Best online protection antivirus

Kaspersky Total Security. A seriously impressive security suite with a light system footprint. Stand out features: Safe Money secure web browser, firewall, Safe Kids parental controls. Reasons to avoid - Some features are only so-so quality. Trend Micro Maximum Security. Sterling malware and ransomware protection in a beginner-friendly package.

Stand out features: Folder Shield anti-ransomware, high-quality URL filter, social networking protection. Reasons to avoid - Experts may want more configuration options. Avast Ultimate. Reasons to avoid - Some impact on PC performance - Upselling of other products is unwelcome. Webroot Internet Security Plus.

Stand out features: Password manager, identity protection, day money-back offer. Reasons to avoid - Question marks over antivirus engine - iOS app is limited. Stand out features: Network protection, password manager, anti-theft feature.

Stand out features: Configurable firewall, password manager, performance boosting tools. Reasons to avoid - Clunky interface - Only average malware protection. Bullguard Premium Protection. Specifications Operating system: Windows and Mac, Android. Stand out features: Secure Browser, Game Booster, identity protection. Reasons to avoid - Only ranked by one independent test lab - Some rivals have more features.

Avira Prime. Stand out features: System speed-up tools, VPN, anti-phishing layer. Reasons to avoid - Not as well-featured as other security suites. Darren Allan. See more Security software news. During my tests, I was able to securely stream content and download torrents using servers from around the world with almost zero slowdown. TotalAV Total Security offers easy-to-use antivirus protection and comes with some pretty good internet security tools.

The antivirus engine is fast, lightweight, and highly secure, and the included VPN is comparable in speed to some of the top names in the VPN industry.

McAfee Total Protection is a well-rounded internet security package — it has everything you need to build and maintain a strong online defense in And there are also some great extra features. My favorite feature is Home Network Security which gives you full control over all the devices connecting to your Wi-Fi network and it also reinforces your firewall against malware attacks.

McAfee Total Protection is an excellent antivirus package that is particularly great at securing Wi-Fi networks. The Family plan is one of the best value family antiviruses on the market, covering lots of devices for a low price. And all McAfee plans are protected by a day money-back guarantee.

BullGuard includes extras like parental controls, a firewall, anti-phishing protection, identity theft protections, and cloud backup. In addition to optimizing and improving gameplay, BullGuard has helpful cybersecurity protections, like a firewall, anti-phishing protection, and identity theft protection.

Avira also has an excellent Safe Shopping browser extension which identified and blocked more phishing sites in my tests than most competitors. The extension is also very useful because it also blocks browser tracking, preventing companies from tracking your online activity and delivering ads based on your browsing habits.

One other cool thing about this extension is that it helps you find the best shopping deals online. Using the VPN, I was able to browse the web, stream video, and download files with minimal or no speed loss — which is pretty great for a bundled VPN. Avira has a lightweight cloud-based antivirus engine with perfect detection rates as well as excellent web protection.

Avira Prime also has a VPN, a password manager, a game booster, system tune-up, and more. Learn More — Avira Prime. Panda Dome Complete has a good malware scanner, an easy-to-use interface, and more additional features than most competitors. Panda Dome Complete offers good malware protection and is one of the most feature-rich internet security suites on the market — although not all of its extra features are that good. It can also offer ransomware protection and monitor unexpected behavior that may be a sign of new and not-yet-identified viruses and malware.

You want antivirus software that can successfully identify these unknown online threats without flagging too many false positives. Light on system resources. You don't want antivirus software that taxes your PC's resources. If after you install the program, websites open slowly, apps download or open sluggishly or file copies take longer than expected, you may want to try another service. The good news is, all our picks offer a free trial to let you try out the antivirus program, so if your system feels sluggish after installation, you may want to keep looking.

Cost and discounts. Don't just pay the sticker price for antivirus protection. Before you buy, check for discounts on a company's website. Another way to save: The prices we list above are for 10 devices -- if the company offered that package -- but you can trim your cost with antivirus packages if you need to cover three or five devices.

You may also find discounts on an app's Amazon page. To be effective, antivirus software needs to monitor what's going on with your PC, check in with company servers about unusual behavior and should provide sound banking protection.

The companies say they anonymize this technical data as much as possible to protect your privacy. But if you want to know more, the security companies on our list post privacy policies on their websites, so read their privacy statements to learn what the companies do with the information you share. Protection for other platforms.

Microsoft is by far the biggest target for viruses and malware. While the Mac does come under attack via side-loaded apps, it's rare, and if you download apps only from the Mac and iOS app stores and keep your guard up when clicking links and download files, you should be OK without an antivirus app on Apple devices. CNET editors pick the products and services we write about. When you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Best free Windows antivirus Microsoft Defender.

Jump to details. See at Microsoft. See at NortonLifeLock. See at Bitdefender. Best on-demand Windows malware removal Malwarebytes. See at Malwarebytes. Solid subscription antivirus alternative McAfee Total Protection.

See at McAfee. Another good subscription option Trend Micro Maximum Security. See at Trend Micro. See at ESET. Alternative free Windows antivirus Sophos Home. Get Protected with Bitdefender Now. Intego is the best macOS antivirus out there. And its scans are fast — scanning over , files in under 2 hours. Intego has a few package options. If you need a Windows antivirus, any of the other ones on this list are better choices.

Get Protected with Intego Now. TotalAV has an excellent antivirus scanner and a couple of really good extras, all inside a very intuitive dashboard — making TotalAV a particularly great choice for beginner and non-technical users. TotalAV has a powerful antivirus engine and a good range of features inside a user-friendly dashboard — I recommend TotalAV for first-time users just needing something safe, secure, and easy to use.

And all TotalAV purchases have a day money-back guarantee. On the other hand, McAfee has some pretty good extra features. This provides an easy-to-read map of all devices on your home Wi-Fi network, giving you total control over your online security and allowing you to lock out intruders. The virus infected our Wi-Fi router, giving hackers a backdoor into our entire home network. McAfee alerted me to this unauthorized access attempt and immediately stopped the attack!

However, users who want to protect multiple devices should consider the Multi-Device plan that also includes identity theft protection for US users or the Family package which adds excellent parental controls. McAfee Total Protection offers an impressive range of internet security protection for all computers and mobiles. All Total Protection packages include a commitment-free day money-back guarantee. Get Protected with McAfee Now. You can try out Avira risk-free with a day money-back guarantee.

Get Protected with Avira Now. Kaspersky also lets you use a virtual keyboard when handling online payments to avoid keyloggers. Kaspersky offers a well-designed antivirus package with a good anti-malware scanner and useful extras like a secure browser for online finances. Get Protected with Kaspersky Now. BullGuard offers powerful anti-malware protection, along with many additional features — including an excellent gamer booster, a customizable firewall, a performance optimizer, intuitive parental controls, and identity theft protections.

I also think BullGuard has one of the best phishing protections around, scoring perfect results when I tested it against hundreds of fake websites. During my tests, Game Booster increased my frame rate and decreased my load times while playing high-performance games like Destiny 2: Beyond Light and Apex Legends — I was honestly impressed! This feature helped BullGuard rank as the 1 best antivirus for gamers. BullGuard Antivirus includes malware and phishing protection, game booster, and coverage for 1 device.

BullGuard Internet Security adds multi-device coverage, performance optimization, and parental controls. BullGuard Premium Protection also includes a home network scanner and identity theft protection.

BullGuard provides a good malware scanner, lots of added features, and a specialized game booster that improves performance for PC gamers. Users looking for extras like identity theft protection and coverage for up to 10 devices can download BullGuard Premium Protection , while gamers looking for a simple antivirus for 3 devices should check out BullGuard Internet Security.