List of top antivirus companies

Read more and see how to use: Microsoft Defender review. The paid-for version of Kaspersky's Windows security software frequently tops charts of best virus prevention solutions and AV-TEST once again gave it full marks across the board in its latest round of testing.

As you would expect, Kaspersky Free is a scaled down version of the full program - a tool that we really like more on which below. The free version ditches additional features such as privacy protection and safe payment sandboxes to concentrate on powerful, no-frills and - most importantly - free protection for your PC. The result is a tremendously easy to use and navigate bit of software that does an effective job of keeping you protected from viruses.

Using the nuts and bolts real-world scanning engine of the paid-for suite, Kaspersky Free is fiendishly hard for viruses and trojan horses to break down. And we love that it doesn't constantly pester you with nudges to upgrade to the full version. But, ironically, we will just for a moment, because Kasperksy Anti-Virus isn't expensive to buy and yet affords much better protection to your PC or PCs. Review and where to download: Kaspersky Free. Marketing itself as "business-grade security", Sophos Home does a little more than most free antivirus software, and actually seems better suited to families.

You get standard virus protection and anti-malware protection, along with browser tools like anti-phishing and, most importantly, content control. Combined with central management of up to 10 PCs, this means you can effectively lock down your kids' browsing options. Although Sophos Home has always had desktop notifications, there was no premium version of the software for it to encourage an upgrade to.

That changed in February with the launch of Sophos Home Premium. Review and where to download: Sophos Home. Each entry in this list has been carefully chosen for its business features, such as remote installation and central management. The best business antivirus software will have enterprise-level protection against threats, but that doesn't mean they have to cost a lot of money, either. The price per installation can sometimes be cheaper than even our recommended best antivirus packages.

Avast Business Antivirus Pro An excellent business antivirus suite, giving you various tools such as virus protection, Firewall, email protection, anti-spam and the ability to sandbox applications for complete security. Avast Business Antivirus Pro as opposed to the standard Avast Business Antivirus also includes Sharepoint and Exchange protection, as well as a number of tools for your servers.

Bitdefender products are loved by the independent testing labs, highly rated for malware detection, removal, performance and usability. Most of the features work automatically — anti-malware, firewall, web advisor, URL filtering — but you can also customise the product to control user actions.

Symantec Endpoint Protection Symantec's first benefit is the company's Insight file reputation technology, an effective way to detect and block even the very latest undiscovered threats.

Other layers of protection include virus protection, behaviour monitoring, intrusion protection, a firewall, and the 'Power Eraser' to remove stubborn threats and repair your system. Avira Antivirus for Endpoint This is Avira's main small business product. It takes all the core features you'd expect — antivirus, baseline network protection, web filtering — and extends them with file server protection and optimisation, along with application whitelisting and blacklisting.

The desktop side of the package has all the usual quality Kaspersky modules — antivirus, antispam, a firewall, more — but the mobile security technologies are even more impressive.

Mike began his career as a lead software developer in the engineering world, where his creations were used by big-name companies from Rolls Royce to British Nuclear Fuels and British Aerospace. He now covers VPNs, antivirus and all things security for TechRadar, although he still has a secret love of quirky open-source and freeware apps which find brand new ways to solve common problems.

North America. If you're looking for the best possible protection for your online devices in , then you've come to the right place - we've tested all of the best antivirus providers out there to come up with a definitive list of the absolute greatest.

View Deal. Bitdefender Antivirus. Maximum devices covered: Stand out features: Safepay banking protection, privacy tools, multi-layered anti-ransomware, VPN. Reasons to avoid - Room for improvement on detection. Norton AntiVirus. Stand out features: Intelligent firewall, PC maintenance features, bundled backup tool with online storage.

Reasons to avoid - Mixed results from the testing labs. Kaspersky Anti-Virus. Stand out features: Highly configurable virus scans, anti-ransomware, drive-by cryptomining infection prevention. Reasons to avoid - Not a huge amount of features. Trend Micro Antivirus. Reasons to avoid - Not as many features as key rivals.

Avast One. Reasons to avoid - Not a huge upgrade from free version. Microsoft Defender. Specifications Operating system: Windows only. Stand out features: Anti-ransomware, webcam and privacy protection, web filtering. Reasons to avoid Avira antivirus. Stand out features: Proactive anti-ransomware, software updater, web protection. We regularly research and test our options to determine which software leads the pack, and we update this list periodically based on those tests.

We would also like to note that antivirus software isn't the only security feature you should invest in. A secure virtual private network to protect your internet traffic, a password manager to keep track of login credentials and an end-to-end encrypted messaging app to stop others from spying on your communications are all essential in protecting your personal information.

Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and high-profile attacks like the Columbia Pipeline hack are becoming more commonplace, which is concerning. Looking for free antivirus protection, malware protection or virus detection, willing to pay for an antivirus program that offers broad internet security coverage across all your devices, including from ransomware and phishing, or need to remove a computer virus or malware from your PC right now?

Here's where to start when looking for the best antivirus software for your needs. Honestly, if you practice safe computing -- you keep your software up to date, you use strong passwords with the help of a password manager , you steer clear of unexpected emails and you don't click suspicious links that may be phishing attempts -- you probably can avoid zero-day attacks and ransomware attacks.

And with the free Microsoft Defender Antivirus software running on Windows 10, you have a malware protection safety net if you do let your guard down. In fact, it is one of the best antivirus software. Note that Microsoft changed the name of Windows Defender to Microsoft Defender and has expanded the service to other platforms.

This free antivirus program is built into Windows and it's turned on by default, the antivirus engine does its thing, and this antivirus solution will cover the basics of internet security.

Microsoft pushes new updates frequently. Defender also lets you tune the level of protection you want, giving you control over blocking potentially unwanted apps and protecting folders and files from a ransomware attack.

Note that Windows 10 will automatically disable its own Windows Defender antivirus when you install third-party antivirus. If you uninstall the third-party protection, Windows 10 will turn back on its own antivirus. Norton antivirus provides industry-leading security software for PC, Mac, and mobile devices.

Note, we don't think antivirus protection is terribly useful outside the Windows realm. In addition to malware and virus protection for your computer and mobile device, this antivirus suite provides GB of backup to the cloud, safe-browsing tools, a secure VPN, password manager, parental controls and LifeLock identity theft protection and fraud alert. While not all of those services are necessarily best in their respective class, getting them all in one package is a compelling option.

If you'd like to take a step up in securing your PC without taxing your wallet, it's hard to beat Bitdefender's free antivirus software for Windows The Windows security software offers real-time monitoring for viruses, malware, spyware and ransomware protection. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is easy to set up and stays out of your way until you need it.

And the protection this antivirus product offers is solid. Bitdefender antivirus software consistently earns top marks for its antivirus protection and usability from the respected AV-Test independent testing lab.

The free antivirus version covers one Windows PC. Malwarebytes does protect your PC from a virus or malware attack, scoring reasonably well in recent independent testing for guarding against malware threats. But that's not really what Malwarebytes is known for. If you find yourself in trouble, the go-to disinfectant for many is Malwarebytes. To get the antivirus company's free antivirus version, download this trial version , which "downgrades" to a no-fee on-demand cleaner with fewer features that detects and removes viruses and malware when you run an on-demand antivirus scan after 14 days.

In addition to the four antivirus apps we recommend above, a handful of other anti-malware tools are worth considering among the best antivirus protection if you find them at a better price or just prefer to use one over our picks above. It feels like McAfee Antivirus has been around forever, first on its own in the '80s, then as part of Intel starting in , and then again on its own when Intel spun it off in And McAfee Total Protection has been around forever because quarter after quarter it creates solid, modern antivirus software that protects your PC.

The paid version includes Safepay for financial transactions, multi-layer ransomware protection, and vulnerability assessments. A virtual private network VPN is also offered with an additional subscription fee.

There is a day free trial. Norton with LifeLock keeps improving on its history as a top antivirus option with its PC maintenance features, making it the best for Windows computers. Norton introduced its first antivirus software in under the Symantec umbrella. Symantec purchased LifeLock in , and in , after the company's enterprise division was sold, the name was changed to NortonLifeLock. The company is based in Tempe, Arizona. Norton with LifeLock won best antivirus for Windows because of how it has continued to build on its history of protecting Windows machines.

The identity theft protection capabilities of LifeLock alone give this product an edge. There are several versions of this product, so users can pick the features they need, but even the lowest level offers PC maintenance utilities including the ability to produce a faster bootup and 2GB of cloud backup.

The amount of cloud storage increases based on the package level. Webroot SecureAnywhere for Mac offers excellent phishing detection and fast scanning ability specifically designed for Macs. The company was founded in and introduced its first antivirus product in OpenText acquired the company in Webroot SecureAnywhere for Mac is our choice for antivirus protection that's best for Mac computers.

There is still a belief that Mac computers are safe from cyberattacks, and while most viruses are targeted at Windows computers, Macs are vulnerable to other malware, ransomware, phishing attacks, and even Apple-targeted viruses.

This software boasts a very small footprint on your computer's operating system but offers very fast security scans and is one of the best at phishing detection. Offering an email address when installing Webroot gives users alerts for new threats. For those who use both Windows and Mac, Webroot's interface is more similar across platforms than other antivirus software.

The main difference is Webroot for Mac doesn't include a firewall. This price covers one device. There is a day money-back guarantee.

McAfee Antivirus Plus is our top choice for multiple devices because its subscriptions offer protection for every device in the home for a reasonable cost. McAfee Antivirus Plus is the one antivirus platform that recognizes the growing number of devices used in a single household, which could include four or more different operating systems.

The basic package supports up to 10 devices, support, secure web browsing, and antivirus. The MTP 10 Device plan is for one year for 10 devices, but also includes features such as full protection for the home network, password manager , encrypted storage, and identity theft protection.

Unlimited device protection is also available in one-year subscriptions. Plans come with one to five VPN licenses. Trend Micro was founded in in the U.

The company operates worldwide and has many partnerships in the tech industry. Password management and protection are only offered in the product family's highest tier.

This version is Windows-only, but Trend Micro offers a Mac version. The highest tier plan supports mobile operating systems as well. Most people do not use an antivirus as it comes at a high cost.

You may not know which antivirus to go for, as there are so many brands that claim to be the best. If you want to save your system from the damage that a virus can cause, start looking for some antivirus software companies.

Here is a list of the best ten companies working for the development of antivirus software. The Symantec manufactures the best antivirus for your PC, since the last twenty years. The company provides consumers with system utility solutions and simple online security tools, for Windows computers.

The program is compatible with Windows 8, and it can remove some particular viruses. The popularity of this antivirus system is attributable to the wide range of services it offers.

This superior antivirus protects your system from the viruses as well as the web-based threats. More and more people are using this software for protection against any malpractice in online banking and shopping.

The prompt customer support that the company provides is an additional advantage. The Windows users are all praise for this no-cost, antivirus program. The software works well for cleaning the infections in your personal or business computers.

The software, with a user-friendly interface, does not harm the overall performance your system. This is the most an excellent security system, coming from none other than Microsoft itself. If you require some basic protection for your system, the ASG free antivirus is the best choice. You may also opt for the premium version of the antivirus that employs cutting-edge technology to take care of your security needs.

Since the software works on low system resources, it will not take up a lot of space on your machine.