9 Best Antivirus for Small Business of 2026

GravityZone Small Business Security is Bitdefender's online-only package for companies that want business-grade protection without a security team. It covers 1 to 100 laptops, desktops and file servers, and the US store priced the default 10-device bundle at $227.49 for the first year when we checked. The base package already includes ransomware mitigation that detects abnormal encryption and restores files from backup copies, fileless attack protection that stops malicious PowerShell commands and memory injection, anti-exploit protection for browsers and Office, and anti-phishing that swaps dangerous pages for a warning. Everything is managed from one GravityZone console, and Bitdefender says no advanced IT security knowledge is needed to install it. Web filtering and USB device control are a separate $41.99 add-on, and so is network attack defense, so the full kit costs more. The price shown is a 30% first-year discount, so budget for the renewal.

ESET PROTECT Core is the first plan in ESET's current business lineup, and it is the plan most small offices will start with. ESET's US store priced the default 10-device subscription at $549.00 for one year when we checked, and online orders run from 5 to 99 devices. That money buys more in the box than most rivals' entry tiers: next-gen antivirus for computers, servers, mobiles and cloud VMs, a firewall with web and device control, cloud sandboxing through ESET LiveGuard for zero-day files, and full disk encryption for system drives. A Plus package adds email, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace protection for an extra fee. Everything is run from the cloud ESET PROTECT console. The tradeoff is cost per device, which is about twice Bitdefender's at the same seat count, and automated patching sits outside Core.

Defender for Business is the version of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint packaged for companies with up to 300 users. The standalone plan costs $3.00 per user per month paid yearly, and each user can cover up to five devices with no minimum device count, which makes it one of the cheapest ways to protect a phone, a laptop and a home PC per employee. It is also included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium. Microsoft's documentation says it includes the features of Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 plus automated investigation and remediation, automatic attack disruption, vulnerability management and an optimized EDR. Setup is wizard-based, default policies apply from day one, and monthly security summaries go to the admin. The limits are clear: servers need a separate license, the plan stops at 300 users, and the console makes the most sense if you already manage users in Microsoft 365 or Intune.

Falcon Go is the smallest bundle CrowdStrike sells online, and it gives a small office the same Falcon agent larger companies run. It costs $59.99 per device billed annually, or $7.99 per device billed monthly if you would rather not commit for a year, and a 15-day trial needs no credit card. The bundle includes next-gen antivirus that CrowdStrike says deploys in minutes, device control for USB, SD card and Thunderbolt media, mobile threat protection for Android and iOS, and Express Support for installation help. That is a focused set. Firewall management and full EDR live in Falcon Pro at $99.99 per device per year and Falcon Enterprise at $184.99, so an office that wants detection and response will pay more. For a team that mainly wants a light agent, removable media control and phone coverage with flexible billing, it is a clean buy.

Avast Essential Business Security is the budget pick for an office that needs centrally managed antivirus and not much else. Avast's US store priced it at $31.37 per device for the first year, renewing at $39.21, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. The protection stack is the familiar Avast set of shields: File Shield, Mail Shield and Web Guard against infected files and sites, Real Site against DNS hijacking and fake pages, a Ransomware Shield for protected folders, and an AI-powered Behavior Shield for unknown threats. An endpoint firewall and Remote Access Shield help block RDP brute-force attacks, which matters for offices that leave remote desktop open. Devices are managed from the online platform, which shows health status, sends alerts and includes a remote IT tool to connect to employee machines. VPN and USB protection require the Premium tier, and there is no EDR at this level.

Sophos Endpoint, the product built on Sophos's Intercept X technology, is the most prevention-heavy option on this list. Sophos says it enables more than 60 proprietary exploit mitigations by default on every running process, so you do not need to tune each application. CryptoGuard watches file contents for malicious encryption, blocks the process, and rolls files back, including when ransomware runs on another machine against a file share. Adaptive Attack Protection switches to tighter settings when it detects hands-on-keyboard activity, and a Critical Attack Warning alerts every admin when an attack spans several devices. One agent covers Windows, macOS and Linux, managed from Sophos Fusion alongside Sophos firewalls and email. The catch for a small office is buying. Sophos does not list an online price, so you go through a partner, and we could not confirm a USD figure.

Malwarebytes for Teams is built for the smallest end of this list: a sole proprietor, a boutique office or a team of up to 20 devices. Plans start at $119.99 per year for 3 devices, then $399.99 for 10 and $519.99 for 20, and every plan includes priority 24/7 human support and a 60-day money-back guarantee. Protection covers malware, spyware, ransomware and brute-force attacks, and the bundle adds things office suites usually skip: the Malwarebytes Privacy VPN for public Wi-Fi, the Browser Guard ad and scam blocker, and Scam Guard, an AI chat companion that checks suspicious texts, links and screenshots. Malwarebytes pitches it as needing no IT skills. The limits are scale and control. Above 20 endpoints Malwarebytes points you to its ThreatDown business line, and per-device pricing is higher than Bitdefender, Avast or ESET at 10 seats.

Singularity Complete is the package SentinelOne recommends for growing teams, and it is the strongest pure detection and response product on this list. It lists at $179.99 per endpoint per year for 5 to 100 workstations, though SentinelOne notes that purchases go through an authorized partner and the partner's price controls. For that you get AI-driven protection for endpoints and cloud workloads, real-time detection and response, device and firewall control, a remote shell for investigating machines, an AI Security Assistant and 14 days of data retention. Role-based access and multi-tenant management make it practical for an IT provider looking after several clients. For a small office the drawback is cost: at roughly three times Falcon Go and eight times Bitdefender per device, it only makes sense if someone will actually use the EDR tools, and identity protection and threat hunting sit in the Commercial tier.

Huntress Managed EDR is a different kind of product from the rest of this list: you are paying for people as much as software. At $8.99 per endpoint per month, Huntress's 24/7 security operations center watches EDR alerts, investigates threats, stages remediation and writes custom incident reports, and it includes managed antivirus at no extra cost. That makes it a fit for a small business that has no one to read alerts at 2 a.m. Huntress is channel-first, and how you buy matters. Through an MSP there is no Huntress-required seat minimum and the provider handles rollout and day-to-day work. Through a reseller there is a 50-seat minimum per product and you manage deployment yourself. The quoted price also excludes deployment, integration and portal management, so a small office will usually pay a partner on top.