What is the best antivirus software right now?

There is no single winner. Bitdefender and ESET suit users who want a light third-party engine, Norton 360 and McAfee suit households that want bundled extras, and Microsoft Defender is enough for a careful, patched Windows user.

Is free antivirus software safe to use?

Yes, when you download it from the developer. Bitdefender, Avast, AVG, Avira and Panda all publish permanently free Windows editions, and Microsoft Defender is already installed on Windows 10 and 11.

Can I run two antivirus programs at once?

Not two real-time engines. You can, however, run one resident antivirus plus an on-demand scanner such as the free Malwarebytes build for second-opinion scans.

Pillar guide

Antivirus Software: What to Install and Why

Antivirus software is no longer just a signature scanner. Modern products combine signatures, heuristics, behavioural monitoring and cloud reputation to stop threats that have never been seen before.

Start with the category that matches your device, then read the individual product profile before you install anything.

Browse by category

Best Antivirus Software for Windows 11 & PC

Compare antivirus software for Windows: built-in Microsoft Defender, free third-party options and paid suites, with setup advice for Windows 11 and Windows 10.

Windows

Antivirus for Windows 11: Free and Paid Options

Antivirus for Windows 11 explained: what the OS protects by default, the best free antivirus for Windows 11, paid alternatives and the settings to enable today.

Windows 11

Antivirus for Windows 10 PCs

Antivirus guidance for Windows 10: Defender's capabilities, free third-party options, lightweight picks for older hardware and why patch status matters most.

Windows 10

Free Antivirus Software: What Is Genuinely Free

Free antivirus explained: which products are permanently free, which are trials, which are on-demand scanners only, and what every free tier holds back.

Free Antivirus

Free Antivirus Software for Windows

Free antivirus software for Windows compared: Microsoft Defender, Bitdefender Free, Avast, AVG and Avira, plus safe download advice and what each tier omits.

Free Windows Antivirus

Windows Virus Protection Explained

How virus protection works on Windows: Defender, SmartScreen, the firewall, controlled folder access and third-party layers, with the settings that matter.

Windows Virus Protection

Antivirus Free Trials: How They Actually Work

Antivirus free trials explained: how they differ from free software, auto-renewal traps, which vendors offer trials and how to cancel before you are charged.

Free Trials

Android Antivirus: What You Actually Need

Android antivirus explained: what Play Protect already does, when a security app helps, free options worth installing and how to scan Android for malware.

Android

Mac Antivirus: What macOS Users Should Know

Mac antivirus explained: what XProtect and Gatekeeper already block, why Mac adware is the real problem, and which free and paid Mac tools are worth it.

Mac

Chromebook Security: Do You Need Antivirus?

Chromebook security explained: verified boot, sandboxing and why traditional Windows antivirus does not apply, plus what genuinely helps on ChromeOS.

Chromebook

All Antivirus Products We Cover

Browse every antivirus product profile on VirusGuardHub: Norton, Bitdefender, McAfee, Malwarebytes, Avast, AVG, ESET, Kaspersky, Avira, Webroot and more.

All Products

All antivirus product profiles

Norton

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

A full security suite family built around Norton 360 tiers.

Gen Digital Inc. · paid

Download Norton

Norton 360

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

The core Norton security suite sold in Standard, Deluxe and higher US tiers.

Gen Digital Inc. · paid

Download Norton 360

Norton 360 Standard

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

The entry Norton 360 tier for individuals and small device counts.

Gen Digital Inc. · paid

Download Norton 360 Standard

Norton 360 Deluxe

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

The family tier: more devices, more backup, parental controls.

Gen Digital Inc. · paid

Download Norton 360 Deluxe

Bitdefender

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

A high-detection engine with a genuinely usable free edition on Windows.

Bitdefender S.R.L. · freemium

Download Bitdefender

Bitdefender Free

A permanently free Windows antivirus from a top-tier detection vendor.

Bitdefender S.R.L. · free

Download Bitdefender Free

McAfee

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

Broad US-market suites with heavy emphasis on identity and device count.

McAfee, LLC · paid

Download McAfee

McAfee LiveSafe

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

The McAfee suite most often found pre-installed on US retail PCs.

McAfee, LLC · paid

Download McAfee LiveSafe

Malwarebytes

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

The cleanup tool that became a full antivirus — with a free on-demand scanner.

Malwarebytes Inc. · freemium

Download Malwarebytes

Avast

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

One of the most-downloaded free antivirus products, now part of Gen Digital.

Gen Digital Inc. · freemium

Download Avast

AVG

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

Avast's sibling engine in a simpler, more traditional interface.

Gen Digital Inc. · freemium

Download AVG

ESET

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

A lightweight, highly configurable engine favoured by technical users.

ESET, spol. s r.o. · paid

Download ESET

Kaspersky

A historically top-scoring engine with US availability restrictions to check first.

Kaspersky Lab · freemium

Download Kaspersky

Trend Micro

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

Web-threat focused protection with strong browser and social-media tooling.

Trend Micro Incorporated · paid

Download Trend Micro

Avira

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

A free German-engineered scanner bundled with optimisation and a capped VPN.

Gen Digital Inc. · freemium

Download Avira

Webroot

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

An unusually small cloud-based client with journaling-based rollback.

OpenText · paid

Download Webroot

F-Secure

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

A privacy-forward Nordic suite with a clean, minimal client.

F-Secure Corporation · paid

Download F-Secure

Sophos

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

Enterprise-derived protection with remote management for family devices.

Sophos Ltd. · paid

Download Sophos

Panda Dome

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

A tiered Spanish suite with a free entry level and unusual extras.

WatchGuard Technologies · freemium

Download Panda Dome

TotalAV

Developer Offer + 1 Extra Month

A heavily marketed suite pairing antivirus with system optimisation.

Protected.net · freemium

Download TotalAV

Microsoft Defender

Already installed, already running, already free on every supported Windows PC.

Microsoft Corporation · built-in

Download Microsoft Defender

Head-to-head comparisons

Best Antivirus Software Compared

Compare the best antivirus software for Windows and other platforms: protection, features, performance, privacy, pricing model and who each product suits.

Roundup

Best Free Antivirus Compared

Compare genuinely free antivirus software for Windows, including Microsoft Defender, Bitdefender Free, Avast, AVG and Avira, plus what each free tier leaves out.

Roundup

Antivirus for Windows Compared

Compare antivirus software for Windows 11 and Windows 10: built-in Defender, free third-party tiers and paid suites, with footprint, features and best-fit guidance.

Roundup

Norton vs Bitdefender

Norton 360 vs Bitdefender compared on protection approach, features, system impact, privacy, pricing model, free options and which user each one suits best.

Head to head

Norton vs McAfee

Norton 360 vs McAfee Total Protection compared on device coverage, identity monitoring, VPN, firewall, system impact and renewal pricing for US households.

Head to head

Bitdefender vs McAfee

Bitdefender vs McAfee on detection approach, free options, device coverage, identity protection, system impact and value for US Windows and mobile users.

Head to head

Bitdefender vs Malwarebytes

Bitdefender vs Malwarebytes compared: real-time prevention against adware and PUP cleanup, free tiers, resource use, and why many users run both together.

Head to head

Avast vs AVG

Avast vs AVG compared. Both are Gen Digital products sharing a detection engine, so we focus on interface, free tier features, extras and which one to install.

Head to head

Microsoft Defender vs Bitdefender

Microsoft Defender vs Bitdefender compared on detection, ransomware protection, footprint, features and cost, with a clear answer on when switching is worth it.

Head to head

Free vs Paid Antivirus

A clear breakdown of free vs paid antivirus software: what free tiers include, what paid suites add, when upgrading is worth it and when it is not.

Roundup

Bitdefender vs Norton

Bitdefender vs Norton in brief: which has a free version, which is lighter, which bundles more, and which one to choose based on how many devices you cover.

Head to head

Frequently asked questions

What is the best antivirus software right now?: There is no single winner. Bitdefender and ESET suit users who want a light third-party engine, Norton 360 and McAfee suit households that want bundled extras, and Microsoft Defender is enough for a careful, patched Windows user.
Is free antivirus software safe to use?: Yes, when you download it from the developer. Bitdefender, Avast, AVG, Avira and Panda all publish permanently free Windows editions, and Microsoft Defender is already installed on Windows 10 and 11.
Can I run two antivirus programs at once?: Not two real-time engines. You can, however, run one resident antivirus plus an on-demand scanner such as the free Malwarebytes build for second-opinion scans.