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The best antivirus software 2022
If you're looking for the best possible protection for your online devices in 2022, then yous've come to the correct place - nosotros've tested all of the best antivirus providers out in that location to come upwardly with a definitive list of the absolute greatest.
Downloading antivirus software is the showtime step to staying protected online. It remains the strongest defence confronting the cybercriminals who want to expose your online devices for their own financial gain.
The fashion that viruses behave and their cease goal has changed over the years, but by and large the purpose is the same - to steal your money. Threats come in many forms, but malware, ransomware and Trojans are by and large designed to either accept your data or practice plenty damage to your arrangement that you'll pay a high price to reverse the furnishings. And and so there are outright scammers...
We're non trying to scare you and, since you've come up to this page, you probably already accept a fair idea why virus protection is such an essential tool. Thankfully, 2022's best antivirus providers combine watertight protection, actress features to keep you condom from scams, and are easy to install and use.
The best antivirus for 2022
Scroll through the options below and you'll discover how the likes of Norton, Kaspersky, Avast and Avira rank. And there'southward even a highest ever placement in our chart for Microsoft's very own Defender virus protection.
If it'south gratuitous antivirus that you're after, we have some top recommendations for you, also (likewise as some top business packages). But considering some of the best antivirus providers out there price less than $10 / £10 / AU$20 per yr, nosotros'd still recommend playing it prophylactic and paying for protection as you head into 2022.
Top x all-time antivirus software of 2022
Bitdefender is top of the tree as TechRadar's best antivirus, chirapsia some strong competition and doing so without request all that much in terms of subscription costs.
Then what makes it so good? For starters. the sheer amount of features incorporated with Bitdefender is seriously impressive. Even if you opt for the entry-level Bitdefender Antivirus Plus product, yous go Safepay online banking protection, which is essentially a secure browser and one which covers you from all kinds of angles. There's as well a password manager, a vulnerability scanner, and a practiced quality VPN with a 200MB daily limit.
Bitdefender is brilliantly convenient, with a polished and well-balanced interface that's equally suitable for complete beginners to the antivirus world, or experts who want to tweak things.
The visitor offers more than extensive suites, also, with Bitdefender Internet Security providing all the in a higher place plus a tools to help speed upwards your reckoner and to help you find your mobile devices if they're lost or stolen.
Every bit the flagship offer, Bitdefender Full Security comes consummate with an array of PC maintenance tools, plus information technology supports Android and iOS devices equally well as covering Windows and Mac machines - basically, it's a single solution to your entire family'southward online security needs.
At this point of previous years' reviews, we'd be talking nigh how Bitdefender beats the rest when it comes to pure virus protection, besides. That's not quite the instance this year, with the study from AV-Comparatives showing less accurate results than usual. Considering Bitdefender's strength in previous years, we're happy to give it the benefit of the dubiety for now, only we'll accept a nifty eye on the contained lab results this year to see whether that flick changes.
Whichever version of Bitdefender you choose, yous're getting a whole lot for your money, particularly with Full Security if you've got a lot of unlike devices (or a family to protect). Plus that secure feeling of knowing yous're being kept safe by 2022's overall best antivirus software.
Norton AntiVirus Plus is a trusted antivirus software app from the security company at present known every bit NortonLifeLock. The chief attraction here is the absolute stack of features you get - fifty-fifty with the entry-level Antivirus Plus production – not to mention the quality of those features.
They include a really useful intelligent firewall, which is a genuinely big aid in terms of policing your system, along with some very thorough browser protection measures to keep y'all safe on the spider web.
At that place are also extras you don't ordinarily get with other antivirus applications, including a bundled cloud backup tool which offers 2GB of online storage (information technology'due south very user-friendly, also, ensuring that backing up is a breeze), and some useful PC maintenance utilities.
The package'south central antivirus defenses are tight, as we found in our testing, and as evidenced by the independent test labs (albeit with slightly mixed results from one of those labs). And in our very own ransomware testing, we Norton came upwards a footling chip short compared to the more effective protection offered past Bitdefender.
If you lot want more than and then NortonLifeLock offers a range of higher-level suites. Norton 360 Standard adds some swell extra bits of functionality, including an integrated full VPN service, more backup storage (10GB) and dark web monitoring (for some countries, including the US and UK). There are also potent mobile apps for Android and iOS.
However, if coverage for more one device is required, then you'll need to pace up to Norton 360 Deluxe – this grants protection for upward to five devices, along with even more backup space (50GB) and an in-depth system of parental controls. While 360 Premium ramps that up again to 75GB backup and ten devices.
Editor's annotation: Unlike the other providers in this list, Kaspersky is yet to release the 2022 version of its antivirus. What follows is the description of its 2021 plan, and will be updated once we accept tested the 2022 updates.
Kaspersky Anti-Virus is this security firm's entry-level offering for Windows PCs, providing coverage for up to 10 computers. Information technology doesn't bristle with as many features as some of the products on this listing, but Kaspersky focuses on the security essentials, and does that job very well.
Its core antivirus capabilities are very potent, with Kaspersky ranking at or well-nigh the height in all the most recent reports from the big independent test labs. That's great news, and our own testing fully diameter this out with Kaspersky Anti-Virus performing very efficiently against ransomware, killing even unknown threats near immediately and managing to recover the very few files which were affected by the attack. Kaspersky also benefits from some nifty self-protection routines.
Non much new has been introduced past Kaspersky in the last year or then, and so one downside here is that - as we mentioned at the starting time - there weren't a massive amount of extras in the commencement place.
Some of those boosted capabilities aren't hugely useful either. Kaspersky's various 'wizards', for example, go out much to be desired, and the browser configuration one only supports Internet Explorer (not fifty-fifty Edge, permit alone Chrome which is the almost popular browser past far). There'due south a arranged VPN, but it'southward very limited (no location choice, and a 200MB daily allowance), although it could notwithstanding come in useful in a tight spot.
The practiced news is that when it comes to extras, the bigger suites package more interesting functionality. Kaspersky Internet Security introduces an intelligent firewall (which hardly ever bothers you with any queries), plus a secure browser, and information technology offers coverage for Macs, forth with Android and iOS mobile devices.
Kaspersky Total Security brings in more than on tiptop of all that, including smart parental controls, a fully-fledged password manager, and automated local (or Dropbox) backups. Those are some useful extras, and given that commonly (with discounts) Total Security doesn't toll much more than Net Security, information technology's likely worth grabbing unless you really don't need those additional benefits.
Tendency Micro Antivirus+ Security offers simple but effective protection, with a user-friendly interface that spells out its various options in plain English language without resorting to confusing jargon.
The app's antivirus engine is rated very highly past the main independent test labs and has achieved some excellent results in recent evaluations – with the slight caveat that some testing found information technology raised a few more false positives than the meridian competition. Nosotros didn't discover this problematic in our Trend Micro review, though, and moreover, we observed that Antivirus+ Security'south anti-ransomware protection was a particular force.
Some other potent suit is the fact that this antivirus is currently elevation canis familiaris when it comes to blocking phishing sites (co-ordinate to AV-Comparatives), and it provides great web browsing protection including Pay Baby-sit as a secure environment for the likes of online cyberbanking.
Weak points? Well, system performance is impacted more than than some rivals, and there aren't every bit many options or features every bit some of the competition – this is an app more targeted at novices rather than experts. Notwithstanding, y'all do of course get more than functionality with the higher-level security suites from Trend Micro.
The next tier product, Trend Micro Internet Security, throws in some interesting extras including parental controls and social media protection tools. However, for near folks, it'll be worth spending a bit more than on Tendency Micro Maximum Security, which delivers protection for Mac and mobile devices as well as Windows (plus it adds a countersign manager and secure file vault).
Whereas most 2022 updates on this listing are adequately superficial, Avast ripped everything upward and started again for its latest release - introducing Avast One.
Avast One takes the firm's trusted free antivirus (now known as Avast One Essential) and builds on information technology with extra features.
Whether you lot cull to go free or upgrade, the software is really in favor with the independent testing labs at the moment, ranking towards the top of the pile in real-world malware tests and anti-phishing tasks.
Yous also benefit from a simple firewall, data breach scanning to warn yous if your online accounts are breached, and apps for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS
So why carp paying for Avast One? It adds a VPN from old caput HideMyAss with a generous 5GB weekly allowance, melody-upwardly tools, advertising blockers, webcam protection, malicious URL blocking and... well, not a lot more than. You'd accept to really want one of those specific add-ons to desire to role with your cash, otherwise we'd suggest going for a more fully featured internet security suite or merely sticking with the free Essential download.
Nosotros saw a lot more than idea pieces coming out in 2021 suggesting that the time was at an stop to pay for your antivirus software. And while we generally disagree with that notion, Microsoft Defender is probably the all-time argument in its favor.
That's because if you're a Windows user, there's a perfectly capable virus protection already sitting inside your operating system.
Microsoft Defender is a solid product that gives capable mid-range protection - mostly without users always even knowing it's there. Defender has a dashboard, its ain browse options and and then on, but you'll never even see them unless you get looking.
In the testing from independent lab AV-Comparatives, Defender ranked pretty much slap bang in the middle of the 17 tested providers. That means information technology'southward amend at protecting your PC than even some of paid-for software out in that location.
Exterior of pure virus protection, it features lots of bonus features such equally multi-layered anti-ransomware, firewall, webcam and privacy protection, web filtering, parental controls and backup.
And then what's stopping you from forgetting the residual and simply getting Defender up and running? Well, those features mentioned in a higher place are all pretty bones and aren't upwardly the standard of those offered by well-nigh of the security suites above. And it probably goes without saying that Defender is only available on Windows PCs - forget protecting your Mac or smartphone - and some features only play nice if y'all utilize Edge as your browser.
In truth, Avira is probably best known for its Avira Gratis antivirus selection (which is among the all-time out there - see further downwards this page), just its premium packages should not be sniffed at – especially when you lot consider the incredible price you can now pay for its Antivirus Pro package.
That's the proper noun of Avira's entry-level antivirus and it includes everything you'd wait of a modern-mean solar day security app: real-fourth dimension scanning for malware, dedicated defenses against ransomware, a software updater feature that works very nicely to go along all your apps secure, plus various privacy tools including a file shredder for actress confidentiality.
The interface is smart and the various features – including the complimentary (only limited to 1GB monthly) VPN – are now better integrated within the UI overall.
The caveat here is that the ratings of the antivirus engine from contained test labs are only middling at best – but the app does provide a decent enough level of protection.
Upgrading to the Internet Security or Prime programme adds further features like a total countersign manager, and the Pro version of Software Updater (which provides automated updates for your apps), plus Prime gives you the unlimited usage version of the VPN and mobile app support.
However, for the super-cheap price that you can at present get Antivirus Plus, this certainly represents the best value proposition – indeed yous're barely paying more than for the free version, making this a seriously tempting choice.
McAfee takes an interesting arroyo with its security range, equally all the offerings are variants of its cadre Full Protection product, with the main deviation being more devices are supported at higher tiers. McAfee Total Protection Single Device is the entry-level antivirus product, and as the proper noun suggests, it covers ane device.
The good news here includes a commendably light system footprint, meaning that McAfee won't use much of your PC's resources. There are also a ton of features on offer, especially for a baseline product, and even if not all of them are of the highest quality, y'all get a lot for your money. That includes an intelligent firewall, an integrated (TunnelBear-powered) VPN with unlimited data, a quality spam filter, secure file vault, and some PC speed-up options.
The primary stumbling block here is that the antivirus engine itself is not the best out in that location – although some results from independent exam labs come out amend than others – merely this has to be something of a business concern. At that place's also the fact that you only go a single device protected with the basic package.
If you want antivirus software coverage for more one slice of hardware, y'all'll need to buy the Multi-Device package which supports up to five devices including mobiles (plus information technology provides identity theft protection, at least for U.s.a. users). Then at that place's McAfee Full Protection Family unit which ups the dues to 10 devices and farther bolts on a fully-fledged organisation of parental controls.
The latter could be a tempting choice for those with kids to keep condom online, and given McAfee's typical pricing – with Multi-Device and Family unit subscriptions non beingness much more than the entry-level product, subsequently discounts – you lot're likely best off going for 1 of these college-tier plans
Just nearly every antivirus tool claims to exist 'lightweight', merely Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus actually delivers on this front. Installation takes seconds, and information technology just uses a tiny amount of bulldoze infinite – plus the app's retention footprint is just equally minuscule (less than 2% the size of some internet security suites), with virus definitions stored in the deject.
Because this, there's still no compromise on features, which makes Webroot all the more impressive. Yous get extremely quick virus scans that take no more than effectually 20 seconds, along with a smart 'firewall' monitoring organisation, accurate existent-time anti-phishing, identity theft protection and much more.
SecureAnywhere AntiVirus isn't ranked by the large-name testing labs, save for SE Labs, which in its most recent Home Anti-Malware study rated Webroot as solid in terms of malware protection – although not quite upwards there with the top competition.
Further up the Webroot range, SecureAnywhere Internet Security Plus expands coverage from Windows and Mac PCs to mobile devices, also providing a countersign director (courtesy of LastPass) and covering up to 5 devices (rather than three).
And at the acme of the tree is Internet Security Complete which introduces an automatic backup tool (with 25GB of secure cloud storage) and boosted online privacy features. There'south besides a Family Pack version of the flagship suite which ups device coverage to 10 pieces of hardware, and provides 100GB of deject storage.
SecureAnywhere AntiVirus gives you everything yous need, actually, although Internet Security Plus is our top option for the most rounded package. And another benefaction worth begetting in mind here is Webroot's conviction-instilling lengthy 70-twenty-four hour period 100% money-back guarantee.
Sophos Home Premium covers (up to) an impressive 10 devices (Windows and Mac computers). It's designed with novices in listen, which is no bad thing, although experts may find the interface oversimplified, and be disappointed that there are few options or low-level tweaks on offer.
The UI is also rather clunky in some means – although that said, the web direction console could be cracking for those who wish to accept control and manage their non-tech-savvy family members' devices.
Sophos provides capable virus protection, and worked well in passing our own anti-ransomware tests. For the antivirus software on offer – and given the ten device ceiling – Sophos Habitation Premium could work out equally a not bad value suggestion for those who want to protect multiple computers.
Just note that Sophos no longer offers a long-term complimentary version to new users. You'll see on the website you can download information technology for free, but that'south merely a trial version rather than an all-singing all-dancing free antivirus package.
- Apple user? So yous can head to our bespoke all-time Mac antivirus guide
- Nosotros've as well looked at the best secure messaging apps
- Cheque out the best Android antivirus apps for your phone
Antivirus FAQ
What is the best antivirus of 2022
Nosotros've tested all of the biggest names in internet security, we've found that the very all-time antivirus software in 2022 is Bitdefender.
Information technology's a superb bit of software - from its entry-level Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and its cast-fe malware defenses, splendid threat detection and genuinely value-adding extra features, right up to its all-singing, all-dancing Total Security that adds an array of maintenance tools and can exist used to protect your family'southward computers, tablets and phones.
What does antivirus do? How does virus protection piece of work?
An antivirus app sits on your device similar a guard dog, watching over the unabridged system and sniffing out any intruders (malware, or indeed anything suspicious). In short, information technology offers existent-time defenses against viruses or other threats, which if detected are immediately dealt with, preventing them from carrying out their subversive payload. Likewise equally this automated protection, you tin can run manual virus scans whenever you wish.
Antivirus applications utilise what are called virus 'definitions' to catch intruders. Think of these as the fingerprints of malware, and if something is spotted coming onto your organization that has a matching fingerprint, the antivirus leaps into action, quarantining the offender. Equally another line of defense force, antivirus programs likewise use what are called 'heuristics' that look for any file or procedure exhibiting suspicious beliefs – this allows the app to potentially catch any freshly made malware which isn't yet in its definitions database.
For more than details on this topic, see our total breakdown of exactly how antivirus software works.
How exercise I choose the best antivirus software?
The obvious respond is staring yous in the face...quite literally! Consult our rankings in this article, which is based on our expert knowledge and thorough, continually updated reviews of the top antivirus players.
That said, obviously you likewise accept to conduct in mind your ain particular needs. Our number ane pick might not be the ideal choice if you're on a very tight budget, for example, and you only want to protect a single PC. Or at the other end of the calibration, perhaps you lot have a large family with a ton of devices to protect, and you need a package to cater for that. Or perhaps you want a VPN service every bit well as antivirus, and then a arranged packet volition save you a lot of money on subscription fees.
In curt, our recommendations are hither equally firm guidance, but change these appropriately based on your individual requirements. For more thoughts on this, check out our article exploring how to cull the best antivirus.
Do I really need antivirus in 2022?
The brusk answer to this question is aye, you really should accept an antivirus app installed.
Yous may have heard arguments that if y'all're very careful about where y'all browse on the web, and what you download or click on, you'll be fine – and that'southward true to a sure extent, but we really wouldn't risk information technology. Even well-known websites might occasionally be victims of malware being peddled via their adverts (in other words, the ad networks they work with), for example, so no matter how cautious and tech-savvy you are, it's worth having an antivirus app as a fall-back defense.
The practiced news is that the best antivirus products are getting cheaper and cheaper to buy, and gratuitous products are getting more and more constructive... just accept a look at how well we rank Microsoft Defender these days!
Is free antivirus enough?
The answer to this one isn't straightforward – it's a flake of a 'yes, but no' kind of answer.
A adept free antivirus – like the ones we recommend on this page below – is a perfectly reasonable pick for protecting your PC, with Microsoft Defender now the best we've ever seen it. It'll exercise the basics of defending your system well, equally any reputable vendor uses the same virus protection engine – the cardinal tech that polices the device and repels malware – as the paid product.
That said, premium antivirus programs offer actress features higher up and beyond the fundamentals. A robust system of parental controls could exist a huge win for those with kids, for instance. Or a defended anti-ransomware layer of protection that but comes with the paid-for product could help catch 1 of the most dreaded infections and halt it in its tracks.
Given how inexpensive some premium antivirus apps are - particularly with the various deals on offer - it'southward well worth considering going this route instead to get extra features that could give you more peace of mind.
For more on this, read our full piece on whether free antivirus is plenty to protect you. Or merely keep scrolling as we reveal today's best free antivirus software providers...
Best free antivirus downloads
Paying for a premium service means you go more features similar spam filters, parental controls, system scans and advanced firewalls. This makes them more suitable for power users, those who want a bit of extra security and anyone who needs their organisation to run as smoothly as possible.
It also means you avoid annoying pop-ups that endeavour and tempt you lot to upgrade to the total version. And, as y'all've discovered higher up, they won't toll you an arm and a leg.
In fact, these days you lot can become top quality protection absolutely complimentary, with just about every single major vendor out there offering a costless antivirus. By doing so, developers proceeds access to more devices from which they can collect data, and therefore improve their cognition and security platforms so information technology'southward really not in their interest to reduce the amount of protection provided past the complimentary version.
Best free antivirus 2022 at a glance
- Avira Gratuitous Antivirus
- Avast Free Antivirus
- Microsoft Defender
- Kaspersky Free
- Sophos Dwelling house
Avira Free Antivirus for Windows continues to score highly on AV-Examination'south stringent testing program, quashing 99.vii% of tested threats, and it generally doesn't put too big a burden on your hardware. That's pretty practiced for a freebie, and why nosotros have no qualms at all in naming it as our #1 best free antivirus download.
As well as the essential security smarts, we as well beloved the make clean, friendly interface and the fact it has a track record of throwing up minimal false positives. The introduction of a costless security suite to optionally run alongside it – with anti-ransomware and a 500MB/calendar month gratis VPN and various speedup promises – just sweetens the bargain.
In fact, the list of features reads more like a fully paid premium packet. It throws in identity protection, a password manager, anti-scam protection to prevent phishing attempts, and even a PC cleaner to go along your system spick and span.
If there's one thing nosotros'd change and then it'south the tad overeager badgering - although popups and advertisements are very mutual to free products, and that doesn;t prevent united states from wholeheartedly recommending Avira Free Antivirus.
Review and where to download: Avira Gratis Antivirus
Avast and AVG haven't even so fully merged, despite the former formally acquiring the latter in mid-2016. The newly combined company says the two gratis antivirus products volition remain divide, although there's manifestly a articulation AV parcel on the fashion soon. Obviously, though, Avast now has a lot more data to piece of work with, having expanded its effective userbase (and, therefore, its threat detection network) to a whopping 400 million users.
The latest edition of Avast's gratuitous antivirus - now branded Avast One Essential - adds an automatic gaming fashion to mute popups and reduce system load when yous're firing upwards a processor-hungry game, which is very handy indeed, and the interface has been given a clean new overhaul. There's a password manager, too, which is an undeniably good addition to your security portfolio.
It scores well on AV-Examination's widespread malware benchmark and continues a clean sweep against 0-day attacks – presumably that expanded detection network is really helping. Less impressive is the slight negative effect Avast has on software launch times, and its slightly popup-heavy attitude.
Review and where to download: Avast Complimentary Antivirus
Microsoft Defender (formerly Windows Defender) was generally seen as a bit of a joke in the not-too-afar past. It performed terribly past about measures and was a good advertisement for why you lot should really pay for antivirus.
But as we explicate farther up this commodity, Microsoft Defender has come on leaps and bounds and can at present legitimately be mentioned in the aforementioned visitor as Bitdefender, Norton and Kaspersky.
As well equally very solid virus protection, Defender has extra $.25 and bobs like a ransomware shield, webcam protection, privacy tools and fifty-fifty basic parental controls and deject backup.
And the best bit... it'south just sitting there on your Windows PC but waiting to be used. No demand to download a thing, simply detect it in your card and get protected straight away.
Read more and run across 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 once again gave it full marks across the board in its latest circular of testing.
As you would expect, Kaspersky Costless is a scaled down version of the full plan - a tool that we really similar (more on which below). The complimentary version ditches additional features such as privacy protection and safe payment sandboxes to concentrate on powerful, no-frills and - almost importantly - costless protection for your PC. The result is a tremendously easy to apply and navigate flake of software that does an effective chore of keeping yous protected from viruses.
Using the nuts and bolts real-world scanning engine of the paid-for suite, Kaspersky Gratis is fiendishly hard for viruses and trojan horses to break downwardly. And we love that it doesn't constantly pester y'all with nudges to upgrade to the total version.
Only, ironically, we will just for a moment, because Kasperksy Anti-Virus isn't expensive to purchase and yet affords much ameliorate protection to your PC (or PCs). The standard price is $29.99 to protect three computers and includes more than muscle when information technology comes to preventing ransomware, spyware and Trojans.
Review and where to download: Kaspersky Costless
Marketing itself equally "business-grade security", Sophos Home does a petty more than most gratis antivirus software, and actually seems ameliorate suited to families.
You get standard virus protection and anti-malware protection, along with browser tools similar anti-phishing and, most importantly, content control. Combined with central management of up to ten PCs, this ways you tin can finer lock down your kids' browsing options.
Although AV-Examination hasn't formally assessed Sophos' skills, fellow lab AV-Comparatives offers a decent rating of its abilities.
Although Sophos Habitation 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
Head dorsum up to read almost our number ane recommended best antivirus ^
Best business concern antivirus 2022
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, merely 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.
Head back up to read most our number ane recommended all-time antivirus ^
- Even if you own the best computer in the world, you lot're still at adventure
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