A few years after the IBM PC debuted, the first computer virus struck, followed closely by the earliest antivirus programs—and FindNChoose was there, reporting on them from the start. Soon, full roundups of top antivirus software emerged, featuring familiar names like Norton, Panda, and Trend Micro, even 30 years ago. Today, we continue to rigorously test the latest antivirus releases, revealing the most capable options. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, with a rare five-star rating, stands as our highest-rated antivirus and Editors’ Choice, alongside the 4.5-star Norton AntiVirus Plus. Our ratings reflect hands-on testing, third-party evaluations, and decades of expertise. Browse our summary of top antivirus picks below, compare specs at the end, and dive into full reviews for detailed insights.
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Bitdefender Antivirus Plus
Best overall
For comprehensive protection with minimal fuss, simply launch Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and activate Autopilot. Then sit back and enjoy—you’re covered, no extra effort required!
You can choose an antivirus utility that covers the basics—or one that goes far beyond. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus falls into the latter category, with “Plus” representing an impressive array of extra features. It includes ransomware protection, a secure browser for financial transactions, VPN for secure connections, ad tracker blocking, and automatic detection of missing security patches, among others.
Independent testing labs frequently award Bitdefender near-perfect or perfect scores, and it excels in many of our hands-on tests. Its dedicated ransomware defense performed exceptionally in our trials, making it an outstanding choice for comprehensive antivirus protection.
Pros
- Perfect scores in independent lab tests
- Excellent defense against fraudulent and malicious sites
- Multi-layered ransomware protection
- Isolated browser for banking safety
- Prevents advertisers from tracking you
- Many security-centered bonus features
Cons
- Unlimited VPN access requires a separate subscription
- Slow first full scan
Norton AntiVirus Plus
Best for Extra Security Features
Norton’s technology has been battling viruses and malware since the MS-DOS days. For protection from a trusted, time-tested brand, Norton AntiVirus Plus is an excellent choice.
Quick—name three antivirus companies. Was Norton on your list? Probably. Norton has built its antivirus expertise over decades, and Norton AntiVirus Plus is the peak of that evolution. It earns top marks from independent labs and passes our hands-on tests with flying colors, including tests against a dozen real-world ransomware samples.
But Norton AntiVirus Plus is more than just antivirus. Its firewall shields against external attacks and insider threats without overwhelming you with confusing pop-ups. Other valuable extras include a backup system that saves files locally or to included online storage, a spam filter, a software updater, and more. Plus, your subscription protects devices on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS.
Pros
- Excellent scores in independent lab tests
- Data Protector foils ransomware attacks
- Online backup enabled out of the box
- Intelligent firewall protection
- Includes vulnerability scan and other suite-level features
Cons
- Relatively expensive
Best for Artists and Note-Takers
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
$1,299.99 at Best Buy
Pros
- Fast, smooth performance
- Excellent cameras
- Long battery life
- Useful Action button
- USB-C connectivity opens up new features
- Lighter than previous Pro Max
Cons
- Expensive
- Big
Best Midrange Android Phone
Google Pixel 8a
$1,299.99 at Best Buy
Pros
- Fast, smooth performance
- Excellent cameras
- Long battery life
- Useful Action button
- USB-C connectivity opens up new features
- Lighter than previous Pro Max
Cons
- Expensive
- Big
Best Midrange Android Phone
Google Pixel 8a
$1,299.99 at Best Buy
Pros
- Fast, smooth performance
- Excellent cameras
- Long battery life
- Useful Action button
- USB-C connectivity opens up new features
- Lighter than previous Pro Max
Cons
- Expensive
- Big
Malwarebytes Premium Security
Best for Speedy Scans
If you’ve ever used Malwarebytes Free to fix what another antivirus missed, you’ll appreciate the full-featured Malwarebytes Premium. Even if you haven’t needed such a rescue, its fast scans and excellent test results make it a top choice.
For years, Malwarebytes Free has been the go-to cleanup solution when other antivirus tools fall short, though it’s always been more of a specialty tool than an everyday antivirus. Malwarebytes Premium, however, offers all the essentials of a comprehensive antivirus, including on-demand and scheduled scans, plus file-access scanning. Its full scan is fast and features real-time protection techniques like behavior-based detection, ransomware activity alerts, and exploit attack defense.
In our hands-on tests, Malwarebytes Premium performed exceptionally well, scoring 9.6 out of 10 for malware protection—the highest among products tested with our current malware samples. It also earned top marks for blocking malicious and fraudulent websites.
Pros
- Top malware detection score in our hands-on test
- Very good protection against malicious and fraudulent sites
- Excellent scores from one independent lab
- Effective ransomware protection
Cons
- Few features beyond basic antivirus
- Some scores down from previous review
McAfee AntiVirus
Best for Single-PC Households
With its shift from unlimited multi-platform protection to focusing on securing a single Windows PC, McAfee AntiVirus now caters to a different audience. But for those who just need to protect that one crucial PC, McAfee is worth considering.
McAfee no longer provides the cross-platform protection found in McAfee AntiVirus Plus, but the basic McAfee AntiVirus remains a powerful choice for a single Windows PC. “Single” is key here, as McAfee doesn’t offer the typical volume discounts for multiple licenses.
Independent labs highly rate McAfee’s malware protection. Of the four labs we track, three include McAfee in their analysis, and all three award it top scores. It also performed excellently in our hands-on tests. Beyond basic antivirus, it includes features like ransomware protection, a straightforward firewall, and more.
Pros
- Near-perfect lab test scores
- Excellent scores in some of our hands-on tests
- Money-back virus protection pledge
Cons
- Missed two ransomware samples in testing
- Protects just one PC with no volume discount
- Many long-standing features are now absent
Buying Guide: The Best Antivirus Software for 2024
What Are Viruses, Malware, and Ransomware?
We call it “antivirus,” but you’re unlikely to encounter an actual computer virus these days. Modern malware focuses on profit rather than disruption, so ransomware and data-stealing Trojans are more common, along with bots that allow hackers to rent your computer for harmful purposes. Today’s antivirus utilities protect against a wide range of threats, including Trojans, rootkits, spyware, adware, and ransomware.
FindNChoose has reviewed over 40 commercial antivirus programs, with two earning our Editors’ Choice award and others receiving four-star or better ratings. Any of the options listed here should help address malware issues if they arise.
How We Test Malware, Spyware, and Adware Defenses
To evaluate malware defenses, we conduct our own hands-on malware protection test with each antivirus app, which helps us assess both functionality and effectiveness. Based on how well the antivirus prevents malware installation, it can earn up to 10 points in this category.
Our malware protection test uses the same set of samples for consistency over several months. To assess an antivirus’s response to new threats, we test each app with a collection of fresh malware-hosting URLs from MRG-Effitas, noting the percentage blocked. Apps get equal credit for blocking malicious URLs entirely and for stopping malware during download.
While independent labs often rate antivirus software, we find that some apps perform differently in our hands-on tests. When there’s a significant difference, we defer to the labs’ ratings due to their extensive resources. For more details on our testing methods, check out our in-depth description of security software testing.
What’s the Best Antivirus for Malware Protection?
Top antivirus utilities go beyond on-demand scans and real-time protection. Many rate URLs with a red-yellow-green color code, showing potential risk levels in search results. Some actively block risky processes on your device, preventing connections to malware-hosting URLs or phishing sites.
A vulnerability scan is a useful feature in some antivirus apps, which checks for necessary patches and applies any missing ones. This helps keep Windows and other software secure.
Spyware protection is also essential, as spyware can range from keyloggers to Trojans disguised as legitimate programs. Most antivirus apps cover spyware alongside other malware, but some include specialized spyware detection.
Antivirus tools are expected to detect harmful programs while leaving legitimate ones untouched. However, unknown programs can be a challenge, especially if the antivirus can’t classify them as good or bad. Behavior-based detection can identify suspicious actions that may signal new or unknown malware, but it can sometimes flag harmless behavior in legitimate apps.
Allowlisting is another method, which only allows known safe programs to run, blocking unknowns. This approach isn’t always practical but can add extra security in some cases. Sandboxing is another layer that lets unknown apps run but isolates them from full system access, adding an additional layer of protection against malware.
What’s the Best Antivirus for Ransomware Protection and Firewall?
While firewalls and spam filtering aren’t standard in most antivirus programs, some top picks include these as added benefits—sometimes offering more features than basic security suites.
These advanced antivirus programs often come with a variety of extra features: secure browsers for financial transactions, tools to securely delete sensitive files, options to clear browsing history, credit monitoring, virtual keyboards to block keyloggers, cross-platform protection, and more. They may also include sandboxing, vulnerability scanning, and application allowlisting.
With ransomware attacks on the rise, more antivirus apps are introducing dedicated ransomware protection. These features vary: some prevent unauthorized changes to protected files, others monitor for behaviors typical of ransomware, and some even aim to reverse any damage inflicted. As ransomware threats grow, these added defenses provide valuable peace of mind.
Beyond Antivirus: Install a VPN
Your antivirus software works behind the scenes to protect your computer from malware, but its scope is limited to your device. When you connect to the internet, there’s always a risk of your data being intercepted in transit. While using HTTPS sites can offer some protection, for full data security, installing a VPN (virtual private network) is essential. This feature is becoming so important that some antivirus tools are now including VPNs as a bonus feature.
What Is the Best Antivirus Software Now?
When it comes to selecting antivirus software, two options stand out: Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and Norton AntiVirus Plus. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus consistently earns perfect scores from three independent antivirus testing labs and offers more features than some security suites. Norton AntiVirus Plus also provides suite-level features and receives high ratings from all four labs we monitor. Both are Editors’ Choice winners for commercial antivirus, but several other antivirus apps are worth considering. Explore our top-rated reviews to find the best fit for your needs.
