24/7 Support : Get Started
USA Toll Free +1(877)368-0677
What is the best antivirus for Windows 10?
The best antivirus software for Windows 10 is Norton. It’s our top-rated piece of software that has excellent reviews from many cybersecurity experts. Norton offers excellent protection, and is easy to use.
Does antivirus software remove viruses?
Yes, an antivirus program can remove even existing viruses. Just run a full scan on your device and the program will notify you in case of malware. Then, you can either choose to delete the infected file or to remove the virus itself.
Best antivirus software in 2021 -
The Internet is not the same Wild West it was a decade or so ago. But ransomware, spyware, and malware are still running rampant – and if you don't protect yourself and your devices, they might cause some serious damage.
Luckily, all of this can be solved with good antivirus protection. The best antivirus software will include up-to-date security reports on the latest threats – keeping you safe at all times. Plus, they will also include excellent additional features, like security for mobile devices, parental locks, password managers, or even VPNs for disguising your true IP address.
Here, I'll cover the best antivirus software offering the best virus protection in 2021. And it's not just the #1 pick that rules: these are all great options, and your perfect solution for you might just be a few floors below!
Best antivirus software for 2021
1. Norton Antivirus – Best feature-rich option
2. Bitdefender Antivirus – All-round antivirus protection
3. McAfee Total protection – Best for multiple devices
4. Avira Antivirus – Best free plan on the market
5. TotalAV Antivirus – Essential free antivirus package
How we curated our best antivirus software list -
Picking the best antivirus solutions isn’t easy. First of all, we had to weed out all the software that doesn’t meet our security standards, i.e. the programs that aren’t good at detecting malware (which is their primary job) or the apps that are just simply too buggy.
Then, we paid attention to the selection of features. Naturally, most antivirus software offers a similar set of features, such as real-time scanning or defense against ransomware.
For most users, solid basics can be enough, and they don’t have any reason to pay more for something they don’t want. On the other hand, unique features are what make an antivirus solution stand out from the others.
Here are the criteria that we used to determine the best antivirus programs in 2021:
• Independent antivirus testing. Does the company even invest in such testing? What are the results? We take a look at results from AV-Test Institute, SE Labs, AV-Comparatives, and others.
• In-house antivirus testing. This one is mostly for spyware, adware, and other types of malware. It’s one thing to launch an antivirus that scores highly and another to retain the position throughout the year
• What is its record with false positives? New malware examples come out each day, and even the best antivirus software can’t catch it all 100% of the time. But how does one solve the problem of false positives? I look at which antivirus solutions don’t overreact and let you browse freely.
• Bonus features. I check which antiviruses offer firewalls, spam filters, secure browsers, and other extras. Then I compare the number of features you get and the asking price.
• Supported devices. If you’ve found the best antivirus for Windows 10, that doesn’t mean it will work on your iPhone.
• Performance. If you don’t have the latest hardware, an antivirus scan can hamper your device’s performance.
• Ease of use. No matter how sophisticated the best antivirus software is, any user should be able to scan their device.
• Reputation. It’s hard to stay clean, but only clean antiviruses can reach the top. And that’s why you won’t see AVG or Avast at the top of our list.
• Price. You shouldn’t be trying to save on protecting your devices. On the other hand, there’s no reason to choose overpriced antivirus software. In any case, the majority of best antivirus software developers offer different packages for individuals, families, and businesses.
• Customer support. Is there 24/7 support? If so, is that via email or a live chat? These are important questions that say a lot about your provider’s outlook on its clients.
How to choose the best antivirus software?
Choosing the best antivirus software depends on the following factors. First, you have to see if you’re already using some kind of online protection. Maybe it’s a VPN or a password manager?
If so, you can look for a cheaper option that doesn’t include these features. If not, then I advise taking an all-in-one bundle – most antiviruses have them, including our Top 5.
The next question is about the users – is it only for you or also your family and kids? Some providers have solid parental control features while others protect your whole home network and alert about possible dangers.
Another factor is your budget. Not all antivirus programs offer the same bang-for-the-buck ratio. That’s why spending thirty dollars on Kaspersky instead of Avira might be a good idea.
Finally, you have to like the software because most companies sell one-year or longer subscriptions. However, the majority offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, so testing before buying will save you both time and money.
Best antivirus based on your OS
The market for antivirus programs is wide and can be confusing. Also, each OS works best with specifically customized antivirus software. For example, the perfect antivirus for Windows might deliver disappointing results on your Android device. Therefore, we have tried many antimalware programs with different operating systems for the best security results.
The key points that we paid attention to have helped us to discern the AV programs. Independent organization lab scores, efficiency, available features, quality of customer support, and, of course, price – all of this can help you find out which tool offers the strongest protection.
After lots of testing, we have picked Norton 360 as the best AV option. It’s versatile, secure, and adapted for various operating systems. Yet, you can find our full lists of the best antivirus services for different OS down below:
• Antivirus for Windows. Many antivirus providers claim to offer all the most important features for security, as well as great protection scores. However, the programs may still lack development. Thus, we have done the testing for you and listed the top antivirus programs for Windows 10 and Windows 11.
• Antivirus for Mac. Many antivirus programs for Mac were ported from Windows AV programs. Therefore, most of them lack personalized features. The application ends up as incomplete and not as safe as the built-in security options. So, we have tested and picked the best antivirus fully customized for Mac.
• Antivirus for Chrome. It is said that Chromebooks are incredibly safe and immune to malware. Thus, many people skip fully securing their Chrome devices. The remained gap omits viruses and malware. Moreover, the AV for this OS must be compatible with Android, as Chrome OS and Android are basically the same. That’s why researched the most suitable antivirus programs for Chrome OS.
• Antivirus for Android. Even though Android devices have Google’s built-in security, they are not as protected as they should be. The built-in security may overlook malware and detect false positives. To secure your mobile even more, you can choose the best antivirus software for Android from our list.
• Antivirus for iOS. It’s a pity how most of the antivirus providers skip developing applications for iOS. This causes their apps to have low-quality security without real-time protection. So, we have chosen for you the best antivirus options specifically for iOS devices.
The best free antivirus software -
Good antivirus software doesn’t have to cost much. Actually, it doesn’t have to cost anything at all. Four out of five antivirus solutions mentioned above have either good or great free versions. If that wasn’t enough, there are other highly-rated brands to check out. We already picked the best free antivirus services in our top list here.
How does antivirus work?
There’s no unified description of what a virus is and what malware is. The word malware is an all-encompassing term for harmful software, such as viruses, Trojans, worms, and others.
In most cases, antivirus software scans your computer for possible malware and compares your files and programs to known viruses. It also checks possible variants of known malware types. Finally, the so-called heuristic scan tries to detect unknown malware by looking at the way your programs behave.
There are two types of scans that are usually available. The background scan provides real-time protection by actively checking the programs that are currently opened. In contrast, a full system scan checks every file on your hard drive. It’s recommended to run one after installing the antivirus and after the real-time scan finds an infection.
There’s always the chance of a false positive. It’s when your antivirus program thinks that it has found a virus while in fact, it’s a new but safe app that you’ve downloaded. Whitelisting can prevent future false positives.
The best Windows antivirus software for home users -
During July and August 2021 we continuously evaluated 21 home user security products using their default settings. We always used the most current publicly-available version of all products for the testing. They were allowed to update themselves at any time and query their in-the-cloud services. We focused on realistic test scenarios and challenged the products against real-world threats. Products had to demonstrate their capabilities using all components and protection layers.
