We are living in a time where cybercrime grows every year. It is clearly really important to get the best protection possible for your computer, tablet and mobile devices. With new antivirus suites launching every month we reviewed all the big names, but also the best new-comers. In the list below you will find our top 10 best antivirus software for 2023 to protect you from cyber-criminals and hackers. Most of them will offer a free version but if you want the best protection we advise to go for the premium / paid version. Here are some great antivirus options. We receive advertising revenue from some of the antivirus software we showcase.
97%
Voted Best Antivirus 2023. Removes all Viruses, Malware, Spyware, & Adware.
89%
Solid antivirus provider famed for being available in a number of different languages.
84%
Malwarebytes are predominately an anti-malware therefore slightly limited.
The internet has existed for many years, and the existence of hackers and viruses dates back to the day where the biggest network in the planet first came into the picture. Since then, thousands upon thousands of viruses have been created. That’s why we’ve collected a list of the best antivirus software of 2023.
Although each virus has a different purpose, every single file of malware aims to damage your computer one way or another. Some want to collect your personal information and send it elsewhere to be resold, while others simply aim to destroy certain files inside your computer OS folder to wreak havoc in your files.
Every antivirus we’re reviewing in this list is known to be amongst the most effective on the market, with millions of customers and countless reviews to back up our statement. Be sure to read our list to be fully sure which of these programs will work best for you, depending on which sites you frequent or which types of viruses seem to affect you more.
This also plays an important part when it comes to blocking spam emails. The anti-spam filter allows you to destroy spam malware before it gets downloaded to your computer, be it by your children or by your unaware self.
Total AV is an affordable antivirus that aims to offer as many features as possible while retaining a price that many people can pay for it. As any other high-quality antivirus, Total AV is capable of offering quality protection and a ton of additional features in real-time.
As you may know, many internet sites are attacking users with phishing malware that can be very harmful to their personal life. If you want to avoid such things happening to you, Total AV specializes in anti-phishing protection, albeit their antispam filters aren’t as powerful as those you get from other companies.
Total AV is a real-time antivirus that aims to offer constant protection to their users without slowing down their system. Thus, it detects and destroys threats before they get a chance to harm your computer. It’s one of the safest and cheapest antiviruses on the market, making it an ideal option for all people, regardless of their purchasing power.
The firewall of Total AV makes it one of the best antivirus software on the market. A proper firewall will stop your computer from being harmed by any malicious program, as it blocks external access to your network and prevents bad files from entering your computer.
The Total AV firewall is running constantly while the program is online. You won’t have to fear about your files’ safety as long as the antivirus is running. We do recommend you avoid intentionally testing it, though – newer malware might slip through the defenses of the firewall if you’re not careful (the database takes a bit to bet new updates).
Your subscription comes with a customizable VPN which masks your IP and increases safety while browsing. The VPN, combined with the program’s powerful anti-phishing features, turn Total AV into one of the best safe-browsing programs in the world.
Total AV knows which types of URL are better avoided (thanks in part to the database it uses), which also makes this great antivirus a good option for those looking to browse the web freely.
Incredible anti-phishing and anti-scam tool
Very competitive pricing makes Total AV one of the cheapest and most powerful antivirus software on the market
A wide variety of tools and bonus features are included with your purchase of the Total AV subscription
The scans are known to work well with most types of hardware – they don’t slow down your computer
It doesn’t support more than 5 devices at once
The program doesn’t support Mac laptops as good as it should
The Total AV antivirus offers an affordable $20 plan that allows people of all wages to buy protection to their devices. You can even buy the first year of their premium plan for just $60, which protects up to 5 devices without having to pay additional money for them. This antivirus also comes with a free version for which you don’t need to pay any money.
For more information related to Total AV, their services, and plan payments, visit their website by following this link.
McAfee is the most well-known name in internet security. The company was founded over 30 years ago, but it was purchased by Intel in February 2011. Since then, McAfee has become one of the strongest and safest security providers in the world, receiving better reviews with each update and every new product that they release.
You’ve probably already heard of Norton if you’ve owned a computer since the early ‘90s. The company rose into popularity during the first decade of the 21st century, having earned the trust of millions of users around the world with its up-to-date databases and total protection from malware. Thus, it earns a place amongst the best antivirus software of 2023.
The Norton antivirus has always been an industry favorite, which has set the standards for other antivirus developers to follow. The company focuses on providing users with top-quality malware protection, but it does seem to ignore the inclusion of additional features.
Modern developers tend to include additional software with your antivirus subscription, but Norton focuses on high-quality protection instead of user-friendly extra features. Likewise, its protection is nothing short of incredible and not many antivirus software come close to what Norton has to offer.
The Norton software notifies users whenever a new threat is detected by the program, much like any other antivirus software would do. Regardless, Norton allows you to open a dedicated tab which displays all the information you may need to know in order to properly asses the threat, what caused it, and an in-depth analysis of what it does to your system.
The amount of information that Norton displays outclasses every other free antivirus option, but it’s also one of the best you’ll find in any of the best antivirus software of 2023.
Apart from the quality antivirus protection, Norton has additional scanning features which serve to detect weak spots of your computer. As you may know, viruses can easily get through programs that are outdated. You should always keep your software as up to date as possible by not missing nay updates released by the manufacturer.
Norton helps you achieve this by providing you with information regarding which programs need updating in your computer. The Norton scan ends up showing a detailed list of all your installed software, the dates in which you last updated each program, as well as any update-related information that it can find online.
Full detailed scan allows you to always be safely protected against threats
Virus threat detection is accompanied by a full report explaining why the program blocked certain threats as well as what the malware does to your computer
Norton works in many different devices, although you’ll have to pay extra money to get this service
Second-to-none antivirus protection ranks Norton amongst the safest antivirus software in the world
Offers a powerful firewall that stops malware and phishing
The price of Norton’s plans makes this antivirus software an expensive option when compared to other products
Norton ignores many of the extra features that other antiviruses have, and even parental protection is only granted to people who spend over $100 on their software
Although Norton isn’t exactly cheap, the protection that the software offers justifies the hefty fee you’ll have to pay to get it. You can get one device protected with basic security at $50 per year. Likewise, you can protect one device with advanced security by paying $70 per year.
The cost scales up depending on how many devices you want to protect. This antivirus software works with different devices – for example, you could install it on your smartphone and on your computer at the same time, but it’d take up two slots in your subscription. The basic plan ($50 per year) only covers one computer.
You could also protect 5 devices by paying $90 per year, or 10 devices with their Premium Plan, which costs $110 per year. Only their Premium Plan includes parental controls, which is a huge bummer for families.
For more information related to Norton, their services, and plan payments, visit their website by following this link.
Avast has positioned itself as one of the best free antivirus software options on the market. Furthermore, it offers high-quality paid services that make this program compete with the best antivirus options that you can find. Avast also acquired AVG in a takeover that occurred not too long ago, and it now has many of its most powerful features at its disposal.
Although the merging of Avast and AVG occurred already, the company always planned to keep both products as separate antivirus software. Many of the internal tools are now shared between the two of them, but they still offer different things that make Avast a better option for homeowners than its former competitor.
The free version of Avast blocks threats of almost any kind, but the paid version offers an in-depth scan feature and does a better job at keeping your computer safe from malware of all sorts. Avast is known for its quick responsiveness and a lack of computer slowness, being able to keep your PC running smoothly even when performing a full scan on it.
Even though Avast has always been known as a high-quality free antivirus software option, you might be wondering if it’s worth paying a few extra dollars to get its premium treatment. Judging from what we’ve tested, it’s entirely worth it.
The premium version of Avast doesn’t cost as much money as other products and turns the antivirus into a more complete tool with many more additional features than its free version.
An additional bonus of Avast is its gaming mode – a feature which turns the antivirus into a threat-stopping tool for gamers. It minimizes hardware usage, allowing gamers to freely play without having to worry about lag generated by their own computer. It also serves as a way to detect malware and virus threats and stop them from harming your system.
The Avast antivirus can detect the exact moment when you run a game in your computer, thus starting the gaming mode automatically.
Very quick boot times, starting at less than 30 seconds for the Avast Free Antivirus
Very good additional features, such as a plugin made to clean excess browser extensions
Avast also comes with an effective outdated software detector, similar to the one offered by Norton
You need to register if you want Avast to work
The menus aren’t as slick as those you find in other antivirus software. You might have difficulties navigating them
The Avast Free Antivirus protects your entire Wi-Fi system and up to 10 PC’s inside your house. The protection is good enough to keep your computers from being damaged by harmful software. In fact, Avast is easily the best free antivirus on the market.
Regardless, the paid plans arm the software with many other features that you might find interesting. As is the case with most antivirus software, Avast prices scale up depending on the number of features it offers. Every plan supports from 1 to 10 computers, and they go from $60 per year to $120.
For more information related to Avast, their services, and plan payments, visit their website by following this link.
Panda is a powerful antivirus developed in Spain. It doesn’t have a ton of extras, but the company has focused on developing a top-quality security engine that serves as a tool to dispose of threats and malware. However, Panda protection is one of the most popular when it comes to free antivirus software.
In fact, Panda could be seen as a direct competitor to Avast and AVG. It shares many of the features that you find in Avast – even when it comes to the simplicity offered by the free version of the antivirus.
Panda has a Good malware detector system, which serves to stop every threat that the antivirus detects. However, it does come with a few functionality issues which make it a bit difficult to use at times. For example, detecting a threat might be an automatic process, but moving said threat to the vault (placing it in quarantine) is more tedious than it should be.
Although noticing the interface isn’t too common when it comes to antivirus software, the slick and well-looking menus of Panda make the interface of this program one of its most prominent features. We’ve noticed that everything looks really well presented, thus making menu navigation a very straightforward and easy process.
Panda is the ideal antivirus to be installed in family homes when older people live. Its automatic detection of threats allows technologically savant members of the house to deal with threats after the older members of the house finish up using it.
Panda aims to offer its users a wide variety of features, but everything relies on simplicity above anything else. Likewise, certain paths and information are more limited than what you’d expect to find in other antivirus software, but the information is enough for you to judge whether the origin of the threat is malicious or not.
As such, Panda doesn’t deal correctly with some false positives. You could be prompted with a virus warning when running certain executables. The antivirus could sometimes check with the cloud to see if a file is malicious or not, which means you’ll need access to the internet if you want Panda to work as intended.
Simple interface and easy-to-use tools make this antivirus software a viable option for people of all ages and backgrounds
Panda presents users with all the information they need in order to judge how harmful a threat could be without overwhelming them with too many technicalities
It can scan files located in USB devices or any other hardware attached to the computer
Panda is compatible with iOS and Android devices
Requires too many formalities to deal with detected threats
Some threats might slip the basic detection software
Panda also offers a paid service, which grants users with a ton of additional features and an enhanced protection system. Although Panda is often touted as the best free antivirus, its inexpensive plans also make it a great option for those available to pay money.
You can get their most expensive plan for less than $50 a year, and their intermediate service (which costs less than $30 a year) includes parental controls for the antivirus software.
For more information related to Panda, their services, and plan payments, visit their website by following this link.
Malwarebytes is a powerful internet defender capable of filtering all sorts of attacks from different sites around the web. It has a ton of tools at its disposal which allow a complete scanning of your computer, but the software is touted as one of the most effective antivirus software when it comes to filtering malware of all sorts.
As such, you may want to run Malwarebytes alongside other antivirus software with weak internet protection. For example, we recommend trying Malwarebytes alongside Avast.
The Malwarebytes software has been around for a while, but the recently released product is now running with a powerful AI scanner. This scanner makes the program detect threats that aren’t registered in most virus databases, thanks to the ability to learn from previously scanned malware files.
The Premium edition of the software (known as Malwarebytes Premium) does offer good support for all types of malware protection. This makes Malwarebytes a suitable replacement for any antivirus software. Regardless, real-time scanning isn’t an option in the normal version, which means you’ll need to scan your computer by manually allowing the software to do so.
Malwarebytes comes with a relatively complex but easy to understand interface. This allows more experienced users to get a full understanding of threats and any other problem that might be present in their system. Likewise, it makes it difficult to use for people that like simplicity over everything else.
Overall, Malwarebytes can be seen as a more complex alternative to Avast or AVG. You’ll get most of the scanning power of the aforementioned two, but Malwarebytes will give you a more in-depth analysis of whichever threats are present in your system.
The main difference between regular antivirus software and Malwarebytes is the lack of real-time protection. The program makes up for this issue with a powerful scanning tool, but it still lacks the necessary real-time protection to be considered a high-quality antivirus option. We do recommend using a proper antivirus to go along with Malwarebytes.
In-depth protection offered by the program destroys and neutralizes all sorts of threats
Malwarebytes doesn’t use a lot of PC processing power, which makes it ideal to be used in old PC’s or slow devices
Offers better threat detection than its direct competitors
The paid version is a very good antivirus thanks to its real-time scanning
No free real-time scanning means that your computer is susceptible to threats
Some types of malware might slip up during scans
The paid version of Malwarebytes starts its pricing at $30 for a single device, going up to $130 for 10 devices. It’s a very expensive option, but if you like the free version of the product, choosing to pay extra cash for real-time protection might be a good choice.
For more information related to Malwarebytes, their services, and plan payments, visit their website by following this link.
Bitdefender is a very popular antivirus that has grown in popularity in recent years. In fact, the growth in popularity is mainly due to the effectiveness of its protection and affordable pricing. The company was founded in Romania (where it still operates). The company has been developing security software for many years, having started operations back in 2001.
Bitdefender seems like an all-in-one security tool, which includes a bunch of features and covers many computers with the purchase of a single license. Its high-quality protection makes it one of the best premium antivirus software options out there. Bitdefender is an ideal choice for people looking to increase security in their home computers or for those who own businesses of any size.
Bitdefender Internet Security is complimented by Bitdefender Total Security. Both programs are crafted to provide computers with total protection from threats, regardless of which front they come from. Likewise, the resources used to minimize threats is very reduced. We recommend this antivirus for people that own computers with limited RAM capacity.
Bitdefender comes with built-in webcam security, which protects your webcam from being hijacked by a virus or hackers with malicious intentions. This is a concern for many laptop owners around the planet, and the inclusion of such an option for the software shows that the company is in touch with its customers.
Apart from the Webcam Security options, there are many additional features included in Bitdefender. For example, it comes with an integrated VPN service which helps you bypass blocks or simply protects you from showing your IP in certain websites.
The software also includes protection against ransomware, a type of malware known to be used by hackers and some governments around the world. There are many other features that contribute towards the overall quality of Bitdefender, but these are certainly the most attractive for users of all sorts.
Powerful antivirus with many features to go along its high-quality protection service
Apart from protecting your computer from threats, Bitdefender creates a safe environment for you to browse files and explore the internet without fear
Traces all sorts of malware, ransomware, and other hacker-related software
Includes protection for people that solely browse the internet as well as those who need constant scans in their computer
Works in the most popular platforms, including Android and iOS products.
You’ll have to pay extra money in order to access some of its better features
Although it works in many different platforms, it’s not fully supported in Apple devices
A single license of Bitdefender costs around $60, which places it amongst some of the most expensive options on the market. Regardless, you’ll be paying for quality if you choose to purchase this product. There’s also a triple-license plan, with which you can acquire 3 licenses for $80. Regardless, it’s very expensive to purchase when compared to other antivirus software.
For more information related to Bitdefender, their services, and plan payments, visit their website by following this link.
ESET is known to be one of the best anti-phishing antivirus software on the market. Their antivirus is better known as ESET NOD32, and the company has been in business for over 30 years, having started its software development in 1987.
ESET has been awarded many prices throughout the existence of their product, even earning the accolade of being the most successful company in Slovakia three years in a row. The company is regarded as one of the best when it comes to the development of antivirus software, and their contributions to this endeavor have been very significant in the last couple of decades.
ESET Internet Security is complimented by ESET Smart Security Premium. Both programs work together to create a safe environment in which users can freely browse the web without fearing for their computer’s safety.
We’ve noticed how ESET seems to block almost every single upcoming threat that you throw at it. For example, you can visit any dangerous website and notice how the antivirus will work its magic and block anything that it considers malicious. Of course, you’ll be able to review all blocked threats and unblock them if you deem them unharmful.
ESET software comes with many features that are browser friendly and encourage the safe browsing of the Internet without having to worry about changing tabs whenever a new threat is encountered. In fact, the design is very user-friendly and allows you to deal with threats via browser pop-ups that can be handled with ease.
As an additional bonus, the whole setup process of ESET is very straightforward and using the program is as easy as you can imagine. All you have to do is follow the simple instructions that the developer provides, and you’ll be good to go in a matter of minutes.
You don’t have to enable any external software to make the program work well – it’ll do everything for you. It’s a very safe software which also keeps your email from being flooded by malicious content. Install it, sit back, and relax. It’ll work its magic on its own.
ESET software is very easy to use and incredibly simple to set up. You don’t have to worry about anything but following simple instructions
The antivirus has built-in pop-ups that warn users whenever a new threat is detected, so they can deal with it promptly without interrupting whatever they’re doing
The program allows you to manage your password and protect your data with its password management features
Comes with a ton of extra features that are often excluded from most antivirus software
ESET could provide better phishing protection
The parental control of the software is not too great
The main problem with ESET is the cost of its services. It costs $60 a year for their single-device plan, and you’d need to fork out $100 if you want to use their services in 5 devices. Other products offer better prices, although not many are able to match the quality of the ESET antivirus.
For more information related to ESET, their services, and plan payments, visit their website by following this link.
Bullguard is a Danish antivirus program founded by the beginning of the 21st century. Since then, the company has been constantly updating their software to stay up-to-date with the current market and the needs of consumers.
The Bullguard brand isn’t as prestigious as other antivirus software, but they’ve earned a place in our list for offering something that most other programs fail to do: extreme simplicity and an interface friendly to everyone.
Those who lack experience using antivirus software may have found their match in Bullguard. This program is very easy to set up and has simplicity as its main selling point. In fact, you’ll probably find other programs with more effective protective features, but it’s highly unlikely that you’ll find one as simple to use as Bullguard.
The main issue with Bullguard is that it doesn’t seem to work well in all operative systems. However, some users might find the product to be incredibly efficient. Some versions of Windows seem unable to properly run the product, which minimizes its effectiveness. The company has managed to work on some of those issues, but many of them still persist to this day.
Although Bullguard’s protection isn’t perpetual, the program scans your computer every few minutes. The good thing about Bullguard is that it doesn’t use up a lot of memory, which means you’ll computer will be able to run it without slowing down in the process.
We’ve noticed that the scanning power of Bullguard isn’t as good as it is in other antivirus software. There’s also another critical issue that doesn’t allow this program to be ranked higher on our list: The malware detection system isn’t as effective as one could hope for. Some malware files and trojans can easily slip past the defense, which is inconvenient to say the least.
Although Bullguard isn’t as powerful at intercepting threats as other programs, it does come with a ton of additional features that make up for the lack of effectiveness. We’ve noticed that the program is a very strong anti-spam tool, and it will keep your computer from getting those pesky adware programs from infecting your PC.
Furthermore, the program focuses on detecting malware as soon as it comes in contact with your files, preventing it from harnessing any information. This partly makes up for the lack of malware detection effectiveness, but we still would like to see improvements in this department in the next updates of Bullguard.
The interface is easy to use, and the program can be easily figured out by any new user
Bullguard creates an incredible antispam filter that keeps out annoying programs from infecting your PC.
There are better malware detectors out there
The scheduling process isn’t straightforward and might seem difficult at times
The Bullguard antivirus is cheap if you’re looking to get the service in a single PC. You can have it for just over 30$ a year. It becomes expensive if you want to purchase multiple licenses (there’s no global license option), as you’d have to pay over $100 a year to license 3 computers.
For more information related to Bullguard, their services, and plan payments, visit their website by following this link.
Kaspersky is a Russian internet security and antivirus provider that has been producing high-quality software since 1997. Their products are widely regarded as some of the best in the software protection industry and they’re used all across the globe by small businesses and international companies alike.
Furthermore, the company offers competitive plan prices, allowing users from all around the globe to afford their quality protection services.
Kaspersky’s antivirus and malware security are nothing short of perfect. They have earned a place in our list by passing protection tests of all sorts. Their software is capable of completely repelling threats regardless of their origin and how they work. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about malware, phishing attacks or spyware – Kaspersky is going to keep your PC protected.
In fact, it’s pretty rare to find a product with as few faults as Kaspersky Lab Security. You could argue that the programming of automatic tests might create unfortunate times for the scans, but the product doesn’t interfere with your computer’s performance, so it’s not much of an issue.
Getting your hands on Kaspersky software means that internet security is guaranteed. You won’t have to worry about phishing software attacking your computer and worrying about ransomware is also a thing of the past. The sheer amount of protection and additional features offered by Kaspersky makes their antivirus one of the most complete products on the market.
Their product has a two-way firewall and an automatic ad blocker, as well as many other features such as Webcam protection and VPN access.
The massive amount of features that Kaspersky has made it one of the most complete products you can buy
Access to VPN services and two-way firewall assure you with total protection from malware and spyware
The program comes with a ton of automatic scans that delete any threats encountered in your computer
Prices aren’t as high as you’d expect from a high-quality product
The normal version of the program doesn’t offer as many features as Kaspersky Total Security
The basic Kaspersky plan can be bought for just $30 a year, their medium plan costs $40 a year, and their most powerful plan (known as Kaspersky Total Security) costs $50 a year. Each plan comes with more benefits than its cheaper counterparts and spending the extra cash on the Total Security software is definitely worth your money.
For more information related to Kaspersky Lab, their services, and plan payments, visit their website by following this link.
The 360 Total Security antivirus is developed by Qihoo, one of the best free antivirus software that you can find on the internet. Although often overlooked for more popular options such as AVG or Panda, Qihoo 360 Total Security is one of the best options you can get for your computer if you’re on a budget.
The program comes with a ton of additional features, which is not a common thing to see in a free antivirus. The main problem with Qihoo 360 Total Security is that its protection isn’t too good. In contrast, other free options come with less additional options and features but keep your system better protected.
However, the number of extra features offered by Qihoo 360 Total Security and their above-average protection have earned it a spot amongst the best antivirus software of 2023.
The program allows your computer to perform quick scans through all its files, even if you don’t have a powerful machine. Qihoo 360 Total Security will cleanse your computer from the most common types of malware, spyware, and adware, although it won’t do much of a good job when it comes to dealing with newer threats.
The setup of the antivirus is pretty easy as well. All you need to do is follow the simple instructions provided by the program and you’ll have everything ready in a matter of minutes.
The program is very simple to use, and all the features are well presented in the menus. You won’t have any issues navigating through all the information and you’ll be able to find everything in a matter of seconds.
One of the best free antivirus software on the market
The menus are easy to navigate, and the features are plentiful and well presented
You can have the program set up and running in a matter of minutes
It’s not a powerful antivirus by any means – some of its features can be very disappointing
Qihoo 360 Total Security is awful at defending you from phishing malware
Qihoo 360 Total Security doesn’t have any pricing plans. You can access the service for free and install it with no issues. In fairness, the company should probably develop a stronger version of their free program to encourage other people to buy it.
For more information related to 360 Total Security Antivirus, their services, and plan payments, visit their website by following this link.
