The Best Antivirus for PC

Compare & Find The Best Antivirus For Your PC

PCs offer many advantages, but unfortunately, they also require adequate protection against viruses and other threats. The best antivirus solutions suitable for PCs can't be identified by simply looking at their price tag or marketing ads. If you want to know what to consider and how to compare the top products on the market, then you need to take a look at our reviews. They are designed to help you make up your mind regarding the most effective solutions out there.

What’s The Best Antivirus Solution?

Bitdefender, the antivirus brand trusted by 500 million-plus users across 150 countries, is one of the world's leading providers of consumer cybersecurity products and a pioneer in antivirus protection. This brand has won multiple antivirus awards from leading online test laboratories, including AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, PCMag, and The Anti-Malware Testing Standard Organization.

Updated on:

28 March 2024
1
Best Antivirus
Bitdefender
Detailed Information

Compatibility:

30 Days Money Back Guarantee

9.8

9.8

Best Antivirus

Visit Bitdefender

Website available in English

Rated #1 best antivirus software of 2024. Provides excellent virus protection, includes an extensive list of great features, and has minimal impact on system performance.

Price: 120$

Save 82%

2
Norton
Detailed Information

Compatibility:

9.2

9.2

Excellent

Visit Norton

Website available in English

High-accuracy, low-impact antivirus solution with online backup capabilities

Price: 120$

Save 82%

3
TotalAV
Detailed Information

Compatibility:

9.0

9.0

Very Good

Visit TotalAV

Website available in English

Award-winning antivirus solution featuring privacy & performance tools for all your devices

Price: 120$

Save 82%

4
McAfee
Detailed Information

Compatibility:

8.9

8.9

Very Good

Visit McAfee

Website available in English

Highly accurate security solution for computers and mobile devices

Price: 120$

Save 82%

5
Panda
Detailed Information

Compatibility:

8.5

8.5

Very Good

Visit Panda

Website available in English

Powerful security protects you from numerous forms of online and offline danger

Price: 120$

Save 82%

See All

Compare The Best Antivirus Software

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Rating

Detection Capabilities

System performance

Features

Value For The Money

Protection

Real-Time Protection

Removes Malware

Removes Spyware

Removes Adware

Dedicated Ransomware Protection

Anti-Phishing

Anti-Fraud

Rescue Mode

Features

VPN

Safe Online Banking

Webcam Protection

Parental Advisor

Vulnerability Scanner

Firewall

Quiet Mode

Social Network Protection

Password Manager

Anti-Theft

Data Shredder

Battery Mode

Support

Phone Support

Live Chat

Compatibility

Windows

Mac

Linux

Android

iOS

9.8

Excellent

Excellent

Excellent

Excellent

Visit Site

9.2

Excellent

Good

Excellent

Good

Visit Site

9.0

Excellent

Excellent

Good

Good

Visit Site

8.9

Good

Good

Good

Fair

Visit Site

8.5

Fair

Good

Good

Good

Visit Site

Why You Should Trust Us

One of the most critical factors when choosing the antivirus solution that’s right for you is who you should trust. With so many fly-by scams and fake review websites across the web, finding a trustworthy and reliable source can be difficult. Unfortunately, most of the teams behind the online antivirus review websites have never actually installed or tested any of the products they recommend. And who wants to purchase an antivirus solution from a Top 10 software list compiled by a team of fake researchers?

Keeping true to our original goal of becoming the most trusted and respected buyer’s guide for antivirus software, we wanted to do things differently right from the get-go. Rather than compiling a quick Top 10 list consisting of the latest best-paying antivirus affiliate programs, we began by researching the market and identifying the most reputable antivirus solution providers. We decided only to include established brands with proven track records in excellence combined with industry-wide recognition. After purchasing a premium package from each brand, we began researching online, benchmarking each product using a proprietary scoring system (more about this in our blog).

But who are we? We are a team of experts specializing in software testing and reviewing with a combined experience of over 30 years. We aim to take an entirely new approach to the world of antivirus software reviewing based on integrity, trust, and transparency.

Finding The Best Antivirus

We’ve spent hours researching the most reputable antivirus testing labs, compiling all the virus and malware detection data we could find.  AV Comparatives  and  AV Test  have proven to be reliable sources, but our research didn’t stop there. We’ve also studies countless white papers and articles published by groups and institutions like  The Anti-Malware Testing Standard Organization,  PcMag,  Google's Project Zero,  Ars Technica, to name just a few. This approach allowed us to identify the key technical components and requirements of antivirus software and attribute a detection score to each solution.

While a solution’s detection capability plays a significant role, there is still much more to consider when selecting the best antivirus solution. Other important factors that need to be considered include software features, ease of use, and system performance. We set out to test these factors on the various PCs and Macs located in our office. After settling on a list of features to analyze and agreeing on a scoring system for each function, we installed the individual antivirus solutions. The testing process proved to be more time-consuming than expected, but eventually, we could harvest some interesting insights when comparing products. (Some of these insights will be featured in our blog over the following weeks, so be sure to keep an eye out.) Eventually, our scoring table was ready. But we still needed to consider another factor — pricing.

The Right Price

It’s not uncommon for a fully-stocked antivirus solution with premium features to come with a hefty price tag. Some companies will even include “exotic features” in an attempt to justify a higher sales price. The question is, are all of those extra features even worth the extra cost? Along with highly sought-after detection capabilities, we’ve agreed to only consider the must-have features included in each package, including usability, system performance, and the total price. Throughout the research phase, we realized that a handful of virus protection packages that were swimming in exotic features were actually highly overpriced.

Most antivirus companies offer significant discounts, but unfortunately, they’re not visible when visiting the websites directly. As some prices may drop as low as 50% off (for various reasons), the dynamics of selecting the best antivirus solution constantly fluctuate. Who wouldn't want a solution with the same must-have features as a competing brand but for half the cost? By partnering with various affiliate programs, we can provide direct links to antivirus offers at discounted prices. We’ve taken these prices into account when compiling our antivirus software lists to help you make an informed decision when choosing the right solution to protect your digital footprint.

Compare the best antivirus solutions for your PC. Learn more about the protection capabilities of the top antivirus programs to get the best protection for your PC.

You can find all sorts of interesting things on the Internet. In addition to hours of entertainment, you can also encounter some particularly nasty threats. Even if you do your best to avoid suspicious websites and downloads, malware can still find its way onto your system to corrupt your files and steal your personal data.

Computers are infected in various ways by viruses. Sometimes, you may not even be aware that you’ve been infected. In other cases, you may notice that certain executables have stopped working, your operating system functions much slower, or that your savings have begun to disappear. Often, by the time you realize what’s going on, it’s too late. That’s why you need to protect your PC with one of the best antivirus solutions.

The good news is that you don't have to spend a fortune on a reliable antivirus system to protect you against threats. We’ve made sure to include a wide range of solutions to match all budgets. Now, you can protect your system and data from virus attacks and hackers so you can browse the web with peace of mind.

Although there are many antivirus programs to choose from, including free ones, opting for a paid solution is highly recommended. A premium solution will allow you to guard your system not only against viruses and malware but also against hacker attacks which are much more difficult to detect. Surf the web with confidence knowing that your PC can detect and deal with all sorts of potential threats.

Another advantage of opting for a premium antivirus solution is the included technical support in case you come into contact with a stubborn virus or determined hacker. These skilled professionals are trained to help you deal with everything from virus infections to technical issues.

Choosing the Best Antivirus Solution for PC

There are a few things that need to be considered when looking for an adequate security solution. For starters, all of the best antiviruses feature advanced detection capabilities to ensure your computer remains free from infection — even from threats that are difficult to trace. In addition to comparing files to viruses via a built-in catalog, a solid antivirus solution will also monitor your system for suspicious activity. Remember, there are plenty of other features to keep an eye out for in addition to a program's baseline protection capabilities.

Some people think that they can avoid viruses and other threats simply by being cautious. Although relying on intuition is better than taking no precaution at all, this plan is not entirely foolproof. Nowadays, you don't have to worry about an antivirus solution slowing down your machine as the latest programs have minimal impact on performance. From the most basic to the best antivirus solutions for PCs, they require only limited resources to ensure your files and information remain safe with zero lagging or choppy frame rates.

In addition to performance, you need to consider the detection capabilities of an antivirus solution. The ability to compare files against virus definitions is all well and good, but this process should occur automatically every time you download or open a file. The solution you choose should constantly monitor your system for suspicious behavior and immediately terminate programs if they go rogue.

Depending on your budget, you can opt for various antivirus packages. From basic packages which do little more than protect your computer against virus threats, to complete security solutions that include network protection features and defense mechanisms for the entire home — the choices are endless. Remember, it’s always worth it to spend a little more to enhance your security measures.

Although you’ll hear many different opinions about what is the best antivirus solution for PCs, the simple truth is that you have to decide for yourself. Antivirus programs include a wide variety of unique features which can help you secure your computer, recover from high-profile virus attacks, and protect your children via parental controls. Keep an eye out for an antivirus solution that allows you to make online purchases safely without having to worry that your credit card details will end up in the hands of a criminal.

The list of potential online threats is staggering, from simple viruses to file-encrypting ransomware. Although these threats evolve constantly, antivirus manufacturers work around the clock to stay one step ahead. Every time a successful attack occurs, software developers learn new counter techniques to foil future would-be hackers. While some solutions are better than others, you can be sure that you’ll find the solution for your particular needs on our list.

Transparency Disclosure

The reviews, classifications, and content presented on AntivirusGuide.com represent the informed opinions of our reviewers. Our mission is simple: to help our visitors choose the antivirus solution that’s right for them. Our company receives monetary compensation when users buy the products that we recommend by clicking the links featured on our website, AntivirusGuide. Our editorial team puts countless hours of effort into providing accurate information regardless of the amount of monetary compensation received from affiliate links.