The Best Antivirus Software To Keep Your Data Safe

OS support: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Devices: 5 - 10, depending on package you choose | Free trial: 30 days

Best for: Complete system protection for your whole family.

Pros:

• Excellent virus detection and prevention
• Anti-phishing, anti-fraud and anti-ransomware
• Improved privacy protections, including built-in VPN

Cons:

• No option for individual device packages

Bitdefender Total Security 2024 is an all-in-one security suite for your desktops and laptops, your tablets and smartphones, with protection for the whole family on a single account. It has robust antimalware protection against a wide range of threats, including ransomware and identity theft, and it works across all major operating systems, including iOS and Android. The parental controls are strong, too, helping you to keep your young ones safe and protected from online content you’d rather they avoid.

The overall price is affordable for the number of devices you can protect, and you can get up 10 device licenses too, depending on the package you choose. However, there is no single-device protection option, so if you’re just looking to secure your PC or smartphone by itself, there may be other, more affordable options. The features of this package just keep on going too, with a bundled private firewall and strong VPN, helping to further protect your privacy and data online.

OS support: Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Devices: 5 | Free trial: 30 days

Best for: Complete system protection for your whole family.

Pros:

• Excellent virus detection and prevention
• Includes a VPN, dark web monitoring and parental controls
• Includes 50GB online storage and identity protection

Cons:

• Certain features are restricted on some operating systems
• Webcam security software Microsoft-only

If you want an antivirus that does absolutely everything it can to protect you, your devices and your loved one’s information, Norton 360 Deluxe is hard to beat. It bundles everything together into a singular affordable package, offering an effective antivirus solution alongside ID protections, active security monitoring on the clearnet and dark web and a secure browser to give you safer browsing whatever sites you visit. Despite the range of additional services, Norton 360 Deluxe remains intuitive and easy to use, with a clean interface for its main application.

You get support for five devices with this package and it can integrate with your kids’ remote learning applications, so you can know what they’re up to and keep them safe simultaneously. There’s also a webcam protection system that can detect if anyone tries to access your webcam—although that’s a Windows-only feature. Aside from that exclusive feature, the main antivirus works great on macOS, iOS and Android.

OS support: Windows, Android, macOS | Devices: As many as you like | Free trial: None

Best for: Protecting Windows PCs enough to get by.

Pros:

• Strong antivirus protection
• Can work alongside other antivirus applications

Cons:

• Limited feature set outside of premium version
• Part of the Microsoft 365 subscription service
• Probably won’t stand up to the heaviest of malware attacks

If you use best practices to stay safe online— not clicking on links in emails or attachments, not visiting dodgy websites and more—then you can absolutely get by with just using the free Windows Defender that comes with Windows 10 or 11. It’s available on macOS in a fashion too, though you’ll have to manually install it. On any platform, Windows Defender is an effective antivirus solution that does a great job of protecting your PC. It probably won’t stand up to a comprehensive malware attack, and if you keep visiting some of the less savory parts of the internet, you’ll likely come up against some malware that Windows Defender can’t defeat, but for everyday protection on the average PC visiting safe websites, it’s plenty.

The feature set is more limited than some of the premium anti-malware solutions on this list, but if you want to make sure your PC is protected without spending much of anything, Windows Defender is a decent choice.

OS support: Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, Chrome OS | Devices: 5 devices | Free trial: 30 days, scanner is permanent

Best for: Giving you a powerful backup scanner.

Pros:

• Per-device annual subscription pricing
• One of the best manual scanning tools out there
• Strong protections against phishing, ransomware, scammers

Cons:

• Expensive to protect lots of devices

Malwarebytes has a respected reputation as the best remediation malware tool. If your antivirus fails and you get infected, Malwarebytes is a great tool to clean your system out and get you back to baseline again. If you want, you can skip the step of using multiple tools and just have Malwaresbytes Premium Security. It offers strong active protection and monitoring, with that same powerful remediation scanner you can trigger yourself if you need to clear out an infection or give yourself peace of mind.

Malwarebytes Premium offers per-device pricing, so you never pay for devices you aren’t protecting. That does make it more expensive for lots of devices though, so consider some of the bundle packages from other providers if you have a lot to protect. For fewer devices, though, Malwarebytes is super affordable, and it works on a range of operating systems and platforms, and includes an online browser guard, anti-phishing and anti-ransomware protections. The intuitive interface gives you in-depth control of everything you need, too.

OS support: macOS | Devices: 1-5 devices | Free trial: 30 day moneyback guarantee

Best for: Protecting your Mac.

Pros:

• Per-device pricing
• Strong antivirus and network protections
• Includes a customizable firewall and secure VPN

Cons:

• Expensive to protect lots of devices

As much as Apple might like to pretend that its Macs and MacBooks don’t need a third-party antivirus solution, that’s not always the case. If you want an additional layer of protection for your macOS devices, consider the Intego Mac Internet Security X9 suite. It includes a range of anti-malware tools, keeping you protected from the latest threats as they’re released as well as giving you some strong, customizable security tools like a VPN and firewall.

The clean interface is a great fit for macOS, and its easy to learn for those just trying out antivirus for the first time. The pricing on a per-device basis is fair, and that helps keep the subscription cost down if you only have one or two devices you want to protect. That does make pricing a bit higher if you want to protect lots of devices, though. The NetBarrier tool is a great way to manage your online connections, too, helping you see just what all your connected applications are up to for a more managed online presence.

OS support: Android (Windows and macOS options available) | Devices: 1+ | Free trial: Free version

Best for: Protecting your Android devices.

Pros:

• Very affordable price, and free antivirus available
• Anti-phishing and call filter protections
• Per-device pricing

Cons:

• Lacks advanced features of more-expensive antivirus

If you and your loved ones have android smartphones, tablets and TVs, then the Eset Mobile Security Premium platform is an excellent solution to keep them safe. It’s an Android-exclusive antivirus, designed specifically with it in mind, athough there are more-expensive Eset antivirus solutions which cover Windows and macOS desktops and laptops, and a free version which gives Android users the option of a cost-free antivirus. However, the Mobile Security Premium package is a comprehensive one for Android users, with a powerful antivirus, regular security reports and USB scanner to prevent malware making the jump from storage to your device.

It also includes anti-phishing protections and a call filter, helping to cut back on time wasting spammers and scammers. It lacks a password manager, VPN and some of the more advanced features we see with some antivirus solutions. But for protecting your smartphone, this is a cost effective and functional solution, and you can always pay more for additional protections if you want them, as part of the Premium Eset platform.