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Best for Beginners
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, and Avast as the runners-up to round out our list of the top four 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 four best antiviruses for Windows.
Bitdefender: Best overall
McAfee: Best for unlimited devices
Norton: Best for beginners
Avast: Best free antivirus software
Honorable mentions
What to look for when choosing the best antivirus for Windows 10 and 11
How we tested the best antivirus software for Windows 10 and 11
Best antivirus for Windows FAQs
Bottom line: The best antivirus programs for Windows 10 and 11
The best antivirus software for Windows
- Bitdefender: Best overall
- McAfee: Best for unlimited devices
- Norton: Best for beginners
- Avast: Best free antivirus software
Top 4 antivirus products for Windows compared
Antivirus |
Best Overall
|
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Starting price | Starts at $29.99/yr (first year only) | Starts at $39.99/yr (first year only) | Starts at $29.99/yr (first year only) | Starts at $35.88/yr (first year only) (for paid versions) |
Free version | ||||
Windows versions | Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11 | Windows 10, Windows 11 | Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, Windows 11 | Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11, Vista, XP SP3 |
Phishing protection | ||||
Ransomware protection | ||||
Learn more | Get Bitdefender Read Bitdefender Review |
Get McAfee Read Bitdefender Review |
Get Norton Read Norton Review |
Get Avast Read Avast Review |
How we assess third-party test results for Windows
In tandem with our in-house testing, we consider how well antivirus programs perform during third-party testing. A leader in independent Windows testing is AV-TEST, a trusted third-party organization that does independent testing on different aspects of IT security, primarily focusing on testing how and whether antivirus software protects you on Windows, macOS, and Android devices.
The AV-TEST Windows tests focus on three categories: protection, performance, and usability.
Protection tests check how well an antivirus program protects against malware, including viruses, worms, or Trojan horses. AV-TEST implements real-world tests with hundreds of samples to confirm if the AV program can stop zero-day malware attacks and more. With over 19,000 samples, it also tested whether the program could detect malware within the last four weeks of the test. In a nutshell, AV-TEST lets us know if our antivirus solution can detect and prevent new malware.
Performance tests determine how much an antivirus program impacts your computer speeds when running other software, applications, and websites. For example, whether the AV program slows down the launch of popular websites or standard software as well as the download or installation of frequently used applications.
Usability tests assess how the antivirus program impacts your computer system as a whole. So while performance testing considers installation speeds, for example, usability looks at how the AV program interacts with the software and applications you use. If an antivirus solution flags legitimate software, websites, and actions as malicious, then you have what's called a false positive. False positives can prevent your device from running well and prohibit your ability to open certain files or execute certain programs.
The AV-TEST scores in this article refer to the most up-to-date results from April 2024. We found a noticeable drop in overall performance testing for many top-tier AV programs during AV-TEST's most recent evaluations. Prior to April 2024, the Windows tests reflected Windows 10, whereas the most recent results reflect Windows 11 performance. Most noticeably, antivirus programs are being dinged for slowing down the launch of popular websites and the installation of frequently used applications more than the industry standards. In a lot of cases, the slowdowns aren't that drastic, so a lower performance score shouldn't be a total dealbreaker when considering well-tested, trusted names in cybersecurity.
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 from March 2024 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 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.
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.)
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.
Our testing also showed that certain Bitdefender features, such as the device optimizer and privacy firewall, aren’t available on Apple devices (those with iOS or macOS operating systems). This isn’t a big deal for Windows users unless you also want to use Bitdefender with other types of devices.
Bitdefender specs
Starting price | Starts at $29.99/yr (first year only) |
Free version | Yes |
Windows versions | Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11 |
Number of devices | Up to 10 |
Firewall | Yes (not on Bitdefender Antivirus Plus) |
Phishing protection | Yes |
Ransomware protection | Yes |
Webcam protection | Yes |
Network protection | Yes |
Parental controls | Yes (not on Bitdefender Antivirus Plus) |
Extras | Unlimited premium VPN, identity theft protection, password manager |
Learn more | Get Bitdefender |
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 (such as with 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 year only), though the lowest-priced plan for unlimited devices is$49.99/yr (first year 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.
What we didn’t like
The starting price for the first year ($39.99/yr (first year 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.
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 has a free version, which might be more useful for giving you time to see whether you like a product.
McAfee specs
Starting price | Starts at $39.99/yr (first year only) |
Free version | No, but there’s a 30-day free trial |
Windows versions | Windows 10, Windows 11 |
Number of devices | Up to unlimited |
Firewall | Yes |
Phishing protection | Yes |
Ransomware protection | Yes |
Webcam protection | No |
Network protection | Yes |
Parental controls | Yes (with McAfee Safe Family) |
Extras | In-depth credit and identity theft monitoring, VPN, personal data cleanup |
Learn more | Get McAfee |
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 also received strong AV-TEST scores on its Windows product for protection, performance, and usability, though its performance score dropped a full point since the February 2024 testing due to a significant drop in speed when launching popular websites compared to the industry standard. In the most recent round of testing, Norton also saw a bigger slowdown when installing frequently used applications than competitors.
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).
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.
A follow-up system scan took about nine minutes to complete.
Norton specs
Starting price | Starts at $3.39/mo (billed every two years) |
Free version | No, but there’s a 7-day free trial |
Windows versions | Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11 |
Number of devices | Up to unlimited |
Firewall | Yes (with Norton 360 products) |
Phishing protection | Yes |
Ransomware protection | Yes |
Webcam protection | Yes |
Network protection | Yes |
Parental controls | Yes |
Extras | VPN, LifeLock identity theft protection, parental controls, dark web monitoring, privacy monitor |
Learn more | Get Norton |
Avast: Best free antivirus software
Who it's best for
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.
What we liked
Avast does more than just a decent job as one of the best free antivirus products. Its free antivirus also received perfect scores on AV-TEST in February 2024 and in April 2024 for malware protection, performance, and usability.
On top of free features for scanning and quarantining cyber threats, Avast also provides a free browser extension to block trackers, avoid malicious websites and phishing scams, and auto-accept or auto-decline cookies. We love that Avast covers so much ground with its free products.
What we didn't like
We would be remiss not to mention past issues with data security. In 2019, Avast was found to be selling user data to its subsidiaries. Its since addressed these concerns, but it could be a concern for some, especially when downloading free software.
Unfortunately, Avast doesn't offer parental controls, not even on its paid plans. This might be a drawback if you're looking to cover and protect your family, but you could also combine Avast with one of the best parental control apps.
Avast specs
Starting price | Starts at $35.88/yr (first year only) |
Free version | Yes |
Windows versions | Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1, Windows 10, Windows 11 |
Number of devices | Up to 30 |
Firewall | Yes |
Phishing protection | Yes |
Ransomware protection | Yes |
Webcam protection | Yes (paid plans only) |
Network protection | Yes |
Parental controls | No |
Extras | VPN, data breach monitoring, tracker blocking |
Learn more | Get Avast Read Avast 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.
- AVG: AVG was actually one of the best antivirus products we tested. It has real-time protection, anti-ransomware features, and a firewall. It also provides loads of additional features, including options for a secure VPN and PC tuneup software. Based on perfect Windows 10 scores and near-perfect Windows 11 scores from AV-TEST, AVG is likely an excellent choice for Windows users.
- ESET: ESET has perfect third-party testing scores, but it's priced higher than competitors like Norton 360 and McAfee. ESET offers excellent protection against malware and viruses, as it uses advanced machine learning to combat emerging cyberthreats.
- 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 10 and 11
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.
How we tested the best antivirus software for Windows 10 and 11
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.
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 10 and 11
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 Avast antivirus. 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 Avast provides one of the best free antivirus products.
4 best antivirus products for Windows 2024
Starting price | Best for | Learn more | |
$29.99/yr (first year only) | Best overall | Get Bitdefender Read Bitdefender Review |
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$39.99/yr (first year only) | Best for unlimited devices | Get McAfee Read McAfee Review |
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$29.99/yr (first year only) | Best for beginners | Get Norton Read Norton Review |
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$35.88/yr (first year only) (for paid versions) | Best free antivirus software | Get Avast Read Avast Review |
Bitdefender: AV-TEST Windows | April 2024
McAfee: AV-TEST Windows | April 2024
Norton 360: AV-TEST Windows | April 2024
Avast: AV-TEST Windows | April 2024
AVG: AV-TEST Windows | April 2024
Microsoft Defender: AV-TEST Windows | April 2024
ESET: AV-TEST Windows | April 2024