The best antivirus software for 2024

Choosing the best antivirus software means finding one that keeps your PC or mobile device safe, doesn’t consume a lot of system resources, is easy to use, and doesn’t get in the way until you need it. This is what you should look for.

Effectiveness

Antivirus software scans for known malware and can provide real-time protection. You can also search for suspicious websites and suspicious links to avoid trouble. It can also offer protection against ransomware and monitor for unexpected behavior that may be a sign of new and as yet unidentified viruses and malware. You want antivirus software that can successfully identify these unknown online threats without flagging too many false positives.

You can determine the effectiveness of antivirus software by looking at its detection rate in tests conducted by laboratories such as the AV Test Lab. None of these programs are perfect (malware evolves all the time), but you should look for software with an 80 to 90% detection rate.

Light on system resources

You don’t want antivirus software that drains your PC’s resources such as RAM and CPU power. If after installing the program, websites open slowly, applications download slowly, software opens slowly, or copying files takes longer than expected, you may want to try another service. The good news is that all of our picks offer a free trial or money-back guarantee to let you try the antivirus program before you buy it, so if your system gets stuck after installation, you might want to keep looking.

Cost and discounts

Don’t just pay sticker price for antivirus protection. Before you buy, check out discounts on a company’s website. Another way to save: You can reduce your costs with smaller antivirus packages if you need to cover three or five devices instead of, say, 10. You can also find discounts on the cost of one app. amazon page or at points of sale such as Best buy.

During the purchasing process, pay close attention to renovation costs. Most antivirus tools charge annual fees and only offer discounts for the first year (although you may be able to get a discount by paying for two years in advance). These promotional prices can cause you to pay more (sometimes up to double the original amount) for years to come.

Combined services

Antivirus software may come bundled with other security tools, such as a password manager and VPN. Purchasing a security package with all of these tools allows you to manage everything from one account, saving you the hassle of managing multiple accounts, and it can save you money, too.

However, the VPNs in these security packages are not always the best tools available. You may want to purchase separate subscriptions or choose a VPN with antivirus if privacy is a major concern.

Privacy

To be effective, antivirus software must monitor what’s happening with your PC, check with company servers for any unusual behavior, and provide strong banking protection. The companies say they anonymize this technical data as much as possible to protect your privacy. If you want to know more, the security companies on our list post privacy policies on their websites, so you can read their privacy statements to learn what the companies do with the information you share.

Protection for other platforms

Many modern computers come with built-in antivirus software (Microsoft Defender for Windows 10 and 11, X-Protect for Mac) and this is enough for some users. However, you may want to invest in one of the antivirus tools listed here for additional protection, especially if you store sensitive files on your computer and/or rely on it for income.

Microsoft is by far the biggest goal for viruses and malware. Android is secondwith 0.15% of apps installed on Android devices (with Google Play Protect) in the category of potentially harmful apps, or PHA, in January 2024.

The threat to MacOS and especially iOS is low, in part due to the tight control Apple has over its app stores. While Macs are attacked via side-loading apps, it’s rare, and if you download apps only from the Mac and iOS app stores and keep your guard up when clicking on links and downloading files, you should be fine without a antivirus application on Apple. devices. Fortunately, you can stay safe when downloading apps by sticking to official app stores, reading reviews, and checking privacy policies.

Problems with Avast

Test after test, Avast Antivirus for Windows performed well for malware detection, with options ranging from free Avast antivirus software to Avast Premium Security. We’ve included your antivirus in our list of recommended security app options above.

However, in early 2024, The Federal Trade Commission fined Avast $16.5 million to resolve charges that the company sold customer browsing information to more than 100 third parties between 2014 and 2020. Avast allegedly collected the data through browser extensions and antivirus software and sold it to through its subsidiary Jumpshot, the FTC states. As part of the agreement, Avast is prohibited from selling or licensing web browsing data for advertising purposes.

In response to initial reports from 2020, said then-Avast CEO Ondřej Vlček in a statement that he understood that his company’s actions raised issues of trust. To address this issue, Avast ended Jumpshot data collection in January 2020 and closed its operations.

We hope that the FTC’s actions mean that there will be no more Jumpshot-style activities and that Avast will return to glory as one of the best antivirus software options. Until then, we recommend using one of the many other solid options in this area (listed above).

Problems with Kaspersky

Let’s talk about Kaspersky Lab, specifically 2024 federal banannounced on June 20, which prohibits Kaspersky from directly or indirectly selling antivirus or cybersecurity software or services in the US or to US citizens. This broad ban follows a more limited one in 2017 that banned Kaspersky software and services on federal government computers due to alleged ties between Kaspersky and the Russian government.

Based in Moscow, Kaspersky Lab has for years produced some of the top-rated antivirus programs for the antivirus needs of business and home customers. Your software consistently got the best scores and awards for virus and malware detection and endpoint protection from independent testing labs.

“Russia has demonstrated time and time again that it has the ability and intent to exploit Russian companies, such as Kaspersky Lab, to collect and weaponize sensitive US information, and we will continue to use all tools at our disposal to safeguard security.” nation of the United States and the American people. “said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in the official announcement of the ban.

in a statementKaspersky said it “does not engage in activities that threaten the national security of the United States and, in fact, has made significant contributions with its reporting and protection against a variety of threat actors targeting US interests and allies.”

The Department of Commerce recommends that those who use Kaspersky software switch to replacement software from other security companies as soon as possible. To help Kaspersky customers with the transition, Kaspersky will be able to provide antivirus updates to its software until September 29, 2024, the department said.