The most consistently top-scoring antivirus across independent labs, with near-zero impact on system performance.
- AV-TEST: 18/18 (Dec 2025 cycle)
- AV-Comparatives: 99.98% detection, Product of the Year (4x awards)
- Multi-layer ransomware rollback
- Safepay secure browser for banking
- Consistently low system/battery impact
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Industry-leading detection with LifeLock identity theft protection and cloud backup bundled in.
- AV-TEST: 100% zero-day detection (Feb 2026)
- AV-Comparatives: 98.7% / 99.97% across two 2025-2026 cycles
- LifeLock identity theft insurance (US only)
- Up to 500 GB secure cloud backup
- Unlimited Secure VPN on all devices
- 60-day money-back guarantee
Specializes in catching threats other engines miss, and is designed to run alongside a primary antivirus as a second layer.
- AV-Comparatives: 100% in the 2025 Real-World Protection Test
- AV-Comparatives: 100% in the 2025 Stalkerware Test
- Designed to run alongside your main antivirus, not replace it
- Real-time Browser Guard extension
- Trade-off: has historically shown a higher false-positive rate than some top competitors in independent testing
- 60-day money-back guarantee
A long-running clean audit record and one of the lightest engines available -- a strong pick on older hardware.
- AV-Comparatives: Advanced+ in all 7 tests run in 2025, Top-Rated Product Award
- AV-TEST: 17.5/18 (Jan-Feb 2026)
- NOD32 engine, small footprint on older PCs
- Gold Advanced Threat Protection (15/15 targeted attacks blocked)
- No major disclosed billing or marketing complaints found
- 30-day free trial, no card required
A strong recent lab score, but with a mixed independent track record and documented consumer complaints worth knowing before you buy.
- AV-TEST: 18/18, 100% detection, zero false positives (Jan-Feb 2026 cycle)
- Caveat: a separate AV-Comparatives cycle (March 2025) recorded 28 false positives -- notably higher than top competitors
- Caveat: independent watchdog sites document recurring complaints about auto-renewal billing and aggressive "your PC is infected"-style marketing pop-ups
- VPN, password manager, and identity monitoring are add-ons or higher-tier only -- not included in the base plan
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Strong recent AV-TEST scores and unlimited device coverage, offset by a weaker AV-Comparatives showing and a real history of billing complaints.
- AV-TEST: consistent 18/18 across 2025-2026 test cycles
- Caveat: AV-Comparatives (Sept 2025) rated it "Tested" only (lowest tier), due to 46 false positives; not on AV-Comparatives' 2025 Top-Rated list
- Real disclosed history: an $80 million class-action settlement (2014) over auto-renewal billing practices, with billing complaints continuing to be reported
- Protects unlimited devices on one subscription
- 30-day money-back guarantee
A fast, lightweight cloud-based scanner, but one that has not submitted to independent testing by the major labs in several years.
- Has not been tested by AV-TEST or AV-Comparatives since approximately 2019
- Its last AV-TEST/AV-Comparatives results (2019) were weak (AV-TEST 2/6 protection score; AV-Comparatives ~33% detection)
- SE Labs (a smaller, less widely-cited lab) gave it an AAA rating / 97% accuracy in Q4 2024 and Q4 2025
- Fast install, cloud-based scanning, low resource use
- 70-day money-back guarantee
Strong independent lab scores, but banned from retail sale to U.S. consumers by the U.S. Commerce Department since September 2024.
- U.S. Commerce Dept. (BIS) banned new retail sale of Kaspersky software to U.S. persons, effective Sept. 29, 2024 -- this ban remains in effect
- Existing U.S. customers were migrated to a different product ("UltraAV") in Sept. 2024, a move that drew its own criticism for lacking clear consent
- Outside the U.S., Kaspersky's lab scores remain strong: AV-TEST 18/18 (Q1 2026), AV-Comparatives 99.94% detection, Top-Rated Product 2025
- Included here for informational completeness only -- we are not recommending a purchase U.S. readers cannot legally make
2026 Antivirus Feature Comparison
At-a-glance feature matrix. Lab scores are sourced per-provider (see cards above); confirm current pricing directly with each provider.
| Antivirus | Lab Score | From | Renewal | VPN | Password Mgr | ID Protection | Devices | Guarantee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bitdefender Top Audit Record | 18/18 | $29.99 | $59.99 | Yes - Limited | Yes | Yes | 10 | 30 days | Visit › |
| Norton 360 | 100% | $49.99 | $109.99 | Yes - Unlimited | Yes | Yes | 10 | 60 days | Visit › |
| Malwarebytes | 100% | $44.99 | $59.99 | No | No | No | 5 | 60 days | Visit › |
| ESET | 17.5/18 | $39.99 | $59.99 | No | No | No | 5 | 30 days | Visit › |
| TotalAV | 18/18 | $19 | $99 | Yes - Unlimited | Yes | Yes | 6 | 30 days | Visit › |
| McAfee | 18/18 | $29.99 | $84.99 | Yes - Unlimited | Yes | Yes | Unlimited | 30 days | Visit › |
| Webroot | N/A | $29.99 | $49.99 | No | No | No | 5 | 70 days | Visit › |
| Kaspersky US-Restricted | N/A | Not sold in the U.S. | — | Yes - Limited | Yes | Yes | 10 | N/A | Details › |
How We Compare Antivirus Software
Based on independently-published lab results (AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives) and disclosed real-world complaints, not a composite score we generated ourselves.
Malware Detection Rate
We look at recent AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives results specifically -- not a vague "top-rated" claim. A single strong test cycle is good; a consistent multi-cycle record is better.
System Performance Impact
Independently-measured low CPU/battery overhead matters, especially on older hardware. We only credit this when it comes from a lab result, not marketing copy.
Privacy Toolkit
Some suites bundle a VPN, password manager, and identity monitoring in the base plan; others sell them as costly add-ons. We check which is which per provider.
Pricing, Renewals & Complaints
Intro prices are often discounted, then renew much higher. We also disclose real, documented billing or marketing complaints where they exist, rather than omitting them.
Device Coverage
Count your phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. Some providers offer unlimited-device plans, which can be better value for larger households.
Legal Availability
A strong lab score doesn't matter if the product can't legally be purchased where you live -- see Kaspersky's U.S. sale restriction, for example.
Why Trust This Comparison
Every lab score cited on this page comes from AV-TEST or AV-Comparatives' own published results, linked where possible -- not an in-house test we invented.
Where a provider has a documented billing dispute, false-positive issue, or legal restriction (like Kaspersky's U.S. ban), we say so directly rather than only listing positives.
Lab results shift every test cycle. We cite the specific month/year of each score so you can judge how current it is, rather than a vague "tested in 2026" claim.
We may earn a commission if you purchase through a link on this page. That relationship never determines which lab results we cite or which complaints we disclose.
Antivirus FAQ
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Ready to protect your devices?
Bitdefender has the strongest current independent audit record on this page (18/18, AV-TEST, Dec 2025). Confirm current pricing before you buy.
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Read our in-depth antivirus reviews
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