9 Best Antivirus Software of 2026

Bitdefender gives home users the best balance of protection, coverage and price in this group. Its Scam Protection layer blocks phishing pages and fake online shops as they load, and Bitdefender says it also recognizes scams arriving by SMS or social media, which is where many attacks on phones start. Total Security adds a password manager, data breach detection and cryptomining protection, and the Family tier spreads all of that across 5 people and 25 devices. The entry plan, Antivirus Plus Multiplatform, costs $29.99 for the first year on 3 devices, less than any other paid plan we priced. The trade-offs are typical of the category. The prices are first-year offers and the subscription renews at a higher rate, and the included VPN gives only 200 MB per day per device, enough for checking email on hotel Wi-Fi but not for streaming. If you want unlimited VPN data, budget for a separate service.

Norton 360 is the most complete bundle for a household that wants one subscription to handle more than malware. Every tier includes antivirus, ransomware protection, Scam Protection, a password manager and deepfake protection, and Norton 360 Standard adds a VPN and Dark Web Monitoring on 3 devices. Deluxe, at $119.99 for the first year, stretches that to 5 PCs, Macs, tablets or phones and adds 50 GB of cloud backup, Privacy Monitor and parental controls. The entry AntiVirus Plus plan costs $59.99 for one device. Two details matter before buying. Cloud backup and the utilities run only on Windows, so Mac users pay for features they cannot use, and the 100% Virus Protection Promise applies only while the plan auto-renews. Norton also costs more than Bitdefender at each comparable tier. The 60-day money-back guarantee gives you time to decide whether the extras justify the price.

Malwarebytes is the pick for people who want an antivirus that does its job and otherwise stays out of sight. The pricing page lists three plain tiers. Standard, at $59.99 per year for 3 devices, covers viruses, phishing, exploits, ransomware, Trojans, botnets and spyware on Windows, Mac, Android or iOS, and adds Browser Guard, which blocks scam pages, ads and trackers inside the browser. Plus adds a WireGuard VPN without data metering for $79.99, and Ultimate layers on identity protection with $2 million insurance and a personal data remover. What you do not get is the breadth of a full suite: there is no password manager, parental control or cloud backup in the home plans. Households with many devices should look at the Standard Family plan at $119.99 per year for 10 devices. For a single person with a laptop and phone, the simplicity is the main attraction.

Avast is the easiest way to try well-regarded antivirus for free and then pay only for the scam tools you need. Avast Free Antivirus earned AV-Comparatives' Top-Rated Product 2025 and AVLab's Product of the Year 2026, according to Avast, and Premium Security uses the same protection. The paid tier adds alerts on suspicious emails, blocking of scam SMS messages and calls through the mobile app, and Avast Assistant, an AI tool that checks whether a message or offer looks like a scam. The 1+1 offer pairs one Windows PC or Mac with one mobile device for $49.08 in the first year, and a 10-device plan costs $69.48. The catch is renewal: the single-device plan returns to $77.99 per year, more than Bitdefender or Malwarebytes charge for 3 devices. Windows users can try it for 30 days without a credit card, and Mac users get 60 days.

ESET sells its home protection as three HOME Security tiers with a clear upgrade path. Essential, at $59.99 per year for 3 devices, is described as multilayered security with antivirus, safe payments and scam protection, and it includes AI interaction security for chats with AI tools. Premium, at $89.99, adds unlimited VPN data and encryption for sensitive files and photos, and also mentions AI chat security. Ultimate, at $179.99 for 5 devices, adds identity protection, a VPN for your router and ransomware remediation. The plans cover PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets under one subscription, and a two-year term saves 15%. The weak points are value at the top end and gaps on the store page: the trial length is not listed, and the lower tiers start at 3 devices, so a 5-device household lands on the expensive Ultimate tier or adds devices. If you mainly want antivirus and anti-phishing, Essential is enough, and it sits at the same yearly price as Malwarebytes Standard.

AVG is a sensible choice if you want to start on a free antivirus and upgrade only when you need more. AVG AntiVirus FREE is offered for both Windows and Mac. Internet Security, the paid tier, adds protection from fake websites that try to steal card details and passwords, an Enhanced Firewall that guards the home network, webcam protection that blocks untrusted apps, ransomware shielding for sensitive files and alerts about unsafe Wi-Fi. AVG's US page lists a first-year price for one Windows PC, with the regular price shown alongside, but the figure sits in page data we could not quote cleanly, so we have marked the price as pending. Compared with Bitdefender or Norton, the paid suite is narrower: a VPN, BreachGuard and other privacy tools are separate purchases. For a single computer and a buyer who wants a firewall and webcam lock without much else, it is easy to set up and fair value in year one.

Trend Micro Maximum Security is a full-featured choice for households that include a Chromebook. It covers 5 devices across Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and Chromebook, and the comparison table lists ransomware protection with Advanced AI Learning, online scam safeguards, secure banking and shopping, child safety controls, social media privacy, system optimization, a password manager and dark web monitoring. The first-year price is $74.95 against a $104.95 regular price. That is reasonable for 5 devices in year one, but the VPN, identity theft insurance and 24/7 resolution specialists are reserved for the Premium Security Suite, which costs $109.95 for 10 devices. At the regular price, Maximum Security costs more than Norton 360 Standard does in its first year, and it still lacks a VPN. Buy it if the Chromebook support and child safety tools fit your home; otherwise Bitdefender delivers more per dollar.

Microsoft Defender for individuals makes most sense as a bonus inside a Microsoft 365 plan you already pay for. Sign in with a Personal, Family or Premium subscription and you get a single app for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, plus a web portal. Microsoft lists antivirus on Android and macOS, anti-phishing on Android and iOS, and identity theft monitoring that scans the dark web for more than 60 types of family personal info. Subscribers also get 24/7 identity theft support and up to $1 million in identity insurance for restoration costs. Microsoft 365 Personal costs $99.99 per year and Family $129.99 for up to 6 people, with Word, Excel, Outlook and cloud storage included. As a standalone security purchase, that is expensive, and the app offers fewer device tools than dedicated suites. If you already subscribe, install it before buying another antivirus.

Surfshark Antivirus is best understood as an add-on for people who already want Surfshark's VPN. It is sold only inside the Surfshark One bundle, alongside the VPN and Alert, which warns you when your email addresses, IDs or card numbers show up in a leak. The antivirus itself checks apps and files in real time as you download, install and use them, updates its database every 3 hours and uses Cloud Protect to catch new threats. It also locks your webcam and alerts you when an app or website tries to use it, and lets you schedule scans and exclude files. Support is limited to Windows 10 and later, macOS Big Sur and later, and Android 10 or later, with no iPhone app and no support for Windows on ARM. The pricing page showed only local currency from our location, so the USD price is pending. Choose a dedicated suite if malware and scam protection are your main goal.