Windows gets attacked much more often than any other software platform, and using a PC without antivirus software is asking for trouble. If you've got a Windows PC, you'll need one of the best antivirus programs, free or paid. And with 100 detection rates from AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives, it has the chops to go head-to-head with more expensive software like Norton. Avast Free Mac Security (Free) As one of the most popular antivirus packages for Mac, Avast has a large name to live up to. Free Antivirus for Mac is the Mac version of our current favorite for Windows, and for good reason.
![]() ![]() Good Antivirus Reddit Free Or PaidThe number of extra features each program has varies according to price, but the sweet spot in the lineup is Norton 360 Deluxe.It includes a password manager that works on all major platforms, unlimited VPN service, dark-web personal-data monitoring, parental controls and up to 50GB of online storage space. -Heavy slowdown during full scans -PriceyAll nine of Norton's antivirus products offer excellent malware protection, and the once-heavy system-performance load is much lighter. (The other programs limit you to 200MB of Bitdefender VPN usage per day.)But the best deal is the Bitdefender Family Pack, which puts Total Security on up to 15 devices for (a frequently discounted) $120 per year.As mentioned above, Bitdefender Total Security has merited a Highly Recommended mention for Best Antivirus Software in the 2021 Tom's Guide Awards.Read our full Bitdefender Antivirus Plus review. Its active scans don't add much to the background system impact, but that background load is a bit heavy.It also offers the most value, with an unlimited password manager, a secure browser with a virtual keyboard, a Wi-Fi network scanner, a file shredder, protection against encrypting ransomware and Bitdefender's new web-privacy software - features often found only with pricier antivirus packages.The midrange Bitdefender Internet Security adds parental controls, webcam protection and a two-way firewall, while Bitdefender Total Security tops off the lineup with an anti-theft feature for laptops, a system optimizer and licenses for Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac and Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android.A fourth product, Bitdefender Premium Security, is basically Total Security with unlimited VPN usage and priority tech support. It has very good, if not perfect, malware-detection scores. Free wine download for macBut none of the McAfee products have a secure browser or webcam protection, which you often get with other premium antivirus programs.At the top is McAfee Total Protection Ultimate, which adds unlimited VPN service with no strings attached. Yet every other digital-protection service you could possibly ask for is included with at least some of its bundles.-Very heavy performance hit -No parental controls on mid-priced tierMcAfee's malware detection has improved greatly in the past couple of years, but it's still not quite top-of-the-line.Despite that, the entry-level McAfee AntiVirus Plus is a bargain: $60 per year buys software for up to 10 (in practice, unlimited) devices, whether they run Windows, macOS, iOS or Android, and the software comes with a file shredder and a two-way firewall.To get parental controls or one of the best password managers in the business, you'll have to spring for McAfee Total Protection or its sibling McAfee LiveSafe, which comes pre-installed on many new PCs.The multi-device licenses of those two security suites also come with an identity-protection service. Their annual subscription prices run well into the triple digits, but still cost less than if you were to buy the identity protection, password manager, cloud-backup storage and antivirus software separately.Unlike some of the other best antivirus software makers, Norton doesn't offer a file shredder, file encryption or secure web browser with any of its products. -So-so malware protection -Moderate performance penalty during scans -Lacks VPN, password manager, file shredderSophos Home Premium does its job economically, offering reasonable protection from malware at an affordable price.Because it's spun off from Sophos' enterprise software for business clients, Sophos Home Premium lacks many of the bells and whistles other security suites offer, such as a password manager, identity theft protection service or VPN service. Nor does the premium product have the cloud storage or backup software that some of the best antivirus brands add as enticements to their flagship packages.Read our full Trend Micro Maximum Security review. -Heavy performance hit during scans -Many false positives on some testsTrend Micro offers very good protection, but its malware-detection engine creates a heavy system load during scans and returns a fair number of false-positive results.The brand's entry-level program, Trend Micro Antivirus+ Security, has basic tools but does have a secure web browser. Parental controls, a system optimizer and a file shredder are bundled into the mid-range Trend Micro Internet Security.Trend Micro Maximum Security adds a password manager, a secure browser and file encryption, while the new Trend Micro Premium Security adds a VPN and dark-web monitoring of personal data.However, none of Trend Micro's programs include a two-way firewall or webcam protection, standard with other brands' midrange offerings.
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