The most effective antivirus software can safeguard your devices from malware, ransomware, and phishing. It also shields you from spyware that tracks your browsing history as well as passwords, and can prevent data breaches from destroying your personal information. There are a myriad of different programs available, many of them costing more than what you’d like to spend.
We’ve tested over 300 them in order to find the most effective antivirus protection available for the budget. We searched for software that is easy to use and robust, but also safeguards you without slowing down your computer down or making you quit using it. We’ve also made sure that the software is regularly updated with its malware database.
Top-quality packages include a complete range of anti-malware software, and also additional features like a VPN, password manager and parental controls. Some companies offer a dark-web monitoring service that will determine if your email address, credit card details or other personal information is in the wrong hand.
Our winner is Norton 360, which offers great all-round protection with excellent malware detection rates as well as helpful resources some impressive extra features, including an account manager for passwords and a VPN for protecting your privacy when browsing online. The service also offers dark web monitoring in real-time and cloud backups.
It’s also among the few applications that is available for Mac computers (most others only work with Windows PCs) and offers good performance in tests by independent lab AV-Comparatives. It’s not cheap at a cost of $22 per month however, there’s a no-cost trial.
