Best Antivirus Protection

With so many antivirus software programs on the market, it’s hard to know which is right for you. With new scams and increased amount hacks popping up all the time, it’s important to protect your personal information and devices.

We’ve picked our Top 5 best contenders when it comes to Antivirus Software.  We’ve made it easy by breaking down the prices, pros, and cons, and giving my top overall pick.

 

Why install Antivirus Software and Apps?

As technology improves and grows every day, so does the chance of your private information getting hacked.

We’ve talked about it before, but sometimes you’ll receive an email or text message that looks legitimate, when in fact it’s an attempt to get you to click and inadvertently install malware onto your computer.  The goal of antivirus software is simple: to prevent, detect, and remove any malware. Cybercriminals create malicious software with the intention of damaging or interrupting the data on your device.

It’s the best layer of protection between you and the malicious attacks that target all of our devices.

 

CyberGuy’s Top Choices for Antivirus Software:

Editor’s Choice: TotalAV – [BEST CHOICE WINNER]

PROS

• Easy setup
• Paid users receive real-time protection
• Phishing scam protection
• Ransomware Protection
• System tune-up tools
• Disk cleaner (find out which files may be wasting space and remove from your computer)
• Browser manager and cleaner
• Protects Windows, Mac, Android & iOS Devices
• Customer service is very prompt

CONS

• Not really a con, but additional features like VPN and password vault come in higher-tiered plans
• Only protects up to 6 devices on the most expensive version

COVERAGE

• Up to 6 devices with the Total Security package (Scroll to bottom of page to select different packages).  This is the package I chose and use for my family’s protection based mostly on the number of devices we need to protect.

CYBERGUY DEAL

• Limited-time deal for CyberGuy readers: $19 your first year (85% off) for TotalAV Antivirus Pro package

 

Related:

• How to
  • Learn how to install TotalAV on all your devices – Follow these steps
  • How to remove malware on a Mac
  • How to remove malware on a PC
  • How to protect your iPhone from malware
  • How to remove malware on an Android
• Popular Questions:
  • Does my iPhone need antivirus protection? 
  • Free Antivirus Software: Should you use it?
  • Can I use multiple antivirus programs on my devices at the same time?
• More:
  • Windows Defender vs Antivirus software: free protection falls short
  • Kaspersky Antivirus Software On U.S. National Security Threat List – Remove and Replace this software now
  • Quick ways to speed up your computer using TotalAV’s Disk usage, Junk Cleaner, Large & Old Files and Startup Programs features

 

Runner-ups

 

Bitdefender

PROS

• Offers a free, yet limited version for desktop and mobile.  (free isn’t always better)
• Research showed Bitdefender blocked 100% of threats last year
• Offers great features including Anti-fraud and Anti-phishing (they help stop the problem before it begins)

CONS

• Customer service isn’t as easily available to free users, and it isn’t free for paid users
• Installation isn’t as quick – it is a bit of a process to get set up
• macOS support is available only with paid plans

COVERAGE

• Bitdefender Total Security protects up to 5 devices per year
• MacOS, Windows, iOS and Android device protection available

EXCLUSIVE DEAL

• Save 60% – $23.99 for the first year

 

 

Norton 360 

PROS

• Competitive pricing (especially for just one device)
• Offers VPN on some plans
• Norton’s Virus Protection Promise guarantees full protection from any viruses or malware or your money back

CONS

• Not as strong protection on iOS devices
• Safe search feature could use improvement
• Only protects 1 device on lowest plan.

COVERAGE

• Norton 360 Deluxe protects up to 5 PCs, Macs, smartphones or tablets
• Available for Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, and for PC Gaming devices

EXCLUSIVE DEAL

• Save 66% – $19.99 your first year for Norton AntiVirus Plus – protects 1 PC or mac
• $49.99 your first year for Norton 360 Deluxe

 

Malwarebytes

PROS

• Small-business friendly
• Easy to install
• Offers a Browser Guard which you can download and add to Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Safari on Mac computers, and blocks trackers while browsing websites
• Has a VPN plan available in their higher-tiered plan

CONS

• Doesn’t offer as many additional features as other Antivirus software
• Real-time protection only available in paid-for version and doesn’t have as high a performance rating as other programs.   I note this because many users flock to the free version of this antivirus program. The item to note per their free download page is “After 14 days, your devices and data will not be protected in real-time.”  If you’re going to protect your devices, you’ll want to keep your software up to date looking out for the latest threats. The paid plans are the way to go.

COVERAGE

• You can protect 5 devices with a Premium plan
• Available for Windows, Mac, Android, Chromebook, iOS

EXCLUSIVE DEAL

• $3.75 per month with 1-year purchase (1 device)

 

More ways to protect your devices and your identity

• Best VPNs for Browsing the Internet Privately
• Best Identity Theft protection services
• Best Private and Secure Email Providers 2023

 

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