When trying to pick out the best antivirus software package for you, there are some things you’ll need to sort out first. These include how much you’re willing to spend on malware protection (or if you want to pay money for it at all), what your exact needs are (like the number of devices to cover or if there are children involved), which security features you’d like to see, and so on.
Regardless of what your case might be, this guide will walk you through all the important considerations when choosing the best antivirus.
- Our definitive list of today's best antivirus software
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- See why we rate Bitdefender so highly in our testing
Quality antivirus engine
Obviously, the primary thing is to make sure you get good protection from your AV platform, which is the point of installing it in the first place.
This means it needs to have a highly rated antivirus engine, as this is the most important part of the package when scanning your device and protecting it from malware. The better the engine, the less likely that malware will manage to sneak below its radar.
So, how do you tell a good AV engine from the bad ones? Your first pointer should be TechRadar’s in-depth antivirus reviews. There, we get up close and personal with all the biggest names in the antivirus game and put them through their paces.
Then, you can double-check the ratings from independent virus testing labs, like AV-Test, AV-Comparatives, SE Labs, and others. They provide detailed rankings of all the most prominent AV performers for Windows, Mac, and mobile phones.
To pay, or not to pay?
Another important decision pertains to whether or not you’re willing to fork out money for antivirus protection.
There are plenty of perfectly acceptable free antivirus products out there from big-name vendors - and you don’t have to pay anything to get powerful protection from malware, plus a few extras. So, a no-cost antivirus can defend you just fine. Even Windows Defender, which is a no-effort freebie, given that it arrives packaged with Windows, can protect you well enough on a basic level.
However, premium versions often offer perks in terms of additional features that keep you even more secure online, and you may find these highly useful. If you do prefer to pay for a higher-level anti-malware defense, how much you’ll have to spend will depend on the security (and/or privacy and usability) features you require, as providers usually have several different packages.
How much protection do you need?
Speaking of which, if you just require core AV protection and basic defenses against malware, possibly only for one PC (or just a couple of devices, tops), then buying a baseline antivirus product or getting something for free might be the way to go.
That said, if you want more security features and a greater depth of protection from all the nastiness that can find you on the internet, then you’ll need to shell out some moolah. And more of it, though not necessarily by a lot, if you want an all-singing, all-dancing internet security suite.
These suites build on the basic antivirus features and come with all sorts of security (and other) add-ons, making them great for protecting not just yourself but your entire household. This is possible thanks to those extras that often include parental controls, coverage for more devices, cross-platform support, and so on. Hence, if you have quite a few devices and family members with different bits of hardware, then a top-of-the-line internet security suite will be your best bet.
A virus that is sophisticated enough might be able to self-replicate while your system is running. To eliminate these particularly sneaky programs, strong AV software can execute a boot command, which initiates a shutdown of the operating system, restarts the computer, and thoroughly examines the hard drive(s), all the while keeping the virus from replicating since the OS remains inactive.
Now, if you need protection for your business or even enterprise, then you might need to opt for a suitable, scalable platform for business- or enterprise-specific requirements. Many antivirus companies offer both consumer and business malware protection packages, with pricing and features to fit the bill.
Maximum privacy and security
Those in need of the most cast-iron protection online may want to look further than a flagship internet security suite and settle down with one that throws in a bundled VPN. It will give you upgraded security and privacy on the internet, and some of the most prominent suites will already have this feature integrated. A bundle isn’t just super convenient but will save you money compared to purchasing both a security suite and a VPN separately - sometimes quite a lot of money.
On top of that, certain platforms may offer you webcam protection as part of their higher-tier packages, alerting you about processes and applications that are trying to access or are already using your web camera. When an application attempts to do this, you’ll receive a notification asking you to allow or block it.
Similarly, a firewall is an interesting feature that serves as a barrier between your device(s) and the outside world, preventing suspicious programs from infiltrating them and getting their hands on your sensitive information. An all-inclusive solution that includes a trustworthy firewall and secure web browser will not only defend you against cyber threats but also let you know if they find any security breaches.
This brings us to anti-phishing protection, which often comes in the form of a toolbar that provides an additional layer of defense - particularly handy if you’re not using secure browsers. This is an important part of complete antivirus phishing protection because such schemes tend to be very compelling.
Additionally, some viruses will try to infect your system through pop-up advertisements and malicious websites filled with spam and dangerous code. To guarantee system security against these threats, certain antivirus software providers will implement blockers for pop-ups and spam that originate from these websites.
Another thing to bear in mind when it comes to security is that some suites will also incorporate online cloud storage, allowing you to back up files to the cloud. Maintaining a cloud backup of your data and a local one on an external drive is always a good idea in case of a disaster, say, a ransomware attack that locks up your files and demands payment to return them.
System impact
Some antivirus platforms are quite demanding on your system resources. And, while sometimes it’s worth it for the level of protection they provide, more often than not, they just make your devices slower or even completely inoperable when performing functions like scanning.
Therefore, you’ll need to look for a solution that uses minimal system resources, especially if you have an older or less powerful device that is starting to struggle with performance even without a heavy antivirus platform. Thankfully, in our reviews, we rate the pressure that each AV exerts on our testing devices, as well as how long it takes for it to finish a scan.
Ease of use
The next thing to consider when choosing your ideal antivirus is your level of experience with all things computer-wise and how easily you can navigate its interface to get the hang of its options and features. You’ll need to decide if you prefer a straightforward, ‘plug-and-play’ type of AV for beginners or one with more customization options for advanced users.
If the latter is the case, pick an antivirus with plenty in the way of under-the-hood options, allowing you to make tweaks to all sorts of settings and run the app like you want to. Novices, on the other hand, will want to get themselves a solution requiring as little interaction from the user as possible and benefitting from a simple and clean interface.
False positives
Pay attention to ratings on false positives, ensuring the software doesn’t incorrectly flag completely legitimate files as threats (or even worse, automatically deletes them, which may include the files you need). This can be extremely disruptive, but independent labs can help as they test for this segment, among many others.
By contrast, sometimes an antivirus platform will determine harmful files are safe to open. This is referred to as false negatives and can happen if the threat database hasn’t discovered and logged new or obscure threats. This is arguably worse than false positives, so look for a provider that’s good at dealing with yet undefined malware.
Update frequency
In line with the above, your chosen antivirus should receive regular and frequent updates to keep its threat intelligence and detection tools current, since new malware is discovered every day. This way, you can feel safe from the ever-new and advanced threats that cybercriminals design daily.
Moreover, updates to other aspects of the AV solution software help improve and enhance their performance. These areas may involve advancing ransomware protection mechanisms, phishing protection algorithms, or elevating the overall performance and efficiency of the software.
Multi-device support
Chances are, there are lots of different devices you use to access the internet, including (but not limited to) Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS machines. Besides, hardly anyone limits themselves to just one device at any given time, and most of us tend to use computers, mobile phones, TVs, and whatnot at the same time.
The antivirus you have set your eyes on might not be available on all of your devices. Therefore, if you need to protect multiple gadgets that operate on different operating systems, check whether your chosen AV platform, as well as the particular plan you had in mind, covers them all.
Customer support
It might not be the first thing that comes to mind when choosing an AV platform, but customer support is an important aspect in case you encounter any problems when using it. Having skilled and speedy customer support agents is fundamental for solving any problems quickly and efficiently.
Leaving its customers high and dry is not a good practice for an online security company. A quick Google search (or whichever search provider you prefer) for other people’s experiences should inform you if the platform you’re looking at is susceptible to this faux pas.
Additional features
Many antivirus suites nowadays offer additional features like password managers, identity protection, parental controls, and others, which can provide broader security and usability.
For instance, password managers store unique passwords in an encrypted vault. With them, you only have to memorize one master password instead of all the ones used for different websites and services (which have to be strong and changed often, by the way). Typically available as standalone, they’re growingly popular as part of AV suites.
Another progressively more used option is monitoring and protection against identity theft, as antivirus providers are increasingly aware it can affect anyone. For this reason, they may offer identity theft protection measures, like real-time monitoring of personal data and proactive alerts of suspicious activities, such as login attempts from unauthorized parties.
Others may include system performance cleanup and optimization to improve the speed and power of your machine. Some of the providers offering these features may also remind you that your programs, drivers, and operating systems (along with which ones) should be updated, as otherwise you’re leaving yourself vulnerable to malicious actors leveraging them as access points to your devices.
Additionally, you may get access to Wi-Fi monitoring capability, which can inform you exactly what devices are using your personal wireless network. Alerts for new pending connections can help you detect potential invaders in your private internet space and deny them access.
Finally, one nifty extra is hard drive monitoring, where you can check the performance of your internal and external drives, as well as their status and temperature. The antivirus solution may also do this automatically in the background, notifying you in case your system isn’t working properly or optimally.
How to choose the best antivirus for you
To sum up, consider whether you want a free or paid app, how big your budget is, how many devices you have, and what extra features you require. Perhaps you’d also prefer some additional security and convenience in the form of a cost-effective bundled VPN or integrated online storage for backups? Make sure you get it then.
Whatever your needs or preferences, pick a package that is suitably user-friendly and streamlined for your level of experience and has all the options and tweaks you want. Our guide to the best antivirus software is a very helpful resource for making that final decision.
