Buying Advice

A practical checklist of antivirus features worth paying for — and the ones that are marketing filler — so you can compare security software on substance.

6 min read · Updated 2026-08-09

What free antivirus software includes, what paid tiers really add, and a decision checklist for whether upgrading is worth it for your household.

6 min read · Updated 2026-08-09

Antivirus for gaming PCs: which products have the lowest frame-time impact, how game modes work, and the exclusions worth configuring for large game libraries.

5 min read · Updated 2026-08-09

Lightweight antivirus for older PCs: which products run acceptably on 4 GB RAM and hard drives, what to disable, and when the OS itself is the problem.

5 min read · Updated 2026-08-09

Antivirus considerations specific to laptops: battery impact, public Wi-Fi protection, disk encryption, theft recovery and which suites suit portable use.

5 min read · Updated 2026-08-09

Family antivirus guidance: device-count licensing, parental controls that are actually usable, protecting children's phones, and managing relatives' PCs remotely.

6 min read · Updated 2026-08-09

Student antivirus advice: free options that are genuinely sufficient, campus Wi-Fi risks, protecting coursework from ransomware and avoiding pirated-software malware.

5 min read · Updated 2026-08-09

Small business antivirus guidance: why consumer licences do not apply, what endpoint management adds, backup requirements and when EDR becomes worthwhile.

6 min read · Updated 2026-08-09