
ESET Antivirus Cost and Plan Pricing
- 30-day free trial
- Protection against viruses, ransomware, hackers, etc.
- Plans for Macs, Linux, Windows and Android devices

Regardless of what we think of their antivirus software, ESET’s pricing is nothing if not a bit of a hot mess, which is why we did all of the research to give it to you as plainly as possible. Let’s begin!

For Free?
We tried out ESET for 30 days without paying, but there’s no unlimited free subscription. Still, we’re glad that we didn’t have to commit to a year, two years or three years without actually trying the antivirus software out for ourselves. But after the initial 30 days, we had to cough up some dough.

Award-winning Antivirus Protection That Works Well Everywhere
ESET makes award-winning antivirus software that intercepts viruses the second they land on our devices. They have great apps, too — if you’re on Android. For Apple users, ESET’s iOS app is weak and the desktop dashboard could use a redesign. For a cleaner cross-app experience, try one of our top antivirus picks below:
Subscription Options
ESET’s pricing is a bit of a mess, with different plans for desktop and mobile devices. Let’s start with their more comprehensive packages that include antivirus software, plus a few extras.

Desktop (and Android)
ESET’s prices are definitely a little high, as we’ve seen one device covered for a year for $10 less than $39.99 (you do the math). But in general, antivirus software is on the pricey side, so we recommend buying subscriptions for longer time periods for more devices to unlock the most savings.
Essential Protection (ESET NOD32 Antivirus) | Advanced Protection (ESET Internet Security) | Ultimate Protection (ESET Smart Security Premium) | |
---|---|---|---|
Compatible Devices | Windows, Linux, macOS | macOS, Windows, Android, Linux | macOS, Windows, Android, Linux |
1 device, 1 year price | $39.99 | $49.99 | $59.99 |
1 device, 2 years price | $59.99 | $79.99 | $99.99 |
1 device, 3 years price | $79.98 | $109.98 | $139.98 |
2 devices, 1 year price | $49.99 | $59.99 | $69.99 |
2 devices, 2 year price | $74.99 | $94.99 | $114.99 |
2 devices, 3 year price | $99.98 | $129.98 | $159.98 |
3 devices, 1 year price | $59.99 | $69.99 | $79.99 |
3 devices, 2 year price | $89.99 | $109.99 | $129.99 |
3 devices, 3 year price | $119.98 | $149.98 | $179.98 |
4 devices, 1 year price | $69.99 | $79.99 | $89.99 |
4 devices, 2 years price | $104.99 | $124.99 | $144.99 |
4 devices, 3 years price | $139.98 | $169.98 | $199.98 |
5 devices, 1 year price | $79.99 | $89.99 | $99.99 |
5 devices, 2 year price | $119.99 | $139.99 | $159.99 |
5 devices, 3 year price | $159.98 | $189.98 | $219.98 |
You might be wondering what is the actual difference between the Essential, Advanced and Ultimate plans. We cover this more extensively in our ESET review, but here’s a little summary of what each plan covers.
Essential Protection (ESET NOD32 Antivirus) | Advanced Protection (ESET Internet Security) | Ultimate Protection (ESET Smart Security Premium) | |
---|---|---|---|
Protection from viruses | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Protection from ransomware | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Protection from hackers | No | Yes | Yes |
Safe transactions | No | Yes | Yes |
Secure connected devices | No | Yes | Yes |
Store and prefill passwords | No | No | Yes |
Encrypt photos | No | No | Yes |
Did You Know: The software that stores and prefills passwords is typically known as a password manager. Given that the average person has anywhere from 70 to 80 passwords,1 if you don’t already have a password manager, we recommend signing up for Smart Security Premium.
However, some people may want to stick to antivirus software only. If that’s the case, ESET offers basic and advanced software for Macs only, as well as Androids, which we’ll get to in the next section. We went with the Cyber Security Pro for Mac because we wanted the most advanced antivirus software and the NOD32 version on Windows, but here’s a breakdown of how all of the plans differ.
Cyber Security | Cyber Security Pro |
---|---|
Compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux | Compatible with Mac, Windows, Linux, and Android |
Antivirus protection | Antivirus protection |
Ransomware protection | Ransomware protection |
No hacking protection | Hacking protection |
No home network traffic monitoring | Home network traffic monitoring |
Basically, the Cyber Security plans are the same as the Essential, Advanced and Ultimate Protection below, except without those extra features like safe transactions, photo encryption and a password manager. You can choose from one, two or three years from one to 10 devices, with the Pro plan; the regular Cyber Security plan only supports a maximum of five devices. Hey, we don’t make the rules!
Number of Years | Maximum Number of Devices | Cyber Security | Cyber Security Pro |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | $39.99 | $49.99 |
1 | 2 | $49.99 | $59.99 |
1 | 3 | $59.99 | $69.99 |
1 | 4 | $69.99 | $79.99 |
1 | 5 | $79.99 | $89.99 |
1 | 6 | n/a | $99.99 |
1 | 7 | n/a | $109.99 |
1 | 8 | n/a | $119.99 |
1 | 9 | n/a | $129.99 |
1 | 10 | n/a | $139.99 |
2 | 1 | $59.99 | $79.99 |
2 | 2 | $74.99 | $94.99 |
2 | 3 | $89.99 | $109.99 |
2 | 4 | $104.99 | $124.99 |
2 | 5 | $119.99 | $139.99 |
2 | 6 | n/a | $154.99 |
2 | 7 | n/a | $169.99 |
2 | 8 | n/a | $184.99 |
2 | 9 | n/a | $199.99 |
2 | 10 | n/a | $214.99 |
3 | 1 | $79.98 | $109.98 |
3 | 2 | $99.98 | $129.98 |
3 | 3 | $119.98 | $149.98 |
3 | 4 | $139.98 | $169.98 |
3 | 5 | $159.98 | $189.98 |
3 | 6 | n/a | $209.98 |
3 | 7 | n/a | $229.98 |
3 | 8 | n/a | $249.98 |
3 | 9 | n/a | $269.98 |
3 | 10 | n/a | $289.98 |
Mobile
Finally, if you just want antivirus protection on your Android device, there’s Mobile Security for Android, which is available for free if you’re okay with just antivirus and not protection against phishing and insecure payments. However, if you want those extra features, the Premium subscription works on up to five devices for up to three years.
FYI: Unfortunately, ESET’s antivirus software doesn’t cover iPhones or iPads at all, although they do have an app that adds on two-factor authentication called ESET Secure Authentication.
Free | Premium | |
---|---|---|
On demand antivirus scans | Yes | Yes |
Security report | Yes | Yes |
Log of activity | Yes | Yes |
Remote lock and siren | Yes | Yes |
Tablet support | Yes | Yes |
App lock | No | Yes |
Protection against phishing and theft | No | Yes |
Scheduled scans | No | Yes |
Low battery alert | No | Yes |
Updates virus database automatically | No | Yes |
Connected Home Monitor | No | Yes |
Security Audit | No | Yes |
Payment Protection | No | Yes |
Here’s the exact pricing:
Number of Years | Maximum Number of Devices | Premium Mobile Security for Android Monthly Cost | Premium Mobile Security for Android Annual Cost |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | $1.25 | $14.99 |
1 | 2 | $2.50 | $29.98 |
1 | 3 | $3.75 | $44.97 |
1 | 4 | $5 | $59.96 |
1 | 5 | $6.25 | $74.95 |
2 | 1 | $1.88 | $22.49 |
2 | 2 | $1.88 | $44.98 |
2 | 3 | $2.82 | $67.47 |
2 | 4 | $3.75 | $89.96 |
2 | 5 | $4.69 | $112.45 |
3 | 1 | $1.25 | $29.98 |
3 | 2 | $1.67 | $59.96 |
3 | 3 | $2.50 | $89.94 |
3 | 4 | $3.34 | $119.92 |
3 | 5 | $4.17 | $149.90 |
What We Liked
While we’re not going to go into extreme detail about the testing process behind the Cyber Security Pro for Mac package, we can give you a little information on what we liked most about the software:
- Free trial: We liked that we could try out ESET for free without worrying about losing money.
- Discounted long term contracts: With up to three year plans, ESET gave us discounts the longer we signed up for.
- Solid Android app: While we wish they had an iOS antivirus app as well, the ESET Mobile Security & Antivirus app on the Google Play store was easy to use, reflected in its 4.7-star rating.
- High malware detection: It’s hard to get much better than detecting 99.8 percent of malware in the past four months.

- Detected four out of five viruses: In our testing, ESET performed well, in the top percentile compared to the other antivirus software we’ve tested.
- No history of breaches, vulnerabilities, or lawsuits: This is a huge rarity when it comes to antivirus companies. Many have pretty sordid histories with multiple vulnerabilities leaking user information, hackings, or simply lawsuits from disgruntled customers. ESET’s clean background made us trust them that much more.
Student Discount: How To Get It
Whether you’re a current student or a past student still clinging to your .edu email address, you can get half off Internet Security simply by giving them your email. Here’s the pricing with and without the student discount:
Advanced Protection (ESET Internet Security) Regular Pricing | Advanced Protection (ESET Internet Security) Student Discount Pricing | |
---|---|---|
Compatible Devices | macOS, Windows, Android, Linux | macOS, Windows, Android, Linux |
1 device, 1 year price | $49.99 | $25.00 |
1 device, 2 years price | $79.99 | $45.00 |
1 device, 3 years price | $109.98 | $54.99 |
2 devices, 1 year price | $59.99 | $30.00 |
2 devices, 2 year price | $94.99 | $47.50 |
2 devices, 3 year price | $129.98 | $64.99 |
3 devices, 1 year price | $69.99 | $35.00 |
3 devices, 2 year price | $109.99 | $55.00 |
3 devices, 3 year price | $149.98 | $74.99 |
4 devices, 1 year price | $79.99 | $40.00 |
4 devices, 2 years price | $124.99 | $62.50 |
4 devices, 3 years price | $169.98 | $84.99 |
5 devices, 1 year price | $89.99 | $45.00 |
5 devices, 2 year price | $139.99 | $70.00 |
5 devices, 3 year price | $189.98 | $94.99 |
How To Cancel

If you try ESET out fnd you’re convinced it’s not the best antivirus software, you can return it for up to 60 days after your purchasing data for a full refund, which includes the free, 30-day trial. This is more than enough time to make your decision, so we love that testing out ESET didn’t require any dire financial straits on our part. Booya!
Pro Tip: To cancel ESET, call 1-844-824-3738 and select Option 1.2
Conclusion
Although ESET is a decent antivirus software, they have a long way to go on the coherence of their services and pricing. Hopefully, we helped lend some clarity so you can make your final purchase decision, and be sure to take advantage of the free trial and student discount, if you still have a .edu email address. Also, if you’re happy with ESET, you may as well lock in a lower rate by signing up for more than a year at a time. Those are our savings tips, and we’re sticking to them!
Frequently Asked Questions
That was a lot of information, but we understand if you have more questions.
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Is ESET a good antivirus?
ESET is a good antivirus that detected 99.8 percent of the most recent malware for Androids in real time; from March 2020 to July 2020, the number went up to 99.9 percent. In our own testing, ESET detected four out of five viruses, one of the highest numbers of any of the antivirus software we’ve tested.
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Is ESET better than Norton?
ESET is better than Norton for a few reasons. Not only have they not had vulnerabilities in their software and used scare tactics to sell their software, unlike Norton, but ESET detected 80 percent of our viruses during testing, while Norton only detected 60 percent. We also like that ESET gave us discounted packages for multiple devices, while Norton’s AntiVirus Plus only covered one PC or Mac.
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Is ESET free?
ESET is not free, although they offer a free, 30-day trial with their products and services.
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How much does ESET cost?
The cost of ESET depends on the service, the number of devices you want covered and the term length. On a one to three year basis, ESET will cost anywhere from $14.99 all the way up to $289.98.
NordPass. (2020). New Research: an average person has more passwords than an average pop song has words.
downloads.npass.app/documents/New_research_an_average_person_has_more_passwords_than_an_average_pop_song_has_words.pdfESET. (2020). Return Policy.
eset.com/us/return-policy/