All About Cookies is an independent, advertising-supported website. Some of the offers that appear on this site are from third-party advertisers from which All About Cookies receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear).
All About Cookies does not include all financial or credit offers that might be available to consumers nor do we include all companies or all available products. Information is accurate as of the publishing date and has not been provided or endorsed by the advertiser.
The All About Cookies editorial team strives to provide accurate, in-depth information and reviews to help you, our reader, make online privacy decisions with confidence. Here's what you can expect from us:
- All About Cookies makes money when you click the links on our site to some of the products and offers that we mention. These partnerships do not influence our opinions or recommendations. Read more about how we make money.
- Partners are not able to review or request changes to our content except for compliance reasons.
- We aim to make sure everything on our site is up-to-date and accurate as of the publishing date, but we cannot guarantee we haven't missed something. It's your responsibility to double-check all information before making any decision. If you spot something that looks wrong, please let us know.
Best Overall
Best for Unlimited Devices
Best for Beginners
Best Free Antivirus Software
Best for variety of features
Based on our testing, experience, and research, we recommend Bitdefender as the best antivirus for Windows. It’s a low-impact antivirus that’s easy to use and packed with useful features, including malware and ransomware protection and a firewall.
We picked McAfee, Norton 360 Antivirus, Panda Dome, and ESET as the runners-up to round out our list of the top five antivirus products for Windows. We tested these and other antivirus programs, ranking them according to their price, impact on PC performance, features, scanning speeds, customer support, and more.
Let’s see why these are the five best antiviruses for Windows.
How we tested the best antivirus software for Windows
Bitdefender: Best overall
McAfee: Best for unlimited devices
Norton: Best for beginners
Panda Dome: Best free software
ESET: Best for variety of features
Honorable mentions
What to look for when choosing the best antivirus for Windows
Best antivirus for Windows FAQs
Bottom line: The best antivirus programs for Windows
The best antivirus software for Windows
- Bitdefender: Best overall
- McAfee: Best for unlimited devices
- Norton: Best for beginners
- Panda Dome: Best free software
- ESET: Best for variety of features
Top 5 antivirus products for Windows compared
Antivirus | ![]() Best Overall
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Star rating | 4.6 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 3.6 | 4.6 |
Starting price | Starts at $29.99/yr (first year only) | Starts at $39.99/yr (first yr only) | Starts at $29.99/yr (first year only) | Starts at $25.50/yr (first year only) (for paid versions) | Starts at $41.99/yr (first year only) |
Max number of protected devices | 10 | Unlimited |
Unlimited | 10 | 10 |
Malware scans | |||||
Free version | |||||
Firewall | |||||
Phishing protection | |||||
Ransomware protection | |||||
24/7 customer support | |||||
Extras | VPN, password manager, identity theft protection | Password manager, VPN, dark web monitoring | VPN, personal data cleanup, identity monitoring and alerts | Parental controls, identity theft protection, VPN | Password manager, VPN, identity theft protection, data and photo encryption, metadata cleanup |
Compatibility | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, ChromeOS | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Android | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS |
Mehr erfahren | Get Bitdefender Read Bitdefender Review |
Get McAfee Read McAfee Review |
Get Norton Read Norton Review |
Get Panda Dome Read Panda Dome Review |
Get ESET Read ESET Review |
How we tested the best antivirus software for Windows
We chose the best antivirus products for Windows by looking at a number of different factors, including:
- Price: How much the software costs per year.
- Protection features: Whether it provides real-time protection, phishing protection, a firewall, and more.
- Third-party test scores: How well it tested with trusted, third-party organizations.
- Scanning speed and performance: The speed of scans and impact on system resources.
- Additional features: If extra features are included, such as a VPN or password manager.
- Customer support and resources: Whether there’s 24/7 support available through multiple channels.
- Reputation: Not having any known successful intrusions from hackers or red flags.
- False positives: Not picking up legitimate files as potential threats.
We tested (where applicable) and looked at these features because they provide an overall sense of whether an antivirus product might be a good fit for the everyday antivirus user.
Bitdefender: Best overall
Who it’s best for
Bitdefender is best for people who want an antivirus that outright functions as a total security product. It’s easy to use, barely impacts PC performance, and has perfect AV-TEST scores for protection.
This means it provided 100% malware protection against malware attacks (which can include spyware and adware). Bitdefender's performance and usability dipped from previous testing, as it did slow the launch of standard software apps more than the industry standard and had a few false detections of legitimate software as malware. Despite these dings, Bitdefender still stands as a top choice for antivirus protection.
It also doesn’t hurt that Bitdefender starts out at the very low price of $29.99/yr (first year only).
What we liked
You can’t get much cheaper than $29.99/yr (first year only) for a well-known antivirus product. But this isn’t a budget antivirus, at least not in terms of what Bitdefender can provide.
This includes a Windows app that we found easy to navigate and use with fast manual scans (at least after the initial scan). Although this is a recommendation for Windows 10, it’s worth mentioning that Bitdefender also had perfect AV-TEST scores on macOS and Android devices.
One feature we liked about the Bitdefender Windows app was that it didn’t have much impact on our system performance. We could still browse the web and go about our everyday computer activities while Bitdefender was running without any performance issues.
For example, here you can see we’re running a quick scan while checking Windows Task Manager to see what kind of resources Bitdefender is using (bdservicehost and Bitdefender Main Interface). Overall, the memory usage wasn’t even close to what our millions of Chrome tabs use, and we experienced no significant impact on our PC performance.
![We found Bitdefender didn't use many system resources on our Windows PC.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/03/03/best-antivirus-for-windows-01.jpg)
We also liked how you could customize the dashboard in Bitdefender. This makes it easier to quickly find the features and actions you access most often.
![You can customize your Bitdefender dashboard to show the settings and options you use the most.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/03/03/best-antivirus-for-windows-02.jpg)
What we didn’t like
The initial full system scan took about 25 minutes to complete, scanning a little over 1.8 million items. That’s not a terribly long time, especially for a first scan, but we’ve seen better results. (McAfee Total Protection only took about 10 minutes for its first full scan.)
![One thing we didn't like about Bitdefender was the long scan time (25 minutes) — at least initially.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/03/03/best-antivirus-for-windows-03-1.jpg)
It should be noted that a follow-up full scan with Bitdefender only took about eight minutes, which is more in line with what we expect from a top antivirus product.
We don’t love that Bitdefender doesn't offer a plan for unlimited devices, which you can find with McAfee. Instead, you max out at 10 devices. This is common for antivirus products, but it could still be a hassle in certain situations where you might need or want antivirus software on a lot of different devices.
Test results
Bitdefender | |
AV-TEST Windows score | 17/18 |
AV-TEST macOS score | 18/18 |
AV-TEST Android score | 18/18 |
AV-Comparatives malware protection score | 99.92% |
SE Labs results | K.A. |
Mehr erfahren | Get Bitdefender Read Bitdefender Review |
McAfee: Best for unlimited devices
Who it’s best for
McAfee is best for people who want an all-around excellent product that can be used with an unlimited number of devices on certain subscription plans. It’s common for antivirus plans to max out at 10 devices (like Bitdefender), but you don’t have that limit with McAfee.
Additionally, McAfee is a reputable cybersecurity product that’s been around for more than 30 years, which is a long time in the antivirus space (considering the internet is barely older). If you want protection against computer viruses, there’s not much better than McAfee.
This is apparent if you consider McAfee has outstanding AV-TEST scores for protection, performance, and usability. McAfee had perfect test results across the board with no issues.
McAfee starts at $39.99/yr (first yr only), though the lowest-priced plan for unlimited devices is $49.99/yr (first yr only). That’s definitely a bit pricier, but still not unreasonable.
What we liked
McAfee has spent years improving its products, and it shows in how easy the Windows app is to use. We were able to easily navigate between different features, including the area to schedule and run scans.
We were impressed with how quickly the initial scan was completed, only taking about 10 minutes. We know the scanning time frame can vary depending on your PC speed and the number of files being scanned, but it was still a quick scan. For reference, McAfee says its scans take about 5 to 15 minutes.
![Our McAfee scan was quick and took about 10 minutes to finish.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/03/03/best-antivirus-for-windows-04.jpg)
What we didn’t like
The starting price for the first year ($39.99/yr (first yr only)) is a bit higher compared with Bitdefender ($29.99/yr (first year only)) and Norton ($29.99/yr (first year only)). And we didn’t love the seemingly endless barrage of McAfee notifications that popped up after installing the program.
It wasn’t really an endless barrage, but it was a bit annoying, considering we generally try to keep our PC clear of unnecessary notifications. And maybe some of these notifications could be helpful, but we didn’t need to know about our PC memory usage or that we had turned off real-time scanning.
![One thing we didn't like about McAfee was the annoying alerts.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/03/03/best-antivirus-for-windows-05.jpg)
![We were able to turn off some of the annoying McAfee alerts.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/03/03/best-antivirus-for-windows-06.jpg)
We noticed we didn’t receive as many notifications after fiddling with some of the settings and using McAfee for a bit, so maybe the notification flood starts to subside as time goes on and you try to manually turn off some alerts.
There’s also no free version of McAfee Antivirus, though you can do a 30-day free trial. Bitdefender and Panda Dome both have free versions, which might be more useful for giving you time to see whether you like a product.
Test results
McAfee | |
AV-TEST Windows score | 18/18 |
AV-TEST macOS score | K.A. |
AV-TEST Android score | 18/18 |
AV-Comparatives malware protection score | 99.91% |
SE Labs results | K.A. |
Mehr erfahren | Get McAfee Read McAfee Review |
Norton: Best for beginners
Who it’s best for
Norton is best for beginners to antivirus products who want an easy-to-use program packed with useful features.
Similar to McAfee, Norton Antivirus is internet security software that’s been around for a while (since 1990), which gives it ample time to develop and improve its product. This can be seen in its simple Windows interface that lays out everything you need to know on one screen.
For example, look at this clean layout with buttons for all the features and settings. You can access your scans, updates, VPN, cloud backup, and more, all from the same screen.
![Norton includes multiple extra features, including dark web monitoring, cloud backup, and a password manager.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/03/03/best-antivirus-for-windows-07.jpg)
And starting out at $29.99/yr (first year only) is an affordable option for most people.
What we liked
The Norton Windows app guides you through different steps to help protect your computer. For example, it let us know we should activate the Cloud Backup feature because our plan had 10 GB of cloud storage.
But even better, Norton explained why we should activate Cloud Backup (in case of a hard drive crash or ransomware attack), what would be backed up (default selection or manual selection of files), and how to access backups (through our Norton account).
![Norton walked us through setup and also included lots of tips, like turning on Cloud Backup in case we lost files due to a virus or ransomware.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/03/03/best-antivirus-for-windows-08.jpg)
These types of steps and tips are all over the place in the Norton app, which is great for beginners.
What we didn’t like
There’s no free version of Norton Antivirus, and the free trial only lasts seven days, which is quite short.
We also didn’t love that our first full scan took about 30 minutes, though this isn’t too uncommon. But it was strange that we had to keep track of the elapsed time ourselves because there didn’t seem to be any sort of timer in the Norton app.
![One thing we didn't like about Norton antivirus was the lack of a scan timer.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/03/03/best-antivirus-for-windows-09.jpg)
A follow-up system scan took about nine minutes to complete.
Test results
Norton | |
AV-TEST Windows score | 16.5/18 |
AV-TEST macOS score | 18/18 |
AV-TEST Android score | 18/18 |
AV-Comparatives malware protection score | 99.97% |
SE Labs results | 99% |
Mehr erfahren | Get Norton Read Norton Review |
Panda Dome: Best free software
Who it's best for
Panda Dome has a cute name, but it's proven to be a powerful antivirus. The Free Antivirus has a malware protection score of over 99% with AV-Comparatives and a 92% with SE Labs, which is impressive for a product you won't have to pay for.
We also love Panda for its free antivirus. You'll get antivirus protection around the clock and you'll be able to scan external devices like USBs and SD memory cards.
What we liked
The Panda Free Antivirus will keep your Windows and Android devices protected without you paying a dime. You'll be able to run manual and scheduled scans to review your device for malware. You'll also be able to scan your external devices for threats.
To keep your data protected from ransomware attacks, Panda comes with the Rescue Kit. You'll be able to make a backup of your hard drive and use it to scan your device for and remove cyberthreats.
![Panda’s Rescue Kit feature, which allows you to make a backup of your hard drive and use Panda’s Cloud Cleaner to look for advanced threats that may be tucked away on your computer.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/06/08/pandadome-antivirus-review_07.png)
Panda Dome also has some useful bonus features with its paid plans. For Windows, these include:
- Parental controls: Allow you to monitor and restrict your children's devices
- Password manager: Create and store strong passwords for all your accounts
- Update manager: Keep your PC up to date and scan for vulnerabilities
What we didn't like
Panda Free Antivirus is limited to Windows and Android only. So if you want to cover your Apple devices, you'll need to find another free antivirus program.
Some of Panda Dome's extra features can be lacking. For instance, most plans come with the regular VPN, which has a daily bandwidth cap of 150 MB. Plus, it only has an automatic server option, so you won't get all the flexibility and functionaltiy of a premium VPN.
Test results
Panda Dome | |
AV-TEST Windows score | K.A. |
AV-TEST macOS score | K.A. |
AV-TEST Android score | K.A. |
AV-Comparatives malware protection score | 99.57% |
SE Labs results | 92% |
Mehr erfahren | Get Panda Dome Read Panda Dome Review |
ESET: Best for variety of features
ESET uses machine learning coupled with its real-time protection to stop new and emerging threats. At the same time, it offers additional protective features like a password manager, VPN, identity theft protection, and more.
Who it’s best for
ESET offers a variety of features for people looking to bundle their subscriptions. If you want a password manager, VPN, identity theft protection, and more, all protected by advanced machine learning, ESET may be your best choice.
![ESET smart security dashboard](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/08/26/eset_review_2024_refresh_08.png)
What we liked
We appreciated how many features ESET offers customers. You can combine several services, like a password manager, VPN, and identity theft protection. Additional features like metadata cleanup, file and photo encryption, and notification blocking add to ESET's offerings, enhancing your security.
ESET uses machine learning alongside its real-time protection. This means that when you browse the web, you won't need to worry about picking up malware, viruses, or trojans. ESET is always scanning to ensure your security.
What we didn’t like
While ESET does offer 30 days free without needing to enter credit card information, it doesn't have a free product. With all the extras you get, we understand why, but we would love to see at least some essential protection for free. If you don't have a lot of wiggle room in your budget, ESET might not be the best choice.
Test results
ESET | |
AV-TEST Windows score | 18/18 |
AV-TEST macOS score | K.A. |
AV-TEST Android score | 18/18 |
AV-Comparatives malware protection score | 99.3% |
SE Labs results | K.A. |
Mehr erfahren | Get ESET Read ESET Review |
Honorable mentions
We tested many antivirus programs to determine the best for Windows. These honorable mentions also had strong third-party testing scores, but they may lack the advanced security features of our top recs or have a higher price point than we'd prefer.
- Avast: Avast is best if you're looking for a budget antivirus that packs a punch or just want an unlimited free trial. It's not only available for Windows, it's also available for macOS and Android. The Avast free plan comes with a smart scan to find vulnerabilities on your device, a file shield to scan new files for threats, and a quarantine feature to isolate any threats found.
- Microsoft Defender: We'd be remiss not to acknowledge Microsoft Defender, a premium product that enhances the free protection of Windows Security. If you already have a Microsoft 360 subscription, then utilizing Defender is an easy solution. Plus, it boasts perfect protection, performance, and usability scores in the AV-TEST for Windows.
What to look for when choosing the best antivirus for Windows
In general, you want an antivirus that hits these three factors:
- Easy to use
- Doesn’t slow down your computer
- Provides high levels of security and protection
For most people, computer programs are complex strings of code that don’t make sense. But if presented in a certain way, we can easily understand and use them. And that’s exactly what you want with an antivirus program — something that’s intuitive and straightforward for the average person.
You also don’t want your antivirus software to slow down your computer. After all, what good is real-time protection if you can’t surf the web or stream a show while it’s running? A good antivirus program should have little impact on your system performance.
And, of course, your antivirus should also protect your computer. This often means providing scheduled scans, a firewall, phishing protection, anti-ransomware features, and web or browser protection.
Best antivirus for Windows FAQs
Does Windows 10 need antivirus?
Windows 10 already includes Windows Security, but it doesn’t hurt to have a dedicated antivirus program that’s easier to use than Microsoft Defender. Most third-party antivirus apps, including McAfee and Norton, are easy to install and use. Microsoft Defender could require some customization to perform how you want it, whereas other apps are more straightforward.
What's the No. 1 antivirus for PC?
Bitdefender is our top pick because it’s easy to use and affordable while also providing loads of useful features. This includes anti-phishing and anti-fraud protection, ransomware protection, and web attack prevention against online threats. You can also access a limited VPN.
What antivirus should I use for Windows 10 free?
Windows Security is free antivirus software included with Windows 10 and provides enough features for at least a basic level of protection. However, depending on your situation and preferences, you might want to consider these top-tested alternatives: Bitdefender, McAfee, Norton 360, Avast, AVG, and ESET.
Is Kaspersky a good antivirus for Windows?
We don’t recommend Kaspersky for Windows because AO Kaspersky Lab, the company that provides Kaspersky Antivirus, was deemed a potential threat to national security by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2022.
Bottom line: The best antivirus programs for Windows
Bitdefender is the best overall antivirus for Windows according to our testing, research, and personal experience. Bitdefender is easy to use, provides top protection against malware, and has little impact on your PC performance.
Following Bitdefender, we also recommend McAfee, Norton, and Panda Dome. Although they provide high levels of malware protection and have little effect on Windows PC performance, but we generally had a better experience with Bitdefender.
One highlight of McAfee is that you can get a license to use it with an unlimited number of devices. This isn’t a common feature and could be useful in certain situations. With Norton, we found that it was very easy to use and would be a good fit for antivirus beginners. And Panda Dome provides one of the best free antivirus products.
5 best antivirus products for Windows 2024
Starting price | Best for | Mehr erfahren | |
![]() |
$29.99/yr (first year only) | Best overall | Get Bitdefender Read Bitdefender Review |
![]() |
$39.99/yr (first yr only) | Best for unlimited devices | Get McAfee Read McAfee Review |
![]() |
$29.99/yr (first year only) | Best for beginners | Get Norton Read Norton Review |
![]() | $25.50/yr (first year only) | Best free software | Get Panda Dome Read Panda Dome Review |
![]() | $41.99/yr (first year only) | Best for variety of features | Get ESET Read ESET Review |
![A blue background with images of locks and shields with the text "Best Antivirus Software" and the All About Cookies logo.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/315x315/filters:quality(75)/images/2023/01/26/best-antivirus-software.png)
![Close-up of a man on his Macbook holding a pen in his hand.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/315x315/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/01/05/apple-security-alert-scam.jpg)
![A mom and daughter sit together using a laptop.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/315x315/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/08/06/is_roblox_safe_featured_image.png)
![Person using a laptop computer with cybersecurity.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/315x315/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/06/26/is_kaspersky_safe.jpg)
![A blue background with images of locks and shields and the text "Norton Alternatives"](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/315x315/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/06/19/norton_alternatives.jpg)
![A blue background with images of locks and shields with the text “Best Antivirus Free Trial Downloads” and the All About Cookies logo.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/315x315/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/06/05/best_antivirus_free_trial_downloads_featured_image.png)
![Woman holds phone while scrolling on her laptop.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/315x315/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/05/31/norton-deals-discounts-promotions.png)
![A man in an office stares down at his laptop.](https://cdn.allaboutcookies.org/315x315/filters:quality(75)/images/2024/05/16/norton-360-prices.png)