Every Windows PC needs to be running one of the best antivirus programs, even if that program happens to be free.
The Windows Defender antivirus software built into Windows 10 is very good, but while it certainly holds its own against other free rivals, it still can't quite match the features or protection of the best paid antivirus offerings.
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Paid antivirus suites offer you a plethora of features that often go far beyond basic malware protection.
You can get dedicated defenses against ransomware and webcam hijacking, extra functions such as file shredding or system optimization, and even features that compete with stand-alone services like password managers, cloud-backup solutions or identity-theft protection.
Antivirus makers normally offer multiple paid Windows products with identical malware protection but different numbers of extra features that get added as the retail price goes up.
For example, there's the basic Kaspersky Anti-Virus, the midrange Kaspersky Internet Security and the top-line Kaspersky Total Security. The different feature sets are aimed at different customers, and we explain further in our section about antivirus pricing and features at the end of this buying guide.
What is the best antivirus software?
Our top pick overall for best antivirus product is Kaspersky Total Security, which gives you excellent malware protection, a full complement of extra features (including a hardened web browser, webcam protection and file encryption) and an easy-to-use interface.
Right behind that are Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, an entry-level paid program that is perhaps the best bargain in antivirus software, and Norton 360 Deluxe, which offers excellent protection with unlimited VPN service and a ton of extra features, including the option to add LifeLock identity protection.
Anyone of these three would serve you well, but the ideal choice would depend on what best fits your circumstances. For more, see our section on how to choose the best antivirus software below, or our stand-alone antivirus buying guide.
Another good choice might be Trend Micro Maximum Security. Its malware-detection engine is good at blocking threats, but throws up a fair number of false positives, and it lacks some of the extra features offered by comparatively priced products.
McAfee and ESET are both big names in the antivirus business, but they don't do quite as well as the previous brands in lab tests measuring malware-detection efficiency.
For the best free antivirus software, we liked Kaspersky Free Antivirus, which edged out Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition for the top spot.
Both offered excellent protection against malware without slowing down your system, but Kaspersky let you schedule scans and had a quick-scan option. It's been replaced in Kaspersky's lineup by the even better Kaspersky Security Cloud Free, for which our review will appear soon at Cyber Security Training
Our free rankings immediately follow our paid rankings below.
The best antivirus software you can buy today
1. Kaspersky Total Security
The best antivirus software overall.
+ Nearly perfect malware protection
+ Backup software, rich parental controls, unlimited password manager
+ Two-factor authentication for online account
- Heavy system impact during full scans
- VPN data usage capped unless you pay extra
Kaspersky's Windows products have excellent malware-detection scores and a moderate system-performance impact, which are the two most important criteria in our rankings.
The entry-level program, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, has dedicated ransomware protection, a virtual keyboard and a convenient online account portal. But at this level, it's beaten by Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, which has even more features.
Kaspersky Internet Security is our top choice among the midrange packages. It has decent parental controls, a secure browser, anti-theft protection for laptops, webcam protection and a limited-use VPN client that kicks in when you connect to an open Wi-Fi network. It also includes software for macOS, Android and iOS.
The premium antivirus suite, Kaspersky Total Security, adds backup software, file encryption, a file shredder and an unlimited password manager. We think it's the best antivirus software you can buy. Lets See trail at Cyber Security Online Course
2. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus
Strong protection on the cheap.
+ Very good malware protection
+ Small performance penalty
+ Fast scans
+ Lots of useful extra features
- Malware protection not quite perfect
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is our top choice among entry-level antivirus products. It has very good, if not perfect, malware-detection scores and a very light system-performance impact during scans.
It also offers the most value, with an unlimited password manager, a secure browser, a Wi-Fi network scanner, a file shredder, protection against encrypting ransomware and Bitdefender's new web-privacy software. It can stop scans if you're playing a computer game.
The midrange Bitdefender Internet Security adds parental controls, file encryption, webcam protection and a two-way firewall, while Bitdefender Total Security tops off the lineup with an anti-theft feature for laptops, a system optimizer and licenses for Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac and Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android.
A new product, Bitdefender Premium Security, is basically Total Security with unlimited VPN usage and priority tech support. (The other programs limit you to 200MB of Bitdefender VPN usage per day.) But the best deal is the Bitdefender Family Pack, which puts Total Security on up to 15 devices for (a frequently discounted) $120 per year.
3. Norton 360 Deluxe
Almost everything you could ever need.
+ Excellent malware protection
+ Parental controls, backup software, online storage, password manager, webcam protection, unlimited VPN
+ LifeLock identity protection with top tiers
- Heavy slowdown during full scans
- Pricey
All eight of Norton's antivirus products offer excellent malware protection, and the once-heavy system-performance load is much lighter. The number of extra features each program has varies according to price, but the sweet spot in the lineup is Norton 360 Deluxe.
It includes a password manager, unlimited VPN service, dark-web personal-data monitoring, parental controls and up to 50GB of online storage space. Two retail-only offerings, Norton 360 Premium and Norton 360 Platinum, give you more online storage and expand the antivirus and VPN coverage to 10 and 20 devices, respectively.
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If you want full-on identity protection, Norton offers three bundles with varying degrees of LifeLock service and even more online storage space. Their annual subscription prices run well into the triple digits, but still cost less than if you were to buy the identity protection, password manager, cloud-backup storage and antivirus software separately.
Unlike some of the other best antivirus software makers, Norton doesn't offer a file shredder, file encryption or secure web browser with any of its products. Yet every other digital protection service you could possibly ask for is included with at least some of its bundles.
4. Trend Micro Maximum Security
Heavy scans yield many false positives.
+ Very good malware protection
+ Secure browser, file shredder, password manager
- Many false positives
- Heavy performance hit during scans
- Lacks extras other brands offer
Trend Micro offers very good protection, but its malware-detection engine creates a heavy system load during scans and returns a fair number of false-positive results. The brand's entry-level product, Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security, is pretty basic in terms of extra tools though it does come with a secure web browser.
Parental controls, a system optimizer and a file shredder are bundled into the mid-range Trend Micro Internet Security. The top-end Trend Micro Maximum Security adds a password manager, a secure browser and file encryption.
However, none of Trend Micro's programs include a two-way firewall or webcam protection, which are standard with other brands' midrange offerings. Nor does the premium product have the cloud storage, backup software or VPN service that some of the best antivirus brands like to add as enticements to their flagship packages.
5. McAfee Internet Security
Good but not perfect
+ Protects lots of machines for cheap
+ Password manager, identity protection
- So-so malware protection
- Lacks several common device protections
- No parental controls
McAfee's malware detection has improved greatly in the past couple of years, but it's still not top-of-the-line. Despite that, the entry-level McAfee AntiVirus Plus is a bargain: $60 per year buys software for up to 10 (in fact, unlimited) devices, whether they run Windows, OS X, iOS or Android, and the software comes with a file shredder and a two-way firewall. (A single-device license costs $40.)
McAfee Internet Security adds one of the best password managers in the business, but to get parental controls, you'll have to spring for the 10-device license of McAfee Total Protection or its sibling McAfee LiveSafe, which comes pre-installed on many new PCs.
The multi-device licenses of those two security suites also come with an identity-protection service, but none of the McAfee products have a secure browser or webcam protection, which you often get with the best antivirus programs.
At the top is McAfee Total Protection + VPN, which adds unlimited VPN service. Hardcore PC gamers may consider McAfee Gamer Security, which for $60 per year offers low-overhead protection for a single rig.
6. ESET Smart Security Premium
Nothing fancy.
+ Small system-performance impact
+ File encryption, hardened browser extension, webcam protection
- Middling malware protection
- Can get expensive
- Lacks some extras other brands offer
ESET is one of the biggest antivirus names in Europe, but while it has a small system-performance load and fast scans, its malware-detection rate isn't as good in lab tests as many of the best antivirus brands on this page.
The entry-level ESET NOD32 Antivirus is easy to use, but has few useful extra tools. ESET Internet Security adds webcam protection, parental controls and a browser-hardening extension, as well as ESET security-software licenses for Mac, Android and Linux devices.
The top-billed ESET Smart Security Premium tosses in file encryption, a virtual keyboard and a password manager. However, there's no VPN client, backup software or file shredder.
ESET's pricing is per device, which is optimal for users who might have more than a few devices to protect. But if your device count gets into double digits, ESET's costs can add up.
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