The most effective antivirus software will protect your devices from ransomware, malware and phishing. It also prevents data breaches and spyware from damaging your personal data. There are hundreds of packages available, and a majority are more expensive than you’d prefer to pay.
We’ve tested more than 300 of them to discover the most effective virus protection for the money. We searched for software that is user-friendly and robust, but also protects you from slowing your computer down or causing you to quit using it. We’ve also made sure that the software is updated with its malware database frequently.
Top-quality packages include a complete set of anti-malware tools, along with other features like a VPN as well as password manager and parental controls. Some offer a dark-web monitoring service that checks whether your email address, credit card details or other personal data has fallen into the wrong hands.
Our winner is Norton 360, which offers an excellent all-round security package with high malware detection rates and impressive additional features including a password manager and an VPN for protecting your privacy when surfing online. The service provides dark web monitoring in real-time and cloud backups.
It’s also one of the few applications that is available for Mac computers (most other applications only support Windows PCs) and offers high performance in tests conducted by independent lab AV-Comparatives. It’s expensive at around PS2/month, but there’s a free trial.
