3 Best Antivirus Software in 2025: Windows, Mac
There are hundreds of antiviruses out there — and they all claim to offer the best protection at the best price. But I tested the top antivirus software on the market, and only a few of them are strong enough, secure enough, and effective enough to be considered the best antiviruses of 2025.
Most antivirus programs include more than just a virus scanner — they also come with features that add additional protection, like a firewall, phishing protection, a virtual private network (VPN), a password manager, parental controls, and dedicated protections for mobile devices.
But a lot of antiviruses don’t work as advertised — they have poor malware detection rates, don’t consistently block malicious sites, and their extra features are badly designed and virtually useless (despite costing extra).
I spent weeks testing the top antiviruses on the market, ranking them on security, functionality, speed, and price. Norton came out on top, but I found 10 other products that are also excellent. They all come with money-back guarantees or free trials long enough to see if they meet your expectations. Read on to learn more about each of them and decide which is best for you.
McAfee — Best for Online Security (+ Great for Families)
McAfee has a great range of internet security features, including malware protection, anti-phishing protection, a password manager, a VPN, and identity theft monitoring and coverage. All of its features are easy to use and work just as advertised. On top of mobile coverage, it even has an app for Chromebooks.
Pros
- Reliable real-time protection
- Customizable scans
- Personal data cleanup
- Unlimited devices on most plans
Cons
- System slowdown during scans
- Basic firewall
Its excellent virus protection makes McAfee a great choice — scoring a perfect 100% detection rate against all malware samples during my tests. McAfee detected, blocked, and removed both simple and advanced threats, including viruses, trojans, spyware, keyloggers, and rootkits.
Its anti-phishing protection is also excellent, preventing me from accessing known phishing sites and other dangerous web pages. It identified the vast majority of risky sites, outperforming built-in protections from browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and most competing antiviruses.
You can also protect your phone with McAfee’s mobile apps. Both the iOS and Android versions include the VPN, web protections, and a scanner that alerts you if you try to connect to unsafe Wi-Fi networks. There are unique features, too, like Scam Protection, which warns you about dangerous links in emails, texts, social media, and web browsers.
McAfee’s parental controls are also some of the best on the market — in addition to blocking inappropriate and unwanted content and apps, they come with advanced location tracking, which allows you to track your child’s device with almost perfect accuracy (this feature works much better than Google or Apple’s tools for locating devices).
2. TotalAV — Best for Ease of Use (Super Beginner-Friendly)
TotalAV has an excellent antivirus scanner and a couple of really good extras, all inside a very intuitive dashboard — making it a great choice for beginners. However, TotalAV also includes many customization options that advanced users will appreciate.
Pros
- Great real-time protection
- Extensive system optimization tools
- Fast unlimited-data VPN
- Secure password manager
Cons
- No firewall
- Frequent upsells
TotalAV’s antivirus scanner is fast and reliable, with near-perfect malware detection rates. The scanner caught 99% of all of my test malware, from viruses and trojans to ransomware, missing only a couple of tricky files (which Norton and Bitdefender managed to catch). Similar to Bitdefender, it didn’t have a huge impact on my system performance while running a scan.
TotalAV’s WebShield stops you from visiting dangerous websites. During my tests, it blocked the majority of dangerous websites I tried to visit. You also get access to Total Browser, a secure browser that blocks ads and dangerous sites. It even lets you know if a page you’re visiting was ever involved in a data breach.
Furthermore, TotalAV simplifies routine maintenance tasks by compacting them into 1 scan. This includes an antivirus scan, tracking cookie scan, and disk cleanup. I appreciate the amount of time this saves.
3. Norton 360 — Best Antivirus for Windows, Android & iOS
Norton 360 offers unbeatable virus and malware protection. It’s a well-built and well-maintained internet security suite that keeps your devices and personal information safe — and it works well across all operating systems. It’s the best choice for home users looking for a complete, intuitive antivirus with some of the best cybersecurity protections out there.
Pros
- Perfect malware detection
- Unlimited-data VPN
- Great parental controls
Cons
- No free plan
Norton uses a unique scanning engine powered by heuristic analysis and machine learning, making it capable of scanning, finding, and removing all of the newest and most advanced types of malware. It scored a 100% protection rating during all of my tests, consistently beating built-in antiviruses (like Microsoft Defender).
Norton’s phishing protections are excellent. They come as a browser extension that reliably blocks phishing sites, giving you detailed info on each site it stops you from visiting. It also has built-in online banking protection and a secure search engine that offers color-coded assessments of your search results. Finally, there’s a free browser called Private Browser that integrates various security and privacy-enhancing tools.
