The best antivirus software for
It's heartening to know that antivirus providers are out there fighting the good fight - constantly updating their internet security software packages to protect against ever-increasing threats to your online life. The best antivirus choices out there combine watertight virus protection, extra features to keep you safe from scams, and are an absolute doddle to install and use.
If you’re looking for all-round protection against the latest cyber threats, then investing in the strongest software is the best solution you can hope for - and we also have the best business antivirus plans if you're looking to take care of your company computers. That doesn't mean you have to start spending big money either, as our guide also gives you the cheapest available prices for the top software.
And if it's free antivirus that you're after, we have some top recommendations for you, too. But considering some of the best antivirus providers out there cost less than $10/£10 per year, we’d always recommend playing it safe and going for a premium package.
Today's top 3 best antivirus software
2. Norton - great protection that won't slow you down
It's a name almost synonymous with the word 'antivirus', and Norton didn't disappoint when it came to our testing. It was notable how little an affect it had on the performance of our test computer. And it has a feature-list as long as your arm.
View Deal
3. Kaspersky - no-nonsense suite with top-notch security
It may not have quite the feature set that the above providers offer, but Kaspersky really does the basics brilliantly. Its outright virus defence is airtight and we like that even its entry-level plan offers protection covering multiple devices.
View Deal
The best antivirus in full:
TechRadar's #1 rated antivirus in a world packed with loads of virus protection providers, and doesn't even have to cost that much more than free antivirus downloads.
If you peruse the rankings of the major independent testing labs, you’ll doubtless notice that Bitdefender inevitably appears towards the top. And for good reason – Bitdefender’s core antivirus engine is excellent, and we found in our testing that it delivers top-notch protection. Which is, of course, the main point of any antivirus product.
Although not the only consideration, by any means, and Bitdefender’s other main strength is that it positively bristles with features. Exactly how many features depends on which product you purchase, although even the entry-level Bitdefender Antivirus Plus packs in a lot for the money.
As you'll see in our full Bitdefender review, that includes a very thorough web protection module (which offers class-leading protection from dangerous links), Safepay online banking protection, a password manager, as well as a vulnerability scanner which can alert you to missing security updates and patches.
As for downsides, about the only one really worth mentioning is that Bitdefender uses more system resources than some rival products.
If you want more features, Bitdefender Internet Security delivers exactly that, adding a firewall, spam filter, parental controls to keep your kids safe online, with measures to bolster privacy such as an anti-webcam hijacking feature.
Bitdefender Total Security is the ultimate package which further provides a suite of PC maintenance tools, and is capable of covering all types of devices, delivering apps for Android and iOS hardware, as well as Mac (and Windows) computers.
This makes Total Security a superb overall value proposition, although that doesn’t take away from what Bitdefender Antivirus Plus gives you – which is still a great deal for the money
Norton AntiVirus Plus was previously known as AntiVirus Basic, but was revamped to AntiVirus Plus back in It offers top-quality virus definitions, and a very light touch when it comes to resource usage. In fact, according to PassMark’s most recent rankings, Norton has the least impact on the performance of a PC compared to rival security suites.
Features are present in spades, too, with some of the highlights being top-notch browsing protection, an intelligent firewall, PC maintenance utilities (including an informative Startup Manager that could streamline your PC’s boot times) and a bundled backup tool with 2GB of online storage.
It’s a suitably easy to use app, but Norton also offers neat touches for experts, allowing plenty of control over configuring custom virus scans, and offering elements like a tool that evaluates the reputation of various files on your PC.
Downsides? The interface could be better thought out, and Norton didn’t perform quite as well as some competitors in our anti-ransomware testing – while it blocked our custom-made threat, we lost a few files before that happened.
NortonLifeLock (the new brand name for Symantec) also provides some beefier security offerings than AntiVirus Plus.
Norton Standard adds some impressive extras, including a fully integrated VPN, dark web monitoring (for US users), more backup storage (10GB) and mobile apps for Android and iOS. If you want to cover more than one device, though, you’ll need Norton Deluxe, which allows for five devices and throws parental controls into the mix. You’re getting a lot of protection for the money here, and it’s likely to be worth the upgrade over the Standard subscription.
Finally, the top package, Norton with LifeLock Select, gives those in the US a full range of identity protection features as well as all the above.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus is the entry-level package from this well-respected security vendor. It provides coverage for up to five Windows PCs, focusing on the fundamental security essentials, so while it hasn’t got the longest list of features – particularly compared to some of the other products highlighted here – what Kaspersky does, it does very well.
And that includes smart self-protection routines, fast and highly configurable virus scans, not to mention great overall virus protection (we were impressed with its ability to deal with fresh and undiscovered threats). Its anti-malware capabilities are up there with the best of them.
Weaker points are the aforementioned lack of features, and the fact that the extra trimmings which are present with Kaspersky Anti-Virus feel a bit shaky. For example, some of the troubleshooting wizards provided seem of limited value, like the Browser Configuration Wizard which only covers Internet Explorer (hardly the most popular browser these days).
You get more with the higher-tier packages, though, with Kaspersky Internet Security providing an intelligent firewall (which hardly ever hassles you with any queries) and secure browser (to keep your online financial dealings safe). Possibly the biggest benefit here, however, is that it covers not just Windows PCs, but also Mac computers and mobile devices.
Kaspersky Total Security is the flagship product, giving you the most comprehensive coverage with the addition of a password manager, parental controls, and automated local backups. Those are useful extra features, and when you consider that you don’t pay much more for Total Security – indeed, the suite is actually the same price as Internet Security at the time of writing – it’s almost certainly worth going for the top package.
-