- Avast Internet Security 2018 is a popular option on the lower end of the price range. It's in the top 3 bestselling antivirus programs and has dozens of popular alternatives in the same price range, such as Norton Security Standard or Norton Deluxe 5 Device.
- Avast VS Norton Norton scored very well in the test conducted by the AV-Test and received Bronze Award for the Internet Security. This comes with many features like silent mode, parental control, network monitoring, and firewall.
A Comparison of Norton vs Avast by the Spyshakers.com Team Editors. Avast for Mac 2017 - Free Trial Avast Pro Antivirus 2017 - Free Trial Avast Internet Security 2017 - Free Trial Avast Premier 2017 - Free Trial; Cool Features: Norton Antivirus is perhaps the most well known antivirus on the market. Here are some of the features. Avast Free Mac Security was tested by AV-TEST that indicated that the application stopped 99.17% of Mac OS X malware, which is better than most of the other applications in the market.
Bitdefender
Avast Vs Norton For Mac
Package price: $34.99/year*
Webroot
Besides the World’s most popular antivirus for Windows, Avast is offering a comprehensive antivirus for Apple Mac OS X (Macintosh). The product is called Avast Free Mac Security 2018 (version 11) and same as the Windows version it’s completely for free. Older versions of avast free.
Package price: $29.99/year*
Norton
Package price: $39.99/year*
Avast
Package price: Free
*Standard retail prices as of 5/3/2019. Promotional pricing for first year. Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by retailer.
Overview
Virus protection is important as ever, and the best way to protect your computer from viruses is to be proactive. Otherwise, you may be exposing yourself to a variety of cyber threats like ransomware, spyware, and other viruses.
Antivirus programs protect your computer from malicious software by detecting potential scams and viruses and getting rid of them before they can do any harm. And while there are a ton on the market, we’ve picked our top four choices to help you choose the right antivirus tools for your Windows PC—and sometimes Mac—computer.
Our picks for best antivirus solutions
- Bitdefender Antivirus Plus: Best overall antivirus protection
- Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus: Best cloud-based antivirus protection
- Norton Antivirus Plus: Best advanced antivirus protection
- Avast Free Antivirus: Best free antivirus protection
Compare best antivirus software
Product | Bitdefender Antivirus Plus | Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus | Norton Antivirus Plus | Avast Free Antivirus |
Lowest price* | $34.99/year** | $29.99/year** | $39.99/year** | Free |
Platforms | Windows | Windows, Mac | Windows, Mac | Windows, Mac, Android |
Devices covered | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Real-time malware detection | ||||
Phishing protection | ||||
Behavior-based detection | ||||
Password protection | ||||
Firewall |
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus | Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus | Norton Antivirus Plus | Avast Free Antivirus |
$34.99/year** | $29.99/year** | $39.99/year** | Free |
Windows | Windows, Mac | Windows, Mac | Windows, Mac, Android |
3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
*Standard retail prices as of 5/3/2019. Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by retailer.
**Promotional pricing for first year.
1. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus review: Best overall antivirus protection
- Affordable pricing
- Coverage for three devices per year
- 24/7 customer support
- VPN access with all subscriptions
- Reported conflicts with some programs
- No webcam protection
Why we recommend Bitdefender Antivirus Plus
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus offers a great value. Its real-time protection works against all online threats from zero-day attacks—new cyberattacks that are exploited before a fix is available—to ransomware.
The Bitdefender antivirus suite also includes access to a VPN, a virtual private network, which protects your online presence by encrypting internet traffic whether you’re at home or on the go.
What is ransomware?
Ransomware is a type of malware or virus that uses encryption to prevent you from accessing valuable digital files—and demands a ransom to release them.
Features and flaws
Bitdefender offers some thoughtful features to help protect your computer and any sensitive documents. Its multilayered Ransomware Remediation feature comes with a>
2. Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus review: Best cloud-based antivirus protection
- Quick, easy installation
- Small footprint
- Coverage for Windows PC and Mac
- 70-day money-back guarantee
- Firewall included with subscription
- No password protection
- Coverage for only one device per year with base subscription
Why we recommend Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus
Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus is a great pick if you’re looking for a simple and reliable antivirus solution. Because it’s cloud based, it doesn’t take up a lot of room on your computer. It’s also super fast: Webroot takes only about 20 seconds to check your computer for malware and viruses.
Features and flaws
Even though the SecureAnywhere Antivirus suite is Webroot’s most basic package, it’s got a lot of advanced features. It covers both PCs and Macs, and it also offers a firewall and network connection monitor to keep tabs on ingoing and outgoing network traffic, making sure nothing harmful makes its way to your device.
And while Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus doesn’t specifically protect your webcam, it does detect, block, and remove malware that can take over your computer’s camera.
The base subscription covers only one device, but for $37.49 per year you can cover up to three devices. To secure your smartphones, protect your passwords, and cover up to three devices, you’ll have to upgrade to the Webroot Internet Security Plus package for $44.99 a year.
Mcafee Vs Norton For Mac
ASecureLife’s recommendation: Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus is a great fit if you’re looking for a straightforward, reliable antivirus solution. Even though it covers only one computer a year, it has some impressive features that make it stand out from the competition.
>>Safety first. Purchase Webroot SecureAnywhere Antivirus.
3. Norton Antivirus Plus review: Best advanced antivirus protection
- Reliable, trustworthy name
- Firewall included with subscription
- Cloud backup feature that keeps your most important files safe
- Coverage for PC and Mac
- Pricier plans than the competition
- Coverage for only one device per year
Why we recommend Norton Antivirus Plus
Norton is a recognizable brand when it comes to antivirus protection. And Norton Antivirus Plus is as reliable as ever. It offers standard features like password protection and more advanced features like 2GB of cloud backup to store and protect important files from theft or ransomware.
Features and flaws
Like Bitdefender, Norton Antivirus Plus uses a multilayered approach to malware protection. Norton does this a bit differently though—it uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to make sure your PC or Mac is using the latest defenses against viruses.
Norton also keeps your passwords and financial information—like online banking information and other credentials—secure.
I have been a web developer/programmer since I was 7 and I have used just about every operating system out there. Download avast antivirus for mac os x. Anytime I wanted to install a good antivirus product, I always picked Avast because it has never let me down. You shouldn’t be.
Still, Norton is the most expensive pick on our list. And to access more advanced features like VPN or parental controls, you’ll need to upgrade to Norton 360 Standard, which starts at $49.99 per year and covers only one PC, Mac, smartphone, or tablet.
ASecureLife’s recommendation: Norton Antivirus Plus offers the basics, plus some useful extras like cloud backup. It’s expensive, but Norton is a trustworthy name in antivirus protection. If you want a familiar brand with great ratings, Norton is a solid bet.
>>Keep the malware at bay. Buy Norton Antivirus Plus.
4. Avast Free Antivirus review: Best free antivirus protection
- Free plan
- Clean, user-friendly design
- Password manager included
- No firewall included
Why we recommend Avast Free Antivirus
Avast has a well-designed, user-friendly look and feel with advanced features at no cost. It detects and blocks viruses and malware, scans your Wi-Fi for security weaknesses, and keeps your passwords secure with a password manager.
If you’re curious about which of these antivirus programs is best for Mac or Android, look no further: Avast offers reliable, no-cost malware protection for Apple computers and Android too. If avast for mac finds a virus but its not in virus chest.
Features and flaws
Avast Free Antivirus has a neat feature called CyberCapture: If you download a suspicious file Avast has never seen before, it’s sent to Avast labs for analysis. If Avast determines the file is a threat, it sends out a cure to all Avast users.
Still, it’s free, so Avast has fewer bells and whistles than you’d get with paid programs. An upgrade to Avast Internet Security will cost you $59.99 a year per computer but adds shopping protection, an advanced firewall, and phishing protection.
ASecureLife’s recommendation: Avast Free Antivirus is great if you want to cover the basics of antivirus protection at no cost. It’s easy to use and does a great job of detecting and blocking malware.
>>Antivirus protection made easy. Get Avast Free Antivirus.
- Coverage for all PCs in your household
- Optional protection for PC, Mac, or Android
- Expensive pricing
- VPN sold separately
AVG Internet Security has some impressive original features: it uses AI detection to proactively identify malware that hasn’t been catalogued, and it protects your Android devices. AVG also offers free antivirus downloads for Mac and Android separately.
But at $79.99 a year, it’s significantly more expensive than the competition. Plus, if you want a VPN, you’ll have to shell out another $79.99 per year after a 30-day trial. Check out our review of the best VPNs for more affordable options.
>>Read our full AVG review.
- Options to protect PC, Mac, or Android
- Inexpensive plans
- Limited coverage at lower tier
Kaspersky Anti-Virus offers a reliable product with solid basics. We like that its Internet Security package is on the inexpensive side, starting at $29.99 per year. At that price, you can cover your PC, Mac, or Android. And if you’re looking for something to cover just your Android, Kaspersky offers decent antivirus coverage on the go starting at $11.99 per year.
Still, its lowest-tier packages—for both desktop and Android—offer a lot of the same features as free suites like Avast.
>>Read our full Kaspersky review.
- Options to protect PC, Mac, Android, or iOS
- Highly customizable program
- Lots of pop-ups
- Browser protection for Chrome and Firefox only
Avira Free Antivirus has tons of add-ons; includes a firewall; and can protect your PC, Mac, Android, or iOS. But its malware protection and phishing performance are just so-so, and its many features are available only on a trial basis. For permanent access, you’ll have to purchase the Avira Internet Security Suite, starting at $57.99 per year.
Our recommendation
A lot of antivirus software packages offer the same kinds of features, so it’s important to look at their overall value. How many devices do they cover? What’s the annual price? What features set them apart?
That’s why Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is our top pick. Not only does it offer great value but it also has comprehensive coverage with real-time data protection and a ransomware protection feature that safeguards your personal documents with multiple layers of protection. It’s affordable, reliable, and packed with a ton of thoughtful features. We recommend Bitdefender Antivirus Plus to anyone looking to up their security on their PC.
>>Keep it secret, keep it safe. Protect your computer from cyber threats. Buy Bitdefender Antivirus Plus.