For most people, we recommend sticking with your operating system’s built-in antivirus. Both Microsoft Defender and XProtect provide effective real-time malware protection. Combined with some common-sense strategies for staying safe online, these tools can protect you from most malware and some other online threats. We recommend AVG for free, multilayered cybersecurity protection. AVG Free Antivirus includes real-time malware protection, easy scan scheduling and helpful device optimization tools. You can also get the AVG Secure Browser for free, which blocks various types of trackers to protec
Best Free Antivirus 2026: Keep Your Devices Safe With These Free ToolsIn our 2026 testing, we were impressed with how the competition improved, making it a tight race. Bitdefender earned an Editors’ Choice award as the best antivirus for the second year in a row, thanks to its consistently low resource usage and excellent security scores from third-party testing labs. But in 2026, the competition heated up thanks to Malwarebytes making major strides since our 2025 tests. The biggest difference for most people is the better value of Bitdefender’s family plans, which cover 25 devices instead of Malwarebytes’ 20 devices. Malwarebytes impressed me with its low reso
Best Antivirus 2026: A Tight Race, but Two Providers Lead the Pack…Norton AntiVirus Plus Designed for those with foundational security needs and minimal budgets, Norton AntiVirus Plus is all about the basics: the fully-featured antivirus, a password manager and 2GB of cloud…
…Install an antivirus app if you have specialized security needs Most folks don't need antivirus protection for mobile devices. Android and iOS both have built-in antivirus protection. Google Play Protect…
…have in addition to antivirus protection to make sure that they are staying secure and private." Tomaschek recommends educating yourself about the different types of scams and viruses to stay aware of…
…If you need a VPN for privacy and absolutely want to bundle security software, consider one of the best VPNs with antivirus . McAfee antivirus security: Excellent antivirus, potentially concerning privacy policies I…
…Malwarebytes antivirus security: Solid protection for your devices -- and your privacy I analyzed Malwarebytes’ third-party lab testing to determine whether its antivirus protections are effective and had misgivings at first, as…
…For the price point, it's an unwelcome experience and you can get similar comprehensive coverage elsewhere. Paid tiers also lack online security tools (VPN, password manager and antivirus). It's also…
…secure accounts that have experienced data breaches, while its personal data removal tool helps you delete your information from data brokers and people-finder websites. McAfee’s other cybersecurity tools include antivirus…
…And by combining VPN protection, antivirus software, data leak monitoring and other privacy focused tools, Surfshark offers a comprehensive security suite for all users concerned about privacy and online safety. How Surfshark…
…VPNs are legal in many countries, including the US and Canada, and can be used for legitimate purposes such as improving online privacy and security. However, some streaming services may have policies…
…It’s also included in all Norton cybersecurity bundles, which provide additional digital safety tools like antivirus software, dark web monitoring and secure cloud backups. Read my full Norton review to learn…
