Antivirus

Best Introductory Price

• Premium price Range: $19.99-$55.99 ($24.99-$89.99)
• Free Version?: No

Norton software has not only excellent features but also the best introductory price. A paid antivirus software suite’s average cost runs around $30, which is $5 more expensive than Norton’s regular price for their “Norton Antivirus Plus” tier. But for the first year, Norton’s antivirus software costs from $19.99 for their Norton Antivirus Plus, $29.99 for Norton 360 Standard, $39.99 for Norton 360 Deluxe, and $55.99 for Norton 360 Premium. Just be wary that, after the first year, you’ll be paying more for each tier, which, as we looked at other antivirus products, is pretty average in the antivirus software industry.

For features, even the lowest tier, Norton Antivirus Plus, includes more than the typical antivirus software, with a password manager, a smart firewall, 2GB of Cloud backup storage, and on-call expert support. On the downside, Norton isn’t the cheapest for multiple devices. The first two tiers can only be installed in one device, and if you want to protect 5 of them, you have to purchase Norton 360 Deluxe, which costs $39.99 ($64.99 after the first year).

Best for Multiple Devices

• Price Range: $19.99-$39.99 ($89.99-$129.99)
• Free Version?: No

McAfee antivirus software offers protection for five or ten devices as bundled, two-year subscriptions for $24.99 and $29.99, respectively, with their “Individual/Couple” and “Family” tiers. Of course, these are introductory prices, so they will increase to $109.99 (Individual/Couple) and $129.99 (Family).

Most antivirus software companies charge around $60 as an introductory price for the highest antivirus tier during the first year, and they typically cover five to ten devices. But Mcaffee’s bundle offers double the protection time at almost the same price.

For features, even the lowest tier comes prepared to handle any online threat. Their “Single Device” tier provides antivirus and malware protection, as well as a secure VPN, performance optimization, firewall protection, file shredder, password manager, and online support.

Best User-Friendly Interface

• Price Range: $29-$59 ($99-$149)
• Free Version?: Yes

TotalAV stands out for having the most user-friendly interface on our list. No matter if you have the free or paid version, when opening the TotalAV tab, you’ll see several features highlighted to your left, including diagnostics, antivirus, and a disk cleaner tab. You’ll also see the extra features highlighted with a paid tier, which can include web security (web shield), a password vault, browser cleanup, and even a cookie tracker eliminator. Clicking on these tabs bring you to interfaces that break down the different functionalities that you can run. For example, clicking on the “web security” tab brings you to an interface where you can manage three main features with just one click each: Safe Browsing (VPN), Web Shield, and the AdBlock Pro feature.

TotalAV’s biggest downside is that it doesn’t support as many devices as other antivirus software companies on this list. Their “Antivirus Pro” ($29.99 for the first year) only covers one device, while their highest tier, “Total Security,” only covers six devices. The software’s post-introductory prices are among the highest on this list, increasing to $99 for their basic “Antivirus Pro” and $149 a year for their “Total Security” tier.

Best for Features

• Price Range: $24.99-$59.99 ($59.99-$149.99)
• Free Version?: Yes

From network threat prevention and ransomware protection to a vulnerability assessment and a sandbox system for safe file booting, Bitdefender’s Antivirus Plus ranks has the best features on our list of antivirus software.

Additionally, you can secure three devices with their “Antivirus Plus” for $24.99, which is around the average cost of protecting one single device with other antivirus software companies. Their premium version, “Total Security,” also goes all out with extra features, including microphone monitor, webcam protection, parental control, privacy firewall, anti-theft tools, file shredder, and anti-spam features. On the offset, their “Premium Security” tier isn’t cheap, but it averages with the premium costs of other companies, costing $59.99 ($149.99 after one year) for ten devices.

Best for Small Businesses

• Price Range: $36.99-$56.99 per device
• Free Version?: Yes

Avast Business Antivirus brings to the table essential features such as cloud management console, server protection, privacy and identity protection, and 24/5 customer support. Additionally, the premium version includes a variety of tools for your business servers. “SharePoint” provides a protected digital space for workers to store and share documents and an “exchange protection” feature that lets you scan email attachments to protect you from any form of malware.

Avast business includes a data shredder that permanently deletes files from your computer and a “rescue disk” feature that creates an external backup to protect documents from PCs that have been attacked by malware. Since license costs range from $36.99 to $56.99 per device, Avast isn’t the cheapest antivirus for small businesses, but the software amends this with great features for you and your company.