The Best Antivirus 2021
The task of choosing the right antivirus software for your needs can be quite daunting at times. There are numerous antivirus suites on the market, all offering an array of different features. So how do you choose the right one? Sure you could take advantage of free trials and test drive a handful or more, but that would be incredibly time consuming. However, Web Defense has done just that.
We here at Web Defense have tested a slew of the most popular antivirus programs on the market, rated them one a scale of 1 to 5 and compiled them into a list of the TOP 6 best antivirus suites on the market!
You can check out the list below!
Here is a little information on what we looked for when rating/scoring the antivirus suites.
- Price Point
- Ease Of Use/Interface
- Use Of System Resources
- Added Features Such As Firewall or Password Manager
- Free Trials
1. Bitdefender
BEST DEALS
Bitdefender 1-Year $29.99/year
Bitdefender 2-Years $62.99/year
Bitdefender 3-Years $83.99/year
- Ranks very high in just about all independent testing
- Finance and banking protection
- Simple and easy to use interface
- Parental controls
- Password manager included
- Phishing protection
- Does not bog down system resources
- Free 30-day trial
- Spectrum of features depends on the package/price point
Bitdefender took the top spot on our ‘Best Antivirus of 2021’ list for good reason – it’s just plain great!
Bitdefender is jam packed with excellent security features – features that are functional and will not bog down your system resources. Not only does Bitdefender provide proper protection of your devices against spyware, malware and viruses, they also offer a password manager too!
The Bitdefender interface is clean looking and very simple to use. If you are not tech savvy, you won’t be intimidated by the platform.
One of the only drawbacks that we found with Bitdefender, is you get what you pay for. If you want to take advantage of some of the extra features – you must purchase a higher tiered plan.
All three Bitdefender plan options allow you to cover 3 devices at the same time.
2. Norton Antivirus
BEST DEALS
Norton Antivirus Plus $14.99/year
Norton Antivirus Deluxe $34.99/year
Norton 360 Premium I $49.99/year
Norton 360 With Lifelock $99.48/year
- Ransomware and malware protection is superb
- Online cloud backup and recovery system in place
- Real time threat protection that is superior to most
- Password manager
- VPN provided to all tiers
- Included firewall with a range of great security options
- 30-day free trial
- Demanding on resources
Norton Antivirus has been around for decades and has long been a leader in the antivirus world, offering incredible protection for a fair price. That is exactly why Norton is ranked second on our list.
Norton offers four different protection plans, each one offering a few more option and features than the last. Their base plan is only $14.99 for the entire year – so that’s incredibly hard to beat in regards to price alone!
One of the coolest and one of our favorite features of Norton antivirus – is the fact that they offer a VPN with every single tiered plan. What does this mean? Well, it means that you are able to browse privately and securely, no matter which plan you are on! Your IP address and DNS can remain hidden should you choose.
Norton does offer a 30-day free trial also, which we love!
One of the only drawbacks to Norton antivirus is the fact that it is heavy on your system resources. It can bog down a PC, which can lead to frustrations.
Overall, Norton is definitely a good choice if you are looking for an antivirus to protect your devices for a great price. and
3. McAfee Antivirus
BEST DEALS
McAfee Antivirus Plus $24.99/year
McAfee Antivirus Individual/Couples $39.99/year
McAfee Antivirus Ultimate $69.99/year
McAfee Antivirus Family $44.99/year
- Excellent malware, ransomware and spyware detection
- Privacy and identity protection that goes above and beyond most competitors
- VPN included
- List Item
- File encryption included
- Phishing protection
- Parental controls
- 30-day free trial
- User interface is not user friendly
McAfee is another antivirus software that has been around for ages and through those ages, has added better protection at a much better price point.
McAfee offers a wide range of various pricing plans, each designed to offer security protection under a feature packed plan.
Just like Norton, McAfee offers a VPN with every price point plan, so you never have to worry about your private information getting into the wrong hands.
In addition to a secure VPN, McAfee also offers phishing protection and will routinely scan your email for phishing scams.
With a 30-day free trial, you are free to check out all that McAfee has to offer – without any risk.
If you are looking for a trusted antivirus suite, McAfee is a great choice! One drawback would be that the user interface is not the most user friendly. If you can get past that – you will have yourself a very nice antivirus software for a decent cost.
4. BullGuard Antivirus
BEST DEALS
BullGuard 1-Year $59.99/year
BullGuard 2-Year $99.99/year
BullGuard 3-Year $119.99/year
- Ransomware and malware detection
- Various scan modes
- Available for all platforms
- 30-day free trial
- Cost is higher than most
BullGuard is a great antivirus suite if you are looking for basic, but intense and effective protection. While BullGuard does offer feature laden plans, their main focus is on protecting devices from viruses, malware and spyware.
We did not find that thesoftware bogged down system resources, so that was a major plus. Also, the BullGuard user interface is clean and simple to use.
Out of the six antivirus suites that we ranked on this list, BullGuard is one of the more pricier ones, which is why is ranked 4th.
However, BullGuard does offer great protection for up to three devices at once – with each subscription plan.
5. intego
BEST DEALS
intego Personal $32.92/year
intego Family $43.90/year
intego Extended $87.80/year
- Designed to protect against MAC threats
- Offers two modes, Windows or MAC
- Offers protection for iPhone and iPads
- Easy to use interface
- Not a lot of extra features
Intego antivirus is a suite that lends its security abilities mainly to Apple products. Intego offers extensive protection for iPads, iPhones and Mac computers. While they do offer protection for PC in addition to MacOS, their niche is the world of Apple products.
The intego user platform is very user friendly and it looks great – so that is a major plus!
Among other antivirus suites geared towards MacOS, they rank quite high, both for functionality and price – as Intego is priced less than most MacOS antivirus suites.
Overall, Integro is a great value without a ton of extra bells and whistles.
6. Total AV Antivirus
BEST DEALS
Total AV Antivirus Pro $29.00/year
Total AV Antivirus Internet Security $39.00/year
Total AV Antivirus Total Security $59.00/year
- Apps and browser extensions for most popular platforms
- VPN included
- Easy to use interface
- Inexpensive
- Personal data protection and monitoring
- Lack of real-time protection
TotalAV is a feature packed antivirus that does have a lot to offer – however – it does lack in certain protection areas.
The suite does offer protection against viruses, malware, ransomware and spyware. It also has anti-phishing protection built in. While it will protect you from harmful files and such – it won’t protect you in real time very well. Which in this day in age, is rather important. This is why TotalAV has ranked in the 6th spot on our list.
Another benefit of TotalAV, is that is will not bog down your system resources while installed.
Overall, the suite is priced right and does offer decent protection. But if you are looking for an antivirus software that will monitor your real time activity – this is probably not the antivirus software for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Online crime and identity theft has become a multi billion dollar business over recent years. It is extremely important to protect yourself when browsing online.
Staying protected using a proper antivirus suite is a must in today's day in age. Having this added layer of protection will not only keep your devices running smoothly and free of ransomware and malware, but it will protect your personal information also
Antivirus software is able to detect threats in real time. In addition to real time protection, you have the ability to scan your devices for potential hidden threats that may lie deep within your system files
The short answer is, yes. While there are many free antivirus suites available, a paid antivirus will offer the best range of options and protection.
A good antivirus will stop malware, spyware, ransomware and more. In addition, a good antivirus suite will also protect your passwords, personal and sensitive information such as banking info and IP address.