesn’t come cheap, as McAfee subscriptions can cost as much as $199.99 during the first year, but you’ll get premium protection way beyond just malware detection. And if we do the math, paying an average of $17 per month isn’t bad at all considering that a VPN subscription alone can cost up to $15 per month.

You can find out more about McAfee subscriptions in our McAfee pricing page, but here’s a quick rundown if you’re interested.

6. Bitdefender Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Malware Detection

Editors Rating:

8.7 /10

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Specs

Impressive Malware Detection

We use antivirus software primarily to detect malware, and Bitdefender excels in that particular area. When reviewing antivirus software, we test its malware detection by hiding viruses in our computers and letting the software loose to find the viruses we hid. Out of the dozens we tested, Bitdefender, was among the only two that found all the viruses. Although our sample size is small, our simple test clearly shows how much more advanced Bitdefender is at seeking out and destroying malware.

7. Trend Micro Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Web Protection

Editors Rating:

8.6 /10

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“Oversharer Protection”

Antiviruses protect us from malware, but there are other threats lurking on the internet. Many of these threats aim to invade our privacy to obtain personal information that can be used in identity theft. That’s why we appreciated Trend Micro’s Privacy Scanner feature.

Basically, it looked at the social media profiles we linked, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, to check for potential privacy concerns. That’s a nice little feature that goes a long way in making sure your online data is safe. And of course, Trend Micro offered that feature on top of its malware protection features.

8. Avast Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Mac

Editors Rating:

8.5 /10

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Specs

Broad Virus and Malware Protection

We tested both the free and premium versions of Avast, and to our delight, both editions offered protection against viruses, malware, adware, spyware, and ransomware. Now, it’s pretty run-of-the-mill for Windows antivirus tools to offer protection against those types of threats. But for Apple computers, which are more secure than Windows (but still vulnerable to a growing number of attacks), that level of protection is just right. That’s why Avast is the best antivirus software for Mac.

9. ESET Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Windows

Editors Rating:

8.4 /10

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Best Protection for Windows

ESET NOD32 and its trademark picture of a human-like robot has been a common sight in Windows computers for decades. And there’s a reason why it’s a preferred Windows antivirus for many (including ourselves). Although NOD32’s features were basic compared to the other security suites offered by ESET, it’s a sturdy and trustworthy antivirus that reliably detected malware, adware, spyware, and ransomware. In fact, in our virus detection test, NOD32 scored a solid four out of five. That’s better than more than half of the other antivirus software we tested. Aside from that, ESET directly integrated a scanning feature into our Windows email apps, namely Live Mail and Outlook. The scan looked for suspicious attachments and prevented us from opening them. Being on the receiving end of countless email chains from co-workers and friends, this was a feature we really appreciated.

10. Vipre Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Android

Editors Rating:

8.3 /10

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Android Security Like No Other

Vipre offers antivirus and device security solutions for Windows, Mac, and iOS, but its Android security solution really stood out. Aside from the usual virus protection that Android antivirus apps provide, the Vipre Android Security app included features we typically don’t see in other Android antivirus apps. For starters, the Autopilot feature acted as our security advisor, letting us know of potential weaknesses in our Android settings. The app also allowed us to lock some apps, like our photo gallery, so that only we can access them using our fingerprints. And aside from digital security, Vipre provided our Android phones physical security. The Snap Photo feature, in particular, snapped a front camera picture of anyone who tried and failed to unlock our phones.