Table of Contents
So that’s about it for our list of the best antivirus software, but before we end this review, we’d like to give you an idea of our methodology.
Methodology Overview
We wanted to make our assessment as objective as possible, so we tested each software for at least six months. We took careful notes of their strengths and weaknesses, observed how they affected our devices, and monitored their behavior with regards to updates. We also tried to test each software across multiple operating systems to get a feel of their performance on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.
If you want more specific information, check out the best antivirus for Mac, the best antivirus for Android, the best antivirus for Linux, and the best antivirus for PCs. And last but not least, we compared how each software fared in the following criteria.
Virus Detection
First, we stripped down each antivirus to their most basic feature: virus detection. We performed a virus detection test wherein we downloaded five files, each containing a different type of virus or malware. They ranged from adware to spyware and even Trojan malware. We then performed a full scan using each software and noted which antivirus detected which files.
The majority of the antivirus programs we tested detected at least three of the five files, but there were a couple of software that detected all five files and a few that detected 80 percent of the files.
Scans
While we’re on the subject of virus and malware detection, the next thing we tested was whether each antivirus tool scanned on access or on demand. Simply put, those that scanned on access searched for threats whenever the software was running, even in the background. In contrast, those with on-demand scanning scanned only whenever we instructed or scheduled them to scan.
We prefer on-access scanning as it stops viruses and malware in real-time whether we remember to scan our computers or not. However, having on-demand scanning is also ideal. We still want to be able to scan our computers whenever we’re feeling anxious, you know?
Behavior-Based Detection
There’s another scanning-related feature that we deemed necessary: behavior-based detection. Instead of checking the code of each program and file, behavior-based detection monitored suspicious behaviors of files.
Having behavior-based detection really came in handy, especially since hundreds of thousands of new malware are being registered on a daily basis, according to the AV-TEST institute.
Cost
We know that the cost is a major deciding factor when it comes to choosing an antivirus software. However, the prices of such tools fluctuate depending on the features, number of devices, and length of subscriptions.
On average, the antivirus software we tested cost $30 to $50 for the first year, which breaks down to about $2 to $4 per month. Not bad for total malware protection. Of course, this isn’t the case for business antivirus, only personal.
We also checked if they have a free trial or better still, a free version. Typically, a free trial includes all the features of the paid antivirus, but it only works for a limited time. In contrast, a free version is usually a licensed software that you could use for free indefinitely. If you’re hesitant about getting a paid antivirus, we recommend using a free version for the time being.
Privacy Policy
Because antiviruses needed access to our computers and files to do their jobs, it’s understandable that many of them collected our data. But the questions are: how much data did they collect and how did they use it?
To answer that, we delved into each antivirus company’s privacy policy. Many of the companies we looked into collect a ton of data from their users, including personal information, payment information, browsing data, device information, technical and crash reports, location information, network data, and usage statistics.
But what’s even more concerning was how they used the data they gathered. Many of the antivirus companies we looked into explicitly said in their privacy policy that they share user data with third parties, usually for targeted advertisement purposes. However, that’s the industry norm. So instead of counting out those that do these practices, we gave higher scores to those that didn’t or those that let us manage what data they collected.
If you want more specific information, check out the best antivirus for Mac, the best antivirus for Android, the best antivirus for Linux, and the best antivirus for PCs. And last but not least, we compared how each software fared in the following criteria.
For more information about our methodology and what other things we generally look for when testing antivirus software, you can refer to our antivirus guide.
