PCMag has been testing and rating antivirus software for over 30 years, and we use actual malware in order to test its efficacy in protecting your hardware. We also test any features that are offered, including parental controls, firewalls, phishing protection, and more. There’s no one-size-fits-all test, so we do our best to replicate real-world scenarios that you may encounter and report our findings so that you can make an informed decision.
So what is your peace of mind worth? As more of our sensitive information becomes available online and ripe for the taking by the last people you want to see it, you’re going to need some sort of digital guard dog to protect it all. But thankfully, you’re not defenseless. In addition to being mindful of your cybersecurity and performing regular safety checks, a quality antivirus program will run innocuously in the background, detecting and eliminating malware, Trojans, rootkits, spyware, adware, ransomware, and more while protecting your desktop computer, laptop, smartphone, or tablet.
Now, there are free versions of antivirus software, some of which come as a free tiral with many new computers. If you have some cash to spend for security (and peace of mind), the top paid antivirus apps do offer more and better protection, but some free apps come close. A comprehensive security suite can help secure your personal data, but that doesn’t mean you have to pay full price for it. That’s where we come in, finding you the very best deals on top antivirus brands and packages (like these below).
Why You Need Antivirus
Bitdefender Deals
Bitdefender Total Security was given the PCMag Editors’ Choice award as a “feature-rich suite that protects all your computers, phones, and tablets.” It costs $50 for five-devices on a one-year plan, which is a whopping 50% off of the retail price. As the name implies, you get total protection for Windows, macOS, IOS, and Android, including malware scan and browser protection, a spam filter, and even anti theft features.
Avast Deals
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Avast One Gold suite does all of the basic things an antivirus should do, with some added features. That includes a VPN with no bandwidth or server limits and an Email Guardian that scans messages in the cloud and filters out malicious attachments. Protection is available for up to 30 devices depending on your plan, which should be enough coverage for most users. Avast has a free version called Avast One Essential, but the paid version throws in some extras you may benefit from depending on your needs.
McAfee Deals
McAfee+ Advanced offers all-in-one protection for an unlimited number of Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, and ChromeOS devices from the start—a rarity these days. At the Advanced tier it includes bank and credit card transaction monitoring, monthly credit score and reports, identity monitoring, personal data cleanup, and more on top of the antivirus protection that comes standard with every tier. This deal is for the individual plan, but there’s a family plan available that covers up to two adults and four children without limiting the number of devices. Our expert gave McAfee+ high marks for top scores in lab testing and praised its ability to remove abandoned online accounts and its effective social media privacy control earning it an “Excellent” overall rating.
Recommended by Our Editors
Norton Deals
Norton AntiVirus Plus gets impressive scores in independent lab tests and our own hands-on tests, and it offers a wealth of useful features, like Data Protector, which battles ransomware by preventing malicious programs from modifying documents in specified directories. The suite’s straightforward online backup also serves up 2GB of cloud storage, the ultimate security against ransomware and any other destructive attacks that might get past antivirus defenses. It’s pricier than some, but with this deal, the $59.99 fee per year for a single license drops to $29.99.
Surfshark Deals
Surfshark One
Protect 5-Devices on a 2-Year Plan + 3-Months Free and Includes VPN
Surkfshark is known for its award-winning VPN protection, but how does it stack up against other antivirus providers? Surfshark One scored well during a hands-on malware protection test, and our expert liked that it supports Windows, macOS, and Android; however, so-so scoring during a malware download blocking test and low antivirus lab test scores keep this antivirus suite from shining. Your mileage may vary, so if you need certain features over others, this is a good option to have at the sale price.
More Antivirus Deals
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Surfshark One
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Surfshark Birthday Discount! $2.49 Per Month for 2 Year Plan -
Guardio
for
Try for Free on All Your Devices Plus Get 50% Off the Premium Plan -
Norton Antivirus Plus
for
$29.99 for 1 Devices on 1 Year Norton Antivirus Plus Plan -
McAfee
for
$89.99 for Unlimited Devices on 1 Year McAfee+ Advanced Protection Plan -
ESET Essential
for
$41.99 for 3 Devices on 1 Year ESET Essential Plan
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
Why Do I Need an Antivirus Program?
Being connected online opens up your devices to a host of threats and they can become infected by downloading malware from a malicious attachment, visiting sketchy websites, or even hidden on an innocuous USB drive. A quality antivirus product will stand between you and the hazards of the World Wide Web.
What Is the Best Antivirus?
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and Norton AntiVirus Plus received perfect and near-perfect scores from independent testing labs, Bitdefender from three labs and Norton from four. Both earn high scores in our hands-on tests, and both offer more features than some security suites, including a hardened browser for financial transactions, Wi-Fi security monitoring, a feature that blocks ad trackers, and automatic detection of missing security patches. These two get our Editors’ choice stamp of approval and should be at the top of your list of possible options.
What Is the Best Free Antivirus?
Avast One Basic received the PCMag Editors’ Choice award in addition to its “Outstanding” rating, earning excellent lab scores on multiple platforms and offering protection for Android, iOS, MacOS, and Windows—all for free. If you’re looking for a more typical antivirus rather than an almost-suite, AVG Antivirus Free uses precisely the same antivirus protection engine as Avast, but without the crowd of suite-level features. Our experts have put together a comprehensive list of free antivirus solutions for you to check out at your leisure.
Can I Get a Free Trial?
The nice thing about free antivirus apps is that you can try a bunch before picking your favorite. But really, you can do the same with most commercial antivirus apps. Our top antivirus picks all offer a free trial, either for 30 days or 14 days. With some there are no strings attached. Others, such as Norton and McAfee, require that you sign up with a credit card and cancel before the trial ends. In addition, many of them also offer a 30-day or 60-day money-back guarantee.
Which Antivirus Brands Offer the Biggest Discounts?
Just about every antivirus rewards new customers with a first-year discount, meaning you don’t pay list price until the second year. These discounts change frequently, but they’re always clearly marked on the app’s pricing page. If price is a big factor for you, do a price-check on all the antiviruses you’re considering and then purchase the one you prefer right away, while the discount is still current.
Are There Big Antivirus Discounts During Amazon Prime Day or Cyber Week?
Antivirus companies really want you as a customer, and they’re willing to drop prices dramatically to capture your interest. As with ongoing discounts, just what kind of bonus you get changes all the time. If a big sale week is imminent, you can certainly benefit by waiting to see just how low antivirus can go.
What Is the Best Antivirus for Windows 10 and Windows 11?
Windows 10 and Windows 11 are currently “live,” so all recommendations featured on PCMag are made with these operating systems in mind. That could mean anything from well-known names like Norton and McAfee for everyday PC users or a brand like ESET NOD32 Antivirus for the super techie types.
What About Microsoft Defender?
Microsoft Defender comes with Windows and takes over your protection when there’s no other antivirus installed. It’s a viable free option, and certainly better than going without protection. Our editors felt that it’s “a good way to keep you and your computer safe. It is, however, not the best.” If you want more comprehensive coverage, you should look into one of the commercial apps suggested above.
How Do We Test Malware, Spyware, and Virus Defenses?
We subject every antivirus app to a series of hands-on tests, both to measure its success and to gain experience with its workings. This includes testing its malware defenses using real-world threats that we gather and analyze in house. To check a program’s handling of brand-new malware, we test each antivirus by trying to download malware from a large collection of extremely new malware-hosting URLs supplied by MRG-Effitas, noting what percentage of them it blocked. And we measure how effectively the antivirus detects phishing frauds and scams.
How Do We Test Ransomware Defenses?
Advanced antivirus programs may add a layer of protection specifically aimed at foiling ransomware; however, the moment ransomware slips past your antivirus, you’ve already lost access to your important documents. We test those layers by turning off all the other forms of detection, then releasing real-world ransomware, safely contained in isolated virtual machines.
About Jade Chung-Lee
Merchandising Associate
