There are many antivirus programs available, but only a select handful of them have the speed, power and other features you need to safeguard your computer. The most effective antivirus software employs an approach that is multilayered to identify and remove threats, including signature detection, heuristics-based identification behavior monitoring, sandboxing and artificial intelligence. This is particularly important for more sophisticated threats such as ransomware. These can be difficult to detect with a single technique.
Our top picks offer a combination of great malware detection rates, as well as other features such as a cloud backup as well as password manager VPN and dark web monitoring. They also provide a range of subscription options to fit your needs and budget.
Malwarebytes antivirus scanner runs fast and light on system resources. It still provides excellent protection against all types of malware. Other features include a great password manager, a robust VPN and storage-optimizing tools. It’s available for Windows, Mac and Android.
Bitdefender’s antivirus tool earned top marks from independent labs such as AV-Test and AV Comparatives in 2022. It’s user-friendly and comes with a number of extra features, like banking protection to ensure secure online shopping as well as parental controls to help protect your children. It includes a device tracker that can locate remotely lock or wipe lost or stolen mobile devices.
Norton’s security suite is mostly unchanged from our last review. It’s still a good choice, and has impressive malware detection. The extra features make up for its expensive price. Its password manager, ad blocker and antispam are top-quality and offer great value with a plan that includes five devices.