The Top 10 Antivirus Software of 2024

Compare The Best Antivirus Solutions For Your Devices

There are numerous factors to consider should you wish to protect your computer using an antivirus solution — making the right call can be difficult. Rest assured, our top 10 Antivirus programs are bound to meet your demands, regardless of what you do with your computer. Whether you’re interested in protecting a work laptop, gaming PC, or a family computer, you’ll undoubtedly find something that matches your needs and budget among the top 10 antivirus solutions of 2024.

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:

15 April 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
McAfee
Detailed Information

Compatibility:

9.2

9.2

Excellent

Visit McAfee

Website available in English

Highly accurate security solution for computers and mobile devices

Price: 120$

Save 82%

3
Norton
Detailed Information

Compatibility:

9.0

9.0

Very Good

Visit Norton

Website available in English

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

Price: 120$

Save 82%

4
Panda
Detailed Information

Compatibility:

8.9

8.9

Very Good

Visit Panda

Website available in English

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

Price: 120$

Save 82%

5
Surfshark Antivirus
Detailed Information

Compatibility:

8.5

8.5

Very Good

Visit Surfshark Antivirus

Website available in English

Privacy-focused antivirus combines the power of real-time scanning with cloud protection and other comprehensive security features.

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 Should You Buy The Best Antivirus Software?

No matter how careful you are when surfing the web, viruses will still find a way to infect your computer if you don't have an adequate security solution in place. A website that seems legitimate may very well be a scam designed to deceive you into giving away your personal information to people with insidious intent.

Viruses can slip into your system without warning, leaving you with an inoperable system. By the time you realize your system has been infected, it’s often already too late. This is why it’s so important to have a solution in place to protect your computer. Even if you’re on a tight budget, we guarantee there will be something for you among the top 10 antivirus programs.

Installing such a program is a sure-fire way to protect your files against infection. This will protect you from both hard-to-trace malware and direct hacker attacks. Not to mention, these solutions will enable you to work on your computer without having to worry about clicking on a link that could render your data unusable.

There is certainly no shortage of antivirus solutions out there — some of them are even free. However, if you purchase one of the top 10 antivirus programs, you’ll benefit from a ton of extra advantages, including bonus features that make online banking operations safe, parental controls to protect your children, and tools to shield your entire home network from outside attacks.

While most viruses are obvious to spot once they’ve infected your computer, other forms of malware don't leave noticeable clues behind. That’s why you need more than a keen sense of responsibility when surfing the web or plugging in external drives. With one of the top 10 antivirus solutions, you’ll even be able to prevent attacks from the latest undocumented virus threats. Furthermore, you’ll benefit from professional support in the case of unforeseen circumstances.

Choosing One Of The Top 10 Antivirus Solutions

Although the top 10 antivirus programs offer roughly the same level of protection in terms of baseline features, there are many other aspects to consider. A solution’s speed, extra security layers, ability to protect sensitive data, and network security capabilities are some quick examples. You can be sure that a behavioral analysis module or a virus sample collection feature will strengthen your computer's security. Just be sure to read about what other features these solutions include.

Computer performance is the main reason many users tend to avoid installing security software — even among the top 10 antivirus programs on the market. Fortunately, the latest antivirus programs no longer require many resources to operate at peak efficiency. From simple protection applications to highly advanced security systems, modern antivirus software barely affects performance. Thankfully, they still employ complex mechanisms to identify threats accurately and prevent files from being corrupted.

Now, you could protect your computer from various forms of malware with a basic package. However, antivirus companies offer much more than one solution for the job. You could opt for a premium package with bonus features designed to plug potential security gaps, prevent hackers from gaining access to your personal files, and much more. These premium solutions allow you to spot fraudulent websites well before clicking on a URL that could lead to your personal information being stolen. Furthermore, our top 10 antivirus solutions all come with special features that make online shopping safe.

The top 10 antivirus programs are identifiable by the number of features designed to address particular needs. If you simply wish to protect your computer, then a basic package will suffice. However, you could spend a little more and purchase a solution that provides security for the entire family and protects your personal data against theft.

Security programs are constantly evolving to stay one step ahead of the latest spyware, adware, worms, Trojans, rootkits, ransomware, and other threats. From mobile devices to gaming computers, you can set up an airtight security system with one of the top 10 antivirus programs.

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.