The Best Antivirus Software of 2023
Our team tested 40 antivirus software providers, and these were the ones that stood out.


- Malware definitions update automatically
- Includes device optimization programs
- Lets you schedule scans so you never forget
- Includes behavior-based malware detection
- Offers a robust free version
- Allows for both on-demand and on-access scanning

- Comes bundled with a VPN, a secure browser, and identity theft protection
- Provides both full and quick scans
- One subscription lets you install the software on up to five devices
Can you live a normal day without using the internet? Neither can we. The internet is part of our lives now, but the fact remains that it’s not the safest place on the planet. In fact, it’s a petri dish of malware that poses risk not just to our devices but our very own safety and privacy.
Fortunately, there are ways to protect ourselves from malware. We can keep using the internet and avoid malware at the same time if we develop healthy digital safety habits and use a specific type of software made to beat malware. You’ve heard of them before – they’re called antivirus software.
What Is Antivirus Software?
Antivirus software is a type of software that uses a number of methods to detect potentially harmful files or programs, particularly those that contain malware. Conventionally, antivirus software scans devices looking for known malicious codes, but newer versions of antivirus software can use other means like observing how a certain program behaves or using deep learning AI to isolate potentially harmful files.
There are lots of companies that offer antivirus software. The question is, which of them are the best?
While the answer depends on a number of factors — which platforms you are using, how many devices you own, and what types of threats you are most concerned about, just to name a few — we present you with the best pieces of antivirus software we’ve ever tested. These options offer a variety of features, and no matter what you’re looking for in antivirus software, you’ll find the right one for you right here.
Statistics
Available firewall | 10/10 |
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On-demand scanning | 10/10 |
Behavior-based detection | 10/10 |
Monthly price range | $19.99-$99.99 |
The Best Antivirus Software At A Glance
System |
TotalAV Antivirus
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Kaspersky Antivirus
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Surfshark Antivirus
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Norton Antivirus
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McAfee Antivirus
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Bitdefender Antivirus
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Trend Micro Antivirus
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Avast Antivirus
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ESET Antivirus
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Vipre Antivirus
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Ranking | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
Ratings | 9.7/10 | 9.6/10 | 8.9/10 | 9.5/10 | 8.8/10 | 8.7/10 | 8.6/10 | 8.5/10 | 8.4/10 | 8.3/10 |
Price Range (1 year subscription) | $29.00 - $49.00 | $26.99 - $56.99 | $65.76 - $77.64 | $19.99 - $39.99 | $39.99 - $89.99 | $29.99 - $44.99 | $29.95 - $69.95 | $34.68 - $44.28 | $39.99 - $149.99 | $32.99 - $52.99 |
Number of Devices | 1-6 | 3-10 | 1-5 | 1-10 | 1-Unlimited | 5-10 | 1-10 | 1-10 | 1-5 | 1-5 |
Free Trial/Version | Free version capable of manual Smart Scans | Free version with limited features (Kaspersky Security Cloud) or free trial of full version for 30 days | 30-day money-back guarantee | Free trial for seven days | 14 days free trial of Windows app or 30 days free trial of iOS app | Free on one device (Android or Mac) with limited features | 30-day free trial of PC and mobile apps or seven days free trial of Android antivirus | Free version with limited features | 30-day free trial | 30-day free trial |
Operating Systems | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Windows, Android, Mac | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android |
Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 60 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days (for licenses purchased from their website or Google Play) | 30 days | 30 days |
Customer Support | Live chat, phone, email, online ticket, and online support center | Phone, email and online support center | 24/7 live chat, email | Live chat, 24/7 phone support, online help center, and social media (Facebook or Twitter) | 24/7 live chat, email, and online help center | Email, call, live chat, online help center, and expert community forum | Live chat, phone, email, online help center, and Facebook Messenger chat | Online help center (FAQs) and online forms | Live chat, phone, email, and online help center | Online help center, phone, email |
Read Review | TotalAV Antivirus Review | Kaspersky Antivirus Review | Surfshark Antivirus Review | Norton Antivirus Review | McAfee Antivirus Review | Bitdefender Antivirus Review | Trend Micro Antivirus Review | Avast Antivirus Review | ESET Antivirus Review | Vipre Antivirus Review |
FYI: With on-access scanning, the app continuously scans for malware and viruses whenever it’s running. In contrast, on-demand scans are user-initiated.
Summary of the Best Antivirus Software
- TotalAV Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Malware Protection
- Kaspersky Antivirus - The Best Free Antivirus Software
- Surfshark Antivirus - The Best Antivirus For Digital Security
- Norton Antivirus - The Best Cross-Platform Antivirus Software
- McAfee Antivirus - The Most Complete Cybersecurity Software
- Bitdefender Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Malware Detection
- Trend Micro Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Web Protection
- Avast Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Mac
- ESET Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Windows
- Vipre Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Android
Feature Highlight
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1. TotalAV Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Malware Protection
Product Specs
Virus Detection Yes Malware Detection Yes Firewall Yes On-demand Scanning Yes On-access Scanning Yes Behavior-based monitoring Yes Pros
- Free option with excellent malware detection
- Real-time protection and manual scans
- Automatic malware definition database updates
- Smart Scan goes beyond just scanning for malware
Cons
- Lacks a firewall
- Email support takes time to respond
- Prices increase after the first year
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.
TotalAV real-time protection at work Let’s focus on the antivirus software itself, however. TotalAV is deserving of its name because it offers total protection against malware. During our tests, it detected all the malware we hid in our computer, even those that we put several folders deep and inside .zip archives (one of the sneakiest hiding places of malware). That shows that TotalAV is highly-capable of scanning devices and 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.
TotalAV scan types How it works Full scan Scans every corner of your device Quick scan Scans the most common areas malware hide in Real-time protection Scans as you open and access files Scheduled scans Full or quick scans that run on schedule -
2. Kaspersky Antivirus - The Best Free Antivirus Software
Product Specs
Virus Detection Yes Malware Detection Yes Firewall No On-demand Scanning Yes On-access Scanning Yes Behavior-based monitoring Yes 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.
Pros
- Comprehensive set of features even for the free version
- Behavior-based malware detection
- 100 percent detection in our virus detection test
- Extra features like password manager and VPN
Cons
- Alleged ties to the Russian government
- No phone or live chat support for free users
- iOS app has limited features
- 2019 security flaw that allowed hackers to spy on users’ browsing data1
Kaspersky Antivirus Support Webpage Free Antivirus Software, Premium Protection
With most free antivirus software, the protection you receive isn’t as good as that from premium software, but Kaspersky wasn’t like most free software we tested. Their free antivirus software provided us with malware detection that was just as good as their premium software.
As part of our testing process, we released five viruses into our test computer and let Kaspersky hunt them down. The premium Kaspersky software found all five of them; that wasn’t surprising. What surprised us was that even the free software found them all. Even premium software from well-known brands like McAfee managed to find just four of the viruses, which led us to believe that Kasperksy has the best free antivirus software overall.
That said, the premium antivirus software from Kaspersky offers valuable additional features, such as a VPN, identity protection, online payment security, and more. We like to call these features “useful extras” because while they may be additional, they go a long way in enhancing your digital security.
Whether you stick to the free version or get a premium subscription, you’ll get top-quality virus protection from Kaspersky.
FYI: Kaspersky offers parental control features as well, which can help you limit your kids’ screen time and protect them from online dangers, such as the most dangerous apps for kids.
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3. Surfshark Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software For Digital Security
Product Specs
Virus Detection Yes Malware Detection Yes Firewall No On-demand Scanning Yes On-access Scanning Yes Behavior-based monitoring No Pros
- Virtual private network, antivirus, identity protection, and secure browsing in one plan
- 24/7 live chat support
- Scheduled, quick, and full scans
- Regular automatic updates of virus database
Cons
- Not yet available on iPhones
- Doesn’t have on-access detection on Windows
- Requires a Surfshark VPN subscription
- Lacks behavior-based detection
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 calls its antivirus subscription Surfshark One, and it’s not a simple antivirus software. Within the subscription, it includes access to a password manager, secure search engine, and even Surfshark’s world-famous VPN, which is Surfshark’s flagship product. You can read about our experience with the VPN in our Surfshark VPN review.
You’re probably wondering how much all that costs, and the answer is “not a lot.” Being a bundle deal, Surfshark One costs as low as $2.94 if you factor in all the on-going deals. To get that rate, you’ll need to pay for a two-year subscription, but the perks include all the features mentioned above, two free extra months of subscription, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. The total for two years is $76.56. That’s only about $17 more than the two-year VPN subscription, and considering what it includes, it’s a pretty sweet deal.
Surfshark Antivirus – Scan Complete -
4. Norton Antivirus - The Best Cross-Platform Antivirus Software
Product Specs
Virus Detection Yes Malware Detection Yes Firewall Yes On-demand Scanning Yes On-access Scanning Yes Behavior-based monitoring Yes Pros
- Affordable introductory prices
- 24/7 phone and live chat support
- Highly-rated iOS and Android apps
- Lots of extras (cloud backup, parental control features, etc.)
Cons
- Prices will more than double after the first year
- A history of class-action lawsuits due to alleged security breaches
- Not the best desktop app experience
- Collected a ton of user data and shared it with third parties
Norton App Home Page Mobile Device Protection At Its Finest
It’s not enough to protect just your laptop or computer. Most people spend a considerable amount of time on their mobile devices, and because of that, smartphones have become a prime target of malware. What’s worse, a lot of people store valuable personal information on their phones. Malware infection can lead to nasty consequences like identity theft or fraud.
In our experience, Norton’s mobile protection provides the best protection against malware. It’s easy to navigate and use, with its scan function available in just a press of a button. If you’re an Android user, there are also widgets that you can use to quickly execute actions.
Norton is also quite thorough. In an audit by AV-Test in May 2023, Norton detected 99.9-percent of the latest and most prevalent Android malware at the time. That’s above the 97.3-percent average score.
It’s also worth noting that Norton’s smartphone apps provide more than just malware protection. Depending on your subscription, you can gain additional features to boost your device’s performance or protect you or family members from other online threats. You can, for example, blacklist websites frequented by online predators to safeguard your kids.
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5. McAfee Antivirus - The Most Complete Cybersecurity Software
Product Specs
Virus Detection Yes Malware Detection Yes Firewall Yes On-demand Scanning Yes On-access Scanning Yes Behavior-based monitoring Yes Pros
- Antivirus packages with VPN, identity protection, and more
- Real-time detection of threats
- Customizable firewall protection
- Easy to navigate apps
Cons
- Lengthy scans
- Alleged security breach by Russian hackers in 2019
- Real-time and background scans affected system performance
- Frequent notifications when you turn off some features
McAfee Scan Options Multiple Digital Safety Tools In One App
We’re seeing more and more antivirus brands that offer a full-suite of digital safety tools, but before that became the norm, McAfee was one of the first to offer multi-tool digital safety and security subscriptions.
With McAfee’s most comprehensive subscriptions, you’ll get malware protection, a VPN, a password manager, identity monitoring, a secure browser add-on, three-bureau credit monitoring, ID theft insurance, and many more. And while that seems a lot, McAfee was able to consolidate all those features into one, easy-to-use app.
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.
McAfee Premium (individual) $49.99/year McAfee Premium (family) $69.99/year McAfee Advanced (individual) $89.99/year McAfee Advanced (family) $119.99/year McAfee Ultimate (individual) $199.99/year McAfee Ultimate (family) $249.99/year -
6. Bitdefender Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Malware Detection
Product Specs
Virus Detection Yes Malware Detection Yes Firewall Yes On-demand Scanning Yes On-access Scanning Yes Behavior-based monitoring Yes Pros
- Perfect score in our virus detection test
- Protects up to 15 devices
- Affordable pricing starting at $38.98 for the first year
- Behavior-based malware detection
Cons
- History of security breaches that affected customers’ privacy
- Low iOS app ratings
- No free trial but has a free version with limited features
- Price likely to increase after the first year
Bitdefender Dashboard Impressive Malware Detection
Bitdefender’s impressive malware detection is a result of its thorough scanning ability. We’ve proven that when we put Bitdefender through our malware detection test. We hid five sneaky malware in our computers and performed a quick scan. Bitdefender found all of them.
That was impressive, because out of the dozens of antivirus software we tested, Bitdefender was one of the only two to achieve a perfect score. Other software averaged a score of three out of five.
Granted, our sample size of five pieces of malware was small, but the fact that Bitdefender detected those that other software didn’t catch puts it ahead of the competition in terms of malware detection.
FYI: Expanding its horizons, Bitdefender now offers an identity protection service. This service leverages Bitdefender’s antivirus to actively steer users away from digital threats that can cause identity theft, such as malware.
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7. Trend Micro Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Web Protection
Product Specs
Virus Detection Yes Malware Detection Yes Firewall Yes On-demand Scanning Yes On-access Scanning Yes Behavior-based monitoring Yes Pros
- Great Windows, iOS, and Android apps
- Social media privacy scanner
- “Firewall booster” for Windows
- Monthly and yearly subscriptions
Cons
- Clunky Mac app
- Requires way too many computer restarts when installing or updating
- The full scan option was buried deep beneath the app’s settings
- Not as configurable as other antivirus software
Trend Micro Folder Shield “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.
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8. Avast Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Mac
Product Specs
Virus Detection Yes Malware Detection Yes Firewall Yes On-demand Scanning Yes On-access Scanning Yes Behavior-based monitoring Yes Pros
- Comprehensive virus protection features
- Easy to install and download on Mac
- Free version for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices
- Affordable pricing for up to 10 devices
Cons
- No phone or live chat support
- Pop-ups despite paying for the premium version
- Sold anonymized browsing data of users to third parties
- Extensive data collection
Avast Antivirus – Mac is Protected 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.
Did You Know: Although there are fewer viruses that target Apple products, the number has grown remarkably over the past few years. In 2017, there was a 270 percent increase in Mac viruses compared to 2016, and the number of threats have increased ever since.2
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9. ESET Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Windows
Product Specs
Virus Detection Yes Malware Detection Yes Firewall Yes On-demand Scanning Yes On-access Scanning Yes Behavior-based monitoring Yes Pros
- Trustworthy Windows app (NOD32)
- Detected 80 percent of threats in our virus detection test
- Email scanning for Windows Live Mail and Outlook
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Cluttered user interface makes it harder to access some features
- Less frequent updates compared to other software
- NOD32 is pretty basic compared to other ESET products
- $39.99 per year is expensive for a single device
ESET Dashboard 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.
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10. Vipre Antivirus - The Best Antivirus Software for Android
Product Specs
Virus Detection Yes Malware Detection Yes Firewall With Advanced Security and Ultimate Security versions On-demand Scanning Yes On-access Scanning Yes Behavior-based monitoring Yes Pros
- Customer support based in the U.S.
- Protection for individuals and businesses
- No history of security breaches, privacy violations or lawsuits
- Detected 100 percent of widespread malware in past month
Cons
- In our tests, only detected one out of five viruses
- No money-back guarantee
- Personal subscription only covers one device
- Online help center is pretty limited
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.
Methodology
So that’s about it for our list of the best antivirus software, but before we end this review, we’d like to give you an idea of our methodology.
We wanted to make our assessment as objective as possible, so we tested each software for at least six months. We took careful notes of their strengths and weaknesses, observed how they affected our devices, and monitored their behavior with regards to updates. We also tried to test each software across multiple operating systems to get a feel of their performance on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. If you want more specific information, check out the best antivirus for Mac, the best antivirus for Android, the best antivirus for Linux, and the best antivirus for PCs. And last but not least, we compared how each software fared in the following criteria.
More Information: You can learn more about these criteria and what other things we generally look for when testing antivirus software in our antivirus guide.
Virus Detection
First, we stripped down each antivirus to their most basic feature: virus detection. We performed a virus detection test wherein we downloaded five files, each containing a different type of virus or malware. They ranged from adware to spyware and even Trojan malware. We then performed a full scan using each software and noted which antivirus detected which files. And the result? Well, the majority of the antivirus programs we tested detected at least three of the five files, but there were a couple of software that detected all five files and a few that detected 80 percent of the files.
Now, we don’t recommend doing the virus detection test by yourself unless you know what you’re doing. You could lose important files or even subject yourself to the dangers of having viruses on your computer. However, if you really want to see how an antivirus reacts to malware, you could use a harmless anti-malware testfile such as the one developed by the European Institute for Computer Antivirus Research (EICAR).3

Scans
While we’re on the subject of virus and malware detection, the next thing we tested was whether each antivirus tool scanned on access or on demand. Simply put, those that scanned on access searched for threats whenever the software was running, even in the background. In contrast, those with on-demand scanning scanned only whenever we instructed or scheduled them to scan. We prefer on-access scanning as it stops viruses and malware in real-time whether we remember to scan our computers or not. However, having on-demand scanning is also ideal. We still want to be able to scan our computers whenever we’re feeling anxious, you know?
Behavior-Based Detection
There’s another scanning-related feature that we deemed necessary: behavior-based detection. To understand what it is, we must first explain how traditional antivirus programs detect threats. Basically, when scanning a computer, the antivirus compares programs and files to a database of all known malware. The software may consider a file suspicious if it shares the same characteristics or code base as an existing threat. Now, that’s effective for detecting previously-known threats, but it has little to no effect on malware that is not yet on the database.
That’s where behavior-based detection kicked in. Instead of checking the code of each program and file, behavior-based detection monitored suspicious behaviors of files. For instance, one of the software we tested used this kind of detection to isolate a Trojan virus disguised as a Word file, likely because the .doc file in question tried to access our system files (nice try!). Having behavior-based detection really came in handy, especially since hundreds of thousands of new malware are being registered on a daily basis, according to the AV-TEST institute.4
Cost
We know that the cost is a major deciding factor when it comes to choosing an antivirus software. However, the prices of such tools fluctuate depending on the features, number of devices, and length of subscriptions. To keep them on equal grounds, we compared each software’s pricing for a one-year license that supports one to five devices. On average, the antivirus software we tested cost $30 to $50 for the first year, which breaks down to about $2 to $4 per month. Not bad for total malware protection. Of course, this isn’t the case for business antivirus, only personal.
We also checked if they have a free trial or better still, a free version. What’s the difference? Typically, a free trial includes all the features of the paid antivirus, but it only works for a limited time. Most of the free trials we found lasted up to 30 days only. In contrast, a free version is usually a licensed software that you could use for free indefinitely. The catch is that the features are limited, most likely. You likely won’t see any bells and whistles in your software— like password managers or VPNs, for instance— but you’ll have antivirus protection nonetheless. If you’re hesitant about getting a paid antivirus, we recommend using a free version for the time being.
Privacy Policy
Now onto the more tedious stuff. Because antiviruses needed access to our computers and files to do their jobs, it’s understandable that many of them collected our data. But the questions are: how much data did they collect and how did they use it? To answer that, we delved into each antivirus company’s privacy policy, and boy were we surprised. Many of the companies we looked into collect a ton of data from their users. The data they gathered included:
- Personal information such as contact details
- Payment information
- Browsing data such as the URLs we visited (although some of them anonymized the data before storing them)
- Device information like our MAC and IP addresses, IMEI numbers, and OS version
- Technical and crash reports
- Location information
- Network data
- Usage statistics
And many more! But wait, what’s even more concerning was how they used the data they gathered. Many of the antivirus companies we looked into explicitly said in their privacy policy that they share user data with third parties, usually with their partners for targeted advertisement purposes. Needless to say, we weren’t thrilled. However, that’s the industry norm. So instead of counting out those that do these practices, we gave higher scores to those that didn’t or those that let us manage what data they collected.
Recap
Getting antivirus software is the first step towards staying safe in the digital world. With the right software, you’re sure to find yourself worrying less about the cyber threats looming around online. But it’s not the only digital security measure you can take. Once you get an antivirus software set up, be sure to check our review of the best VPNs and best identity theft protection products.
FAQ
This piece covers a lot regarding antivirus software, but we know that our readers still have plenty of questions.
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What is the best antivirus software?
In our experience, TotalAV and Kaspersky are the top two antivirus programs, but if you’re looking for other options, Norton, Surfshark One, McAfee, Bitdefender, Trend Micro, Avast, ESET, and Vipre are also top-performers.
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How much does antivirus software cost?
The cost of an antivirus software typically depends on the features, the number of devices it can protect, and the length of the subscription. The usual cost of a one-year subscription for one to five devices is somewhere between $30 and $40 per year.
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Are free antivirus software good enough?
Some antivirus software have free versions and free trials. Free versions come with a limited set of features, but they are usually good enough for detecting viruses and malware through on-demand scans. Free trials, on the other hand, offer premium features for free for a limited time. Once they expire, you’ll need to pay for the full version to maintain protection. We recommend having antivirus protection 24/7, so if you’re looking for a free antivirus, we suggest getting a free version versus a free trial.
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How often should I scan my computer?
We recommend performing a full scan at least once a month, but it’s good practice to scan your computer whenever you download files off of the internet, plug a storage device to your computer, or connect to a public Wi-Fi network. However, most antivirus software these days offer on-access scanning wherein they scan your computer whenever the app is open. In such cases, scans initiated by the user (a.k.a. on-demand scanning) aren’t absolutely necessary.
Forbes. (2019). Warning: A Security Flaw In Kaspersky AntiVirus Lets Hackers Spy Users Online, Millions At Risk. forbes.com/sites/jeanbaptiste/2019/08/16/warning-a-security-flaw-in-kaspersky-antivirus-lets-hackers-spy-users-online-millions-at-risk/?sh=1cef72e9ba34
Malwarebytes. (2020). Mac antivirus. malwarebytes.com/mac-antivirus
Eicar. (2006). ANTI MALWARE TESTFILE. eicar.org/?page_id=3950
AV Test. (2020). Malware. av-test.org/en/statistics/malware/