If you are wondering what’s the best antivirus software these days, you’ve come to the
right place. In this video, we will rank and compare all
the top antivirus software out there, including McAfee, Norton, Bitdefender, Kaspersky, Avast,
AVG, and Malwarebytes. During the past few months, The Cyber Lab
team has comprehensively reviewed and tested all the best antivirus software available
on the market, so you can easily and confidently choose the best software to protect yourself
and your family. Before we begin, we ask for a small favor.
Our team has spent a lot of time and effort into creating this video. All we ask in return
is that you like this video and leave a comment down below to share your feedback, regardless
of whether it's positive or negative. We will respond to your comment; that’s a promise!
Let’s get started. 2021 has already seen an increase in cyberattacks
with losses surpassing $1trillion. In the latest forecast by HP, we will see more ransomware
attacks, email phishing and hijacking, insecure remote access, and exploitation of new vulnerabilities
in the coming years. To keep your devices and your data safe, you
need the best online protection. The best way to get it is by using a paid premium antivirus
security suite. A paid premium antivirus security suite gives
you complete peace of mind. It packs comprehensive protection and advanced features for online
security and privacy. These features include file encryption, cloud
backup, VPN, webcam protector, password manager, file shredder, tune-up utilities, among others.
Some premium suites also offer identity theft protection and credit monitoring features.
Also, a paid antivirus suite gives you excellent value for your money. These suites are cross-platform,
meaning you can protect all of your devices -- including PCs, Macs, and smartphones, with
just a single product. Now that you know why it’s worth spending
a few bucks each month on a premium antivirus product, let’s see which antivirus software
is the best option. In this video, we will be covering Norton,
McAfee, Bitdefender, Kaspersky, Avast, AVG, and Malwarebytes.
We will be covering these products one by one. But keep in mind that we will cover them
in descending order. So stay with us till the end to see our number one pick for the
best antivirus software. We have ranked these products based on five
key aspects. These are Features, Malware Protection, System Performance, User Interface, and Pricing.
For protection and performance, we have considered the recent independent tests conducted by
the AV-Test Institute, which is a well-known organization.
On a side note, whichever product you choose, don’t forget to buy it through the official
links we have added in the description box down below. These links have special discounts
already applied to them, so you will get the best deal and save a lot of money.
And which antivirus software is your pick? Let us know in the comments section down below.
Let’s get underway. Malwarebytes is the first software we are
going to cover. It ranks seventh on our list of best antivirus software, mainly due to
its basic feature-set and inconsistent results in independent testing.
Malwarebytes started as an anti-malware tool, but now it also incorporates online protection.
It offers a free product, which is very limited, and two premium cross-platform products, which
are Malwarebytes Premium and Premium + Privacy. The only difference between the products is
the addition of a VPN. Common features in these products include
multi-layered malware protection, web protection, ransomware protection, and exploit protection.
Unlike most antivirus software, Malwarebytes products aren't loaded with many features.
Regarding malware protection, Malwarebytes uses its Katana engine backed up by enhanced
behavior-based analysis. This real-time engine protects you against threats and unwanted
programs. Additionally, you can say goodbye to zero-day attacks thanks to its threat signature
generation. Onto performance, Malwarebytes is engineered
to use 50% fewer system resources. This means it doesn't impact your system when doing scans.
In the recent AV-Test evaluations, Malwarebytes got a score of 4.5 out of 6 for protection
and a 6 out of 6 score for performance. In terms of pricing, Malwarebytes offers three
subscription plans for the two products. The period ranges from 1 to 2 years. The subscriptions
carry a 100% satisfaction 60-day money-back guarantee. For the first-year, Malwarebytes
Premium subscription retails at $39.99 per year for 1 device or $79.99 per year for 5
devices. Malwarebytes Premium plus privacy subscription
will cost you $99.99 per year for 5 devices. Next up is AVG, which ranks 6th on our list.
AVG is a subsidiary of Avast (we'll get to Avast later). AVG is a well-known antivirus
brand that has been in the market for a while. Its award-winning antivirus engine ensures
total security and online protection. The company offers two premium multi-device
products. These are AVG Internet Security and AVG Ultimate.
Both products have an award-winning antivirus reinforced with a firewall. There’s web
and email protection via a link scanner, WIFI guard, and toolbar remover. Hacker protection
is offered through password protection and remote access shield. Your webcam also gets
protection, and there’s a data shredder. AVG Ultimate only adds a few additions, such
as tune-up utilities and a VPN. Malware protection and performance-wise, AVG
does a great job. Its award-winning antivirus engine gives you robust protection with real-time
threat detection. Moreover, this best-in-class protection doesn't compromise your system
performance. AVG ensures you get security, privacy, and performance all at once.
In the recent AV-Test evaluations, AVG got a 6 out of 6 score for malware protection.
However, it got a slightly lesser 5.5 out of 6 score for performance, which isn’t
bad but isn’t perfect either. AVG has two affordable multi-device pricing
plans for its products. AVG Internet Security costs $47.88 per year for 10 devices, while
AVG Ultimate retails at $77.88 per year for 10 devices.
Next in the line is Avast, which ranks fifth on our list.
Like AVG, Avast is also a popular antivirus in the market thanks to its basic free version,
which is more of a stripped-down version of premium products.
On the premium side, Avast also offers two cross-platform premium products. They include;
Avast Premium Security and Avast ultimate. All Avast products come loaded with an antivirus
engine and extra-layer for ransomware protection. There’s a sandbox environment, firewall,
a data shredder, webcam shield, and a WIFI inspector.
Avast Ultimate offers three unique features that make it more than just the antivirus.
It packs tune-up and clean-up utilities, a VPN, and anti-track functionality.
If we look at protection, Avast's antivirus engine uses advanced artificial intelligence,
which offers real-time protection. Its threat-detection network also ensures new threats are countered
effectively. There's also extra protection against ransomware.
Performance-wise, Avast sometimes takes more resources. This is due to the way it carries
out deep scans. Even with tune-up utilities, expect a little impact on your system performance.
In the AV-Test evaluations, Avast got a perfect 6 out of 6 score for malware protection. However,
it got a 5.5 for performance. Avast also offers three subscription plans
to its two premium products like Malwarebytes. Avast Premium Security costs $39.99 per year
for 1PC. For 10 devices, it will cost you $59.99 per year. Avast Ultimate goes for $69.99
per year for 10 devices. There's also an option for 1 device.
In fourth place, we have Kaspersky. Kaspersky is known to be a step ahead when
offering protection against online threats. Thanks to its products that cater to today's
security demands and scalable protection capabilities. Kaspersky offers four home-use antivirus solutions
that deliver complete protection as needed. We'll start with its base product; Kaspersky
Anti-Virus, which is made for Windows. As the name suggests, this product offers essential
antivirus protection. It does this through an award-winning antivirus engine and a network
attack blocker. The second solution is Kaspersky Internet
Security. This is more of an antivirus security suite with privacy protection and advanced
security. It's compatible with Windows, Android, and Macs.
Its security and privacy features include a VPN with up to 300 MB of traffic per day,
file shredder, privacy cleaner, two-way hacker-proof firewall, webcam protection, and home protection
utilities. There’s also payment protection and gamers will benefit from the gamer mode.
Up next is Kaspersky Total Security Suite. It is similar to the previous product but
with support to iOS. It includes a password manager, secure vault with data encryption
and parental control. Lastly, we have the Kaspersky Security Cloud.
It is offered in two packages; Personal and Family. Both packages offer the features of
previous Kaspersky solutions. Furthermore, the packages give you access to other Kaspersky
privacy and security apps. Kaspersky Security Cloud offers you remote
account management, checks for breaches and leaks, a home network and hard drive health
monitor, and a free VPN with up to 500 MB of traffic per day. The family package gives
you flexible parental control. Regarding malware protection, Kaspersky's
next-gen solutions offer impeccable protection against viruses, malware, trojans, ransomware,
and phishing scams. Its award-winning antivirus engine relies on instant threat detection
and Artificial Intelligence. Performance-wise, Kaspersky can heavily or
lightly impact your performance depending on the operation at hand. Background scanning
operations use a few system resources while active scans are aggressive.
In the recent AV-Test evaluations, Kaspersky got 6 out of 6 points for malware protection.
However, regarding performance, Kaspersky managed to scoop a score of 5.5 out of 6,
which isn’t perfect but still a very good score.
Kaspersky offers various subscription plans that cover 3 to 5, or 5 to 10 devices. The
Subscription period runs from 1 to 3 years. The subscriptions carry a 30-day money-back
guarantee. Kaspersky Anti-Virus retails at $29.99 for
3PCs, Kaspersky Internet Security costs $39.99 for 3 devices while the Total Security suite
goes for $49.99 for 5 devices. Kaspersky Personal Security Cloud costs $53.99 for 3 devices,
and lastly, the Kaspersky Family Security Cloud goes for $89.99 for 10 devices.
The third position on our list goes to McAfee. McAfee is perhaps the oldest and most recognized
brand in the antivirus landscape. Unlike other brands with various solutions, McAfee has
one package suitable for your privacy and security needs. That is McAfee Total protection.
This package is compatible with Windows, Androids, Macs, and iOS devices. It also comes with
Identity theft protection. McAfee Total Protection is divided into three
tiers; Single Device, Individual or Couples, and Family.
The Single Device tier has an award-winning antivirus with safe browsing, 1 VPN license,
home network security, and security support from experts. Utilities on this tier include
a password manager, file shredder, encrypted storage, and optimization tools.
The Individual tier adds multi-device compatibility, 5 VPN licenses, and identity theft protection
essentials. The Family tier comes with one unique feature, which is parental controls.
In terms of malware protection, the award-winning antivirus engine protects you against viruses,
malware, ransomware, fileless threats, and other online and offline threats. The engine
relies on cloud-based technology and machine learning. This is why McAfee has a low rate
for false positives and faster detection and protection rate for threats.
Regarding performance, you will notice a little to no impact during scanning operations. Active
scans are not resource-hungry, and background scans use fewer system resources. This is
proven in the AV-Test evaluations where McAfee bagged all the 6 points in both protection
and performance categories, which is excellent. Onto its pricing structure, McAfee offers
three subscription plans for three tiers. The subscriptions carry a 30-day money-back
guarantee, and McAfee offers a 100% virus protection pledge.
The Single device subscription goes for $24.99 per year per device, and the Individual subscription
retails at $29.99 per year for 5 devices. The Family subscription will cost you $29.99
per year for 10 devices or $39.99 per year for 10 unlimited devices.
If McAfee tickles your fancy, don’t forget to buy it through the official link we have
added in the description box below. You can get a 50 discount on McAfee if you use this
link. Our second-best antivirus software is Bitdefender.
Thanks to its constant innovation for almost two decades, Bitdefender has built products
you can rely upon. In the antivirus space, Bitdefender offers five suites. These suites
are equipped with premium features for security and privacy.
First, there is Bitdefender Antivirus Plus. This is the base product that offers more
than an antivirus. It is built for Windows and packs various features. You get multi-layer
ransomware protection, real-time data protection, network threat prevention, advanced threat
defense, anti-fraud, anti-phishing, web attack prevention, rescue environment, and vulnerability
assessment. Its performance features such as performance
profiles, global protective network, Bitdefender photon, battery mode, and autopilot. For privacy,
there’s a password manager, file shredder, anti-tracker, 200 MB VPN traffic, and social
network protection. The next suite, Bitdefender Internet Security,
is also built for Windows. It adds features such as antispam, webcam protection, parental
control, privacy firewall, microphone monitor, and a WIFI security advisor.
Up next is Bitdefender Total Security, which is our recommended product. This suite is
compatible with Windows, Android, Macs, and iOS devices. On top of the previous features,
it comes with a OneClick performance optimizer and anti-theft functionality. Bitdefender
Family Pack is the next in line. It is similar to the previous product, except supports up
to 15 devices, which provides great value for your money.
The final product is the Bitdefender Premium Security. It is also similar to Bitdefender
Total Security. Its unique features include unlimited VPN traffic and support for a maximum
of 10 devices. Bitdefender offers unmatched protection capabilities.
Its award-winning antivirus engine incorporates next-gen technology and offers top-of-the-line
protection against online threats. This engine has registered one of the best threat detection
rates in the industry. In terms of performance, Bitdefender has one
of the lowest performance impacts on system resources. This is because Bitdefender can
adapt to your system's configuration. This helps it save computing resources and improve
speed and performance. In the AV-Test evaluations, Bitdefender got a perfect 6 out of 6 points
for both protection and performance. In terms of pricing, Bitdefender offers various
subscription plans for its products. The subscriptions are multi-device and carry a 30-day money-back
guarantee. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus retails at $29.99
for 3 devices, Bitdefender Internet Security costs $34.99 for 3 devices, while Bitdefender
Total Security goes for $39.98 for 5 devices. The Bitdefender Family Pack suite retails
at $49.99 for 15 devices and Bitdefender Premium Security costs $64.99 for 10 devices.
If you’re interested in Bitdefender, make sure to buy it using the official link we
have added down below. You can get 50 percent off on Bitdefender if you use this link.
Finally, our number one pick for the best antivirus software is Norton.
Norton offers a slew of advanced security-enhancing features as well as complete anti-malware
protection against online threats and comprehensive plans for identity theft protection. Like
Bitdefender, Norton also boasts a lineup of antivirus products.
Norton Antivirus Plus is the most basic suite. This is the essential product features an
antivirus engine, smart firewall, online threat protection, password manager, and 2GB cloud
backup. Next up is the Norton 360 lineup. The 360
lineup offers three comprehensive cross-platform suites to take care of your online security,
privacy, and identity. These are Norton 360 Standard, Norton 360 Deluxe, and Norton 360
with LifeLock Select. The Norton 360 Standard is the base package
of the 360 suite. It adds a secure VPN for 1 device, webcam protection, dark web monitoring,
and 10GB cloud backup. Up next in the suite is the Norton 360 Deluxe.
This is our recommended Norton product. It balances security and privacy and even incorporates
some advanced identity protection features. You get everything that’s included in the
previous tiers, plus a VPN for up to 5 devices, a privacy monitor, parental control with school
time mode, and 50GB cloud backup. The high-end package is the Norton 360 with
LifeLock Select. This product is only available for the US, at least for now. So if you’re
not from the US, your best option is to go for the 360 Deluxe suite, which is available
worldwide. This LifeLock Select offers additional features.
For example, You get alerts for your credit and SSN, data breaches, and there’s ID verification
and 1 bureau credit monitoring. You also get Stolen wallet protection, access to US-based
ID restoration specialists, and 100GB cloud backup.
When it comes to malware protection, Norton's award-winning antivirus engine is unrivaled.
It uses AI and machine learning to monitor online threats. It further relies on its multilayered
security to deliver advanced protection against viruses, malware, spyware, ransomware, and
even emerging threats. Besides device protection, Norton also protects your online activities,
including your identity. Performance-wise, Norton's background scans
use fewer system resources, which results in a little system impact. In the evaluations
by AV-Test, Norton got 6 out of 6 points in the protection and performance categories,
which is excellent. Norton offers various pricing plans for its
different products. Norton antivirus plus goes for $19.99 per
year for 1 PC or Mac. Norton 360 standard costs $34.99 per year for 1 PC, Mac, smartphone,
or tablet. Norton 360 deluxe retails at $39.99 per year, and it covers up to 5 PCs, Macs,
smartphones, or tablets. And Norton 360 with LifeLock Select goes for
$99.48 per year, and it offers protection for up to 5 PCs, Macs, smartphones, or tablets.
As mentioned before, this suite is only for the US market.
Check out the links we have added in the description section down below if you want to get up to
70 percent discount on Norton. The sale may end soon so act now to secure the discount.
That’s the end of our video. To wrap up, the ever-evolving threat landscape
needs antivirus solutions that offer top-notch malware protection. These solutions are usually
premium antivirus security suites. These suites provide unmatched protection against threats,
advanced features, and they even cover your online privacy. Some products, like Norton’s,
also offer advanced identity theft and dark web protection. You won't get this kind of
protection in free products. Hope you enjoyed this video.
Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comment section down below. We’d love to
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