Best Antivirus Software for 2022

We tested 27 plans to help you find the best antivirus software to protect your laptop, desktop or smartphone. We tried them on Mac, Windows, Android and iOS devices, gauging the software’s security for ourselves, but we also incorporated results from independent antivirus testing labs like AV-Test, SE-Labs, AV Comparatives and ICSA Labs into our scoring system. 

Our scoring system also considered company reputation, price and value. Free antivirus tools are a good start, but our top five antivirus picks are paid plans which do more than ward off viruses. Antivirus software today can filter spam, put up firewalls and set parental protections — they might even throw in a password manager or virtual private network. 

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus performed best in our testing and third-party lab scores. It had no problem identifying the threats we introduced to it, and it defended our devices from malware attacks like a champ. For these reasons, Bitdefender received a perfect 5 out of 5 stars in our malware and phishing performance tests. 

Bitdefender has an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot. This customer review site aggregates company reviews to deliver a total score. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus also has an average rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars on Amazon.

We like that Bitdefender’s site is easy to use. You can use the live chat feature, which connects you with a support team member. If you prefer to connect with customer support via the phone, that option is also available. 

With a 30-day money-back guarantee when you sign up, Bitdefender makes it convenient to try its antivirus software without having to make a long-term commitment up front. 

There’s a free Bitdefender plan, but Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is the plan we recommend. The only downside to this plan is the lack of firewall protection and parental controls, which we’d like to see included in the future.

Lowest Price: $19.99/year for one device.

Kaspersky Internet Security comes with an integrated virtual private network (VPN), which allows you to surf the internet in full privacy. Upgrading to the Total Security bundle grants you access to Kaspersky’s password manager, too, which earned high marks in our review of top password managers.

Kaspersky Internet Security performed well in our malware and phishing performance tests, earning a total score of 4 out of 5 stars. It offers more security features than almost any other plan we tested. Its firewall protection, however, is only available for users with Android and Windows devices.

Kaspersky also has a good reputation across the App Store, Google Play, Trustpilot and Amazon.

With a helpful site, a 30-day money-back guarantee and two customer service communication options, Kaspersky is a highly rated antivirus program for users with Android and Windows devices.

Lowest Price: $23.99/year for one device. 

Norton 360 Deluxe is a comprehensive antivirus package. Along with a full catalogue of security features, you’ll also have access to a password manager, secure VPN, 50 gigabytes of cloud backup and more.

It scored 4 out of 5 stars in our malware and phishing tests. With firewall and identity protection, parental controls, dark web monitoring, and more, Norton protects your device from hackers and viruses.

Current reviews show a rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars on Amazon and a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on the App Store.

Norton offers helpful customer service options, including phone support, 24/7 email messaging and a quick live chat. (The chat first starts with a bot to find out your needs, then you are transferred to a customer service team member.)

Lowest Price: $34.99/year for five devices.

With the release of Avast One, a bundled plan that incorporates its antivirus software with more products, we recommend it as the best antivirus plan for most users.

Avast One includes all the antivirus features you could need, as well as a VPN, webcam protection, data breach monitoring, cleanup tools and more. It also received 4 out of 5 in our phishing and malware testing. 

Avast performed best on newer, more powerful devices. The Avast One bundle for smartphones still works great, but there are fewer features available on mobile devices.

Avast’s website is easy to navigate and helpful, especially the Avast blog and Avast forums. Avast’s personal customer support is limited to email messaging, but that doesn’t seem to bother customers too much. Trustpilot and Amazon both display a rating of 3.9 out of 5 stars for Avast. 

Lowest Price: $50.28/year for five devices.

Webroot’s Complete bundle works best for devices that are five years old or older. It’s also cheaper than other antivirus plans and comes with a 70-day money-back guarantee.

Webroot received 4 out of 5 stars in our malware and phishing tests, but it performed best on older devices. It does, however, lack some advanced features, such as parental controls and a vulnerability scan.

We liked Webroot’s proprietary browser SecureWeb, which prevented phishing and adware attacks when we tested it. Webroot is also known for its 24/7 customer service, which includes phone support.

Lowest Price: $47.99/year for five devices.

*Note: Android and Windows devices only

ESET Smart Security Premium is a well-built antivirus program that includes a password manager. Our team recommends this antivirus software for students because they receive a 50% discount. 

The plan received a 4.5 out of 5 score, making it a high performer in our phishing and malware tests.

Malware scans, malicious URL blocking, phishing protection, firewalls and much more come standard with the ESET Smart Security Premium plan. We wish iOS support was included and that the vulnerability scan was available on more platforms than Android.

ESET has a customer rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars on both Trustpilot and Amazon, which is an outstanding score from consumers.

Lowest Price: $59.99/year for one device. Pricing will increase by $10 a year for each additional device.

In September 2021, Avast released Avast One Essential, which our team recommends as the best free antivirus bundle. Best used on Windows desktops, this combination includes Avast’s antivirus software with a free VPN that comes with 5 gigabytes of data per week. We do find the VPN service to be limited because it only allows access to one server location on the free plan. 

Avast carries a respectable reputation in the industry and is one of the most popular antivirus companies to date. We believe that will continue given how Avast has innovated itself with the Avast One bundle.

Lowest Price: Free

1. Malware Threats Continue to Increase

Malware is malicious software that corrupts your computers and phones by attacking your personal data, files and system settings. Malware comes in many forms, including viruses, spyware, ransomware, phishing threats and more.

Malware continues to evolve into more advanced types of attacks. That’s why having strong antivirus software is a must.

2. You Get More for Your Money

Tech companies bundle antivirus software with other products, such as VPNs, password managers and more. We recommend finding a bundle you like so you can secure your system’s files, privately use the internet and protect your passwords all at the same time.

3. You Can Protect More Devices

The more devices you have, the more vulnerable you are to a malware threat. Antivirus products typically protect Windows, Macs, iOS devices and Android devices on one plan, but you may have to pay more per month based on the number of devices you need to protect.

1. Security

We believe the quality of antivirus software should be judged primarily on the strength of its security features. Our tests emphasized security offerings as the biggest factor in our scoring. If an antivirus program didn’t let any malware slip through undetected, it received a perfect score for security.

2. Reputation

It’s important to find a well-known and trusted antivirus company to protect your device. If you use an obscure company, it may be a scam that could actually infect your device with malware instead of preventing it.

The best companies have not experienced a security issue, are accredited with the Better Business Bureau, and have great customer reviews on Trustpilot or Amazon.

3. Customer Support

When technical issues happen, customer care can be crucial. Most antivirus companies offer 24/7 email communication with their support team. The best antivirus companies go a step farther by providing phone support or live chat on the website. 

We spent more than 100 hours researching and testing antivirus companies in order to deliver our top recommendations for consumers. Our reviews aren’t influenced by partnerships and we use our methodology and review standards to independently score each product. 

Our antivirus software tests were performed by professionals in a safe environment. We don’t recommend doing these tests on your own. Working with malware can be dangerous and ultimately corrupt your device. We performed these tests ourselves to save you the trouble.