The Best Antivirus Program

Compare & Find The Best Antivirus Program For Your Devices

Naming a product THE BEST requires a good deal of research as there’s so much that needs to be considered. From basic virus protection programs to advanced security systems which can protect you from all sorts of threats and online scams, the choices are endless. Well, we did the research for you. So sit back, read over our reviews and decide for yourself which is the best antivirus program.

What’s The Best Antivirus Solution?

Norton, 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:

27 March 2024
1
Best Antivirus
Norton
Detailed Information

Compatibility:

30 Days Money Back Guarantee

9.8

9.8

Best Antivirus

Visit Norton

Website available in English

Rated #1 best antivirus software of 2024. High-accuracy, low-impact antivirus solution with online backup capabilities

Price: 120$

Save 82%

2
Bitdefender
Detailed Information

Compatibility:

9.2

9.2

Excellent

Visit Bitdefender

Website available in English

Provides excellent virus protection, includes an extensive list of great features, and has minimal impact on system performance.

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.

Why Buy an Antivirus

You may love surfing the web and chatting with your friends, but without some form of protection system in place, your computer remains open to all sorts of threats. Avoiding certain websites or resisting the urge to download videos is not enough to protect your computer. Hackers and cybercriminals aren’t dumb; they’ve been preying on unsuspecting users since the dawn of the Internet. No matter how smart you are, your intuition is simply not enough — that’s why antivirus solutions exist in the first place.

Often, you may not even notice if your computer has been infected with a virus. This causes you to carry on reading over sensitive documents and inputting your banking details when in reality, you’re being watched. The worst part is, often, you won’t even realize you’re under attack until it’s too late. From here, you could quickly find yourself in a situation that not even the best antivirus program can fix.

Being careful while surfing the web and avoiding suspicious files doesn't even come close to what an antivirus solution can do for you. They can block threats, warn you about potential online scams, make online banking safer, and much more. With one of the best antivirus solutions, you’ll get some much-needed peace of mind regardless of what you use your computer for.

There are numerous security solutions available on the market, including several free ones. But the best antivirus solutions come with a price tag. In addition to protecting your system from viruses, they can help protect you from countless online threats. The best antivirus solutions make your home network safer, prevent strangers from connecting to your Wi-Fi, and much more.

There are many reasons to purchase a premium antivirus program. In addition to extra security features, you’ll also benefit from expert technical assistance. If something goes wrong or you’re having trouble eliminating an existing stubborn infection from your computer, you’ll have a team of experts standing by to assist you. If the problem can't be solved, you can simply request a refund.

Choosing the Best Antivirus Program

There’s a lot that needs to be considered when choosing the best antivirus program. Typically, the leading solutions all include the same core detection features designed to compare files to virus signatures and monitor an entire system for suspicious activity. However, all antivirus programs include their own set of unique security features which differ from one program to another.

Unlike past versions, current antivirus programs have a small impact on a computer's performance. Thanks to advanced mechanisms, modern antivirus solutions can scan a computer from top to bottom without affecting your ability to watch a movie or play games. In other words, you can keep your computer safe from viruses while working or playing, anytime, without experiencing lagging.

Although your computer’s performance is not an issue you need to worry about with most antivirus programs, you do need to take a close look at their virus detection capabilities. In general, a good antivirus program should scan for threats every time you download or open a file — automatically. If you’re only interested in the best antivirus program on the market, then you’ll want a solution that can monitor your system for suspicious behavior and block programs if they attempt to access your personal files or initiate unwarranted settings.

Antivirus programs offer different packages complete with different features. Depending on your budget, you can choose from a basic defense system designed to protect you from viruses to a complete security solution that guarantees the safety of your entire household. A mid-level or premium package is always worth the extra money due to the powerful features they bring to the table.

For some, the best antivirus program is defined by the particular needs it can address. Once you’ve assessed the basic protection capabilities and performance of a solution, you’ll want to consider the other unique features a solution offers. If you have children, then you should look for a solution that includes a parental control feature. If you tend to shop online often, then keep an eye out for a solution that’s designed to keep your credit card information safe. The list of unique features is vast. Be sure to carefully read our reviews to choose the solution that’s right for you.

There are countless threats online. Thankfully, most of them have been rendered useless as they’re known to most antivirus programs. That’s why it’s so important to have such a program in place. Due to the advanced functionality of modern antiviruses, even undocumented threats are having a hard time affecting computers. Whether you opt for the best antivirus program on the market or not, you can be sure that your computer will remain safe from viruses, trojans, ransomware, and many other online threats.

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.