In the early days of antivirus software, most popular programs were essentially a trick pony that was good at doing a single thing — scan for viruses. If you were lucky your antivirus software also blocked popups. Those days are long gone, modern antivirus software has transformed itself into multi-feature, complete suites of cybersecurity tools. Modern antivirus software often comes with VPN protection, web browser security plug-ins that block trackers, ad blockers, ransomware protection, automatic data backups or snapshots for data recovery, as well as special tools that lock and protect critical files on your hard drive. Robust antivirus software may also defend against phishing attacks in addition to malware.
ComputerSafetyEveryday.com performed a comprehensive analysis of industry antivirus reviews. Through our analysis, only one antivirus program consistently ranked at the top, Norton 360. Since the reviews that we incorporated into our analysis did not rank antivirus programs in the same order, we did our best to average out the rankings then rank list the products based on average score. We hope this information helps you make an informed purchase.
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#1 Norton 360
Norton is an American company with deep roots in tech since the 1990. After being around for decades, Norton remains the market leader. The Norton 360 product is well designed and trusted by millions of individual consumers and businesses.
Key Features Include:
- Antivirus, malware, ransomware, and hacking protection
- Genie Scam Protection
- Genie Scam Protection is an AI-powered feature designed to detect and help users avoid online scams.
- 100% Virus Protection Promise
- 50GB Cloud Backup
- Password Manager
- Deepfake Protection
- VPN private internet connection
- Dark Web Monitoring
- Privacy Monitor
- Parental Control
#2 Bitdefender
Bitdefender is a multinational cybersecurity firm that is dual headquartered in Bucharest, Romania and Santa Clara, California. Bitdefender is also a global leader in cybersecurity and has been protecting millions of consumers and businesses since 2001.
Key Features Include:
- Complete Real-Time Data Protection
- Network Threat Prevention
- Advanced Threat Defense
- Multi-Layer Ransomware Protection
- Vulnerability Assessment
- Web Attack Prevention
- Anti-Phishing
- Anti-Fraud
- Bitdefender VPN
- Anti-tracker
- Safe Online Banking
- Wi-Fi Security Advisor
- Social Network Protection
- File Shredder
#3 TotalAV
TotalAV is a newer player on the list. The company was founded in 2016. It is a UK-based company that offers antivirus and security solutions.
Key Features Include:
- Real-time protection
- Advanced cloud scanning
- Malware remediation
- Malware scanning
- Multi-device coverage
- Data breach monitoring
- Safe browsing VPN
- Total Adblock
- Total WebShield – Total WebShield is described as a first line of defense against fake, scam, phishing and spoofed websites that are created to compromise security and steal personal information.
#4 Avast One
Avast Software company was founded in 1988, but it did not become popular until the 2000s. The company is based in the Czech Republic and merged with NortonLifeLock in 2022. Its popular Avast One antivirus software has been around since 2021.
- Antivirus / anti-malware protection
- Ransomware protection
- Email Guardian to flag suspicious email
- Secure VPN
- Web browsing Anti-tracking (advertisements)
- Compromise password checks
#5 McAfee
McAfee antivirus has been around since 1987 and is based in San Jose, California. McAfee is one of the earliest antivirus software companies, with a history spanning 38 years. Their product is widely used and trusted by millions of consumers.
Key Features Include:
- Antivirus protection
- Scam Detector
- Social Privacy Manager
- VPN
- Personal Data Cleanup
- Online Account Cleanup
- Identity Monitoring and alerts
- Bank and credit card transaction monitoring
- Password Manager