Best Antivirus Software

Norton is a consumer cybersecurity brand owned by Gen Digital, headquartered in Tempe, Arizona. Its flagship product, Norton 360, bundles antivirus and malware protection with a secure VPN, password manager, cloud backup, and dark web monitoring in a single subscription. Plans range from the single-device Norton AntiVirus Plus up to Norton 360 Premium for 10 devices, with higher tiers adding parental controls, privacy monitoring, and webcam protection. Norton also sells identity theft protection bundles under the Norton 360 with LifeLock name, which add credit monitoring and stolen fund reimbursement.

Software runs on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, with browser extensions for Safe Web scam blocking and password autofill. Norton Genie, an AI assistant, screens texts, emails, and calls for scams. Subscriptions renew yearly, and Norton offers free trials on most plans; there is no permanent free tier.

Intego is a cybersecurity company founded in 1997 in Paris, France, that specializes in security software for macOS, with additional products for Windows. The company is now headquartered in Austin, Texas, and has been a subsidiary of Kape Technologies since 2018. Its flagship product, Intego ONE, is an all-in-one Mac security app sold in three tiers: Essential (antivirus and firewall), Advanced (adds SmartClean optimization), and Complete (adds Intego VPN).

Intego's antivirus engine detects Mac, Windows, and Unix malware, including trojans, worms, spyware, adware, macro malware, and keyloggers. Its custom Firewall gives users detailed control over incoming and outgoing network connections, improving on macOS's built-in firewall. SmartClean identifies disk space consumed by unwanted files, and Intego VPN encrypts traffic through a global server network. Plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee and phone, chat, and email support.

ZoneAlarm is a cybersecurity brand owned by Check Point Software Technologies, offering antivirus and firewall protection for home users and small businesses. Originally developed by Zone Labs and released in 2000, ZoneAlarm was acquired by Check Point in 2004 and has since protected millions of users worldwide. Its product line spans a free antivirus and firewall, a paid Pro Antivirus + Firewall tier for Windows, and Extreme Security NextGen, which extends coverage to macOS, Android, and iOS.

ZoneAlarm's core technology includes a two-way firewall, real-time antivirus scanning, anti-phishing tools, and anti-ransomware protection powered by behavioral analysis. Extreme Security NextGen adds Threat Emulation cloud sandboxing, content filtering, and mobile security features such as Wi-Fi network scanning and anti-bot protection. Plans include 24/7 online support and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Avira is a German cybersecurity brand headquartered in Tettnang, Germany, and has been owned by the American company Gen Digital, which also owns Norton, Avast and AVG, since early 2021. Avira Free Security provides real time antivirus protection, a limited VPN, password manager, ad blocking browser extension and basic performance tools for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS at no cost.

Paid tiers build on the free base: Antivirus Pro adds a firewall, Internet Security adds a software updater and password manager, and Avira Prime bundles unlimited VPN data, PC tune up tools and coverage for up to 25 devices across platforms. Subscriptions are billed monthly or annually and renew automatically, with a 60 day money back guarantee on annual plans.

Comodo Antivirus is developed by Comodo, a cybersecurity company founded in 1998 and now headquartered in Clifton, New Jersey. The product uses a default deny approach: any file that is not already verified as safe runs inside an isolated sandbox through Comodo's Auto Containment technology, rather than being scanned and allowed to run freely like traditional signature based tools. A permanently free version is available alongside paid plans.

Paid tiers, sold as Internet Security Pro and Internet Security Complete, add live GeekBuddy expert support, online backup and expanded device coverage on top of the free antivirus, firewall and web filtering features. The interface offers Paranoid, Safe, Clean PC and Training security modes for different levels of user control. Plans are billed annually and Comodo offers a 30 day money back guarantee on paid purchases.

Emsisoft is a cybersecurity company originally founded in Austria in 2003, now headquartered in Nelson, New Zealand, and majority owned by the German company Hornetsecurity since 2024. Its consumer product, Anti-Malware Home, combines a dual-engine scanner with a behavior blocker, web protection and dedicated anti-ransomware monitoring to catch known and emerging threats on Windows and macOS.

Emsisoft also sells Business Security and Enterprise Security plus EDR for organizations, managed through a cloud based console with mobile apps and a REST API for automation. Plans are billed annually, biennially or triennially and scale by device or endpoint count. A 30 day free trial and 30 day money back guarantee are available on paid plans.

G DATA CyberDefense AG is a German cybersecurity company headquartered in Bochum, Germany. Its consumer lineup includes Antivirus for Windows and macOS, Internet Security and Total Security, built around G DATA's DeepRay and BEAST technologies, which use behavioral analysis and artificial intelligence to catch disguised and previously unknown malware alongside traditional signature based scanning.

All plans include real time protection, exploit protection and web protection, while Internet Security and Total Security add a firewall, ransomware defense, parental controls and secure banking tools, plus mobile security apps for Android and iOS. Total Security also adds a password manager, file encryption and performance tuning. G DATA develops and supports its software from Germany and offers a 30 day free trial on paid plans.

Webroot, an OpenText company headquartered in Broomfield, Colorado, provides cloud based antivirus software for PCs, Macs, Android and iOS devices, and Chromebooks. The company was an early adopter of cloud and machine learning based threat detection, which lets scans run quickly with a small footprint on system resources. Webroot Essentials covers core antivirus, anti phishing, firewall and password management for one to five devices.

Higher tier plans, Premium and Total Protection, add identity monitoring, dark web monitoring, VPN access and cloud backup with unlimited storage. Plans are sold on an annual subscription for one, three, five or ten devices, with family options bundling multiple identities under the Premium Family and Total Protection Family tiers.

F-Secure is a cybersecurity company headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, offering consumer security software under the Internet Security and Total product names. Plans cover 1, 3, or 5 devices running Windows, Mac, Android, or iOS, with antivirus, ransomware protection, browsing protection, banking protection, and SMS scam filtering included at every tier.

F-Secure Total adds an unlimited VPN with a kill switch, a password manager with breach monitoring, and 24/7 dark web identity monitoring. Both product lines include scam protection for shopping, phishing, and SMS messages, plus a gaming mode. F-Secure does not offer a permanent free plan but provides a 30-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee on purchases.

Sophos Home is the consumer antivirus product from Sophos, a cybersecurity company headquartered in Abingdon, United Kingdom. It offers a free plan covering up to 3 devices with core antivirus and web protection, plus a paid Premium plan that extends coverage to 10 Windows and Mac computers and an unlimited number of iOS and Android devices, all managed from a central online dashboard.

Sophos Home Premium adds ransomware protection, webcam and microphone access alerts, keylogger protection, exploit defense, and parental web filtering, using the same AI-based threat detection engine found in Sophos business products. A 30-day free trial of Premium is available without a credit card, and paid subscriptions include a 30-day money-back guarantee.