ESET Mobile Security review

ESET Mobile Security splits cleanly into a free scanner and a paid toolkit. The free version gives you antivirus and real-time scanning, built on ESET's NOD32 engine and its LiveGrid cloud system, which checks every app and file as it arrives. That covers viruses, trojans, ransomware and spyware without paying. Premium adds the scam layer that most Android attacks now target: Anti-Phishing blocks fake websites, Anti-Smishing catches scam text messages, and Payment Protection stops malicious apps from reading or replacing what you see in banking apps. Anti-Theft, App Lock and call blocking round it out. You can switch on all Premium features free for 30 days from inside the app, which is a fair way to test them. The weak points are transparency and requirements: the US page does not list a USD price because Premium is bought in the app, and the app needs Android 9.0 or later on a non-rooted phone.

Who it is for

Users who want a light free scanner from a long-running security vendor and may try Premium features first.

Price

Free version; Premium is priced in the app. See vendor pricing (USD check pending).

US price check pending. See the vendor pricing page.

Key features

• Free antivirus and real-time scanning of apps and files
• ESET LiveGrid cloud intelligence for new threats
• Premium Anti-Phishing and Anti-Smishing for fake sites and scam messages
• Premium Payment Protection stops malicious apps reading or replacing on-screen banking data
• Premium Anti-Theft, App Lock and call blocking

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Real-time scanning is free
• Strength: All Premium features free for 30 days from inside the app
• Strength: ESET reports a 4.8 out of 5 rating from over 1 million users on Google Play
• Weakness: Anti-phishing and anti-smishing are Premium only
• Weakness: No USD price published on the US product page
• Weakness: Needs Android 9.0 or later and does not support rooted devices

Key facts

• Free plan: Yes, antivirus and real-time scanning
• Premium trial: 30 days
• Android version: 9.0 or higher
• Google Play rating: 4.8 out of 5 from over 1 million users (vendor figure)

Where it ranks

ESET Mobile Security is No. 4 in our Best Antivirus for Android verdict and No. 5 in Best Free Antivirus for Android.