Updated July 21: Maintaining good digital hygiene is more important than ever in this age of black hat hackers, phishing schemes, and lots of other ways to compromise your PC and other devices. Performing regular safety checks is a first step, but your security solution isn’t complete without an antivirus program that will detect and eliminate malware, Trojans, rootkits, spyware, adware, ransomware, and more on your desktop computer, laptop, smartphone, or tablet.
Security has always been a major priority at PCMag, and we’ve been testing and reviewing antivirus software for decades. We use hundreds of authentic pieces of malware on our test hardware in order to test thoroughness, along with a full suite of other digital threats and incursions from multiple angles. We also go through extra bundled features, including parental controls, firewalls, phishing protection, and more. Our process closely replicates real-world scenarios to keep our reports up-to-date. While many antivirus programs do offer free versions, those are not as regularly updated or dependable as the paid versions, so for better protection, a subscription is recommended. Here are the five best antivirus deals we have in July.
Why You Need Antivirus
Bitdefender Deals
We’ll start off with one of the best protection suites on the market at a 50% price drop. Bitdefender Total Security received the PCMag Editors’ Choice award as a “feature-rich suite that protects all your computers, phones, and tablets.” They’re currently offering a 365-day plan on five devices for $54.99, a big discount from the standard subscription price. As the name implies, you get total protection for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, including malware scan and browser protection, a spam filter, and even anti-theft features.
Avast Deals
Avast One Ultimate excels at all the antivirus marks we evaluate, with additional features not found in other packages that make it worth considering. That includes a robust VPN with no bandwidth or server limits, and an Email Guardian that scans messages in the cloud and filters out malicious attachments before they land on your PC. Protection is available for up to 30 devices, depending on your plan, which should be enough coverage for most users. Avast does offer a free version called Avast One Essential, but the paid version is definitely worth it, especially at a 57% discount.
McAfee Deals
McAfee+ Advanced has one of the most thorough product offerings in the business. Users get all-in-one protection for an unlimited number of Windows, Android, macOS, iOS, and ChromeOS devices from the start — a rarity these days. Financial tools include bank and credit card transaction monitoring, monthly credit score and reports, identity monitoring, personal data cleanup, and more, in addition to the antivirus protection that comes standard with every tier. This offer is for the individual plan, but there’s also a family plan available that covers up to two adults and four children on unlimited devices. PCMag’s expert gave McAfee+ high marks for its top test scores and praised its ability to remove abandoned online accounts and its effective social media privacy controls, earning it an “Excellent” overall rating.
Norton Deals
Norton AntiVirus Plus racked up impressive scores in independent lab tests and our own hands-on evaluation, and it offers a wealth of useful features, such as Data Protector, which battles ransomware by preventing malicious programs from modifying documents in specified directories. Norton’s intelligent firewall taps into a massive online database to evaluate network permissions for known programs individually, without bombarding you with notifications. The suite’s straightforward online backup also gives you access to up to 2GB of cloud storage, the ultimate security against attacks on your data. With this deal, the $94.99 annual fee for a single license drops to $39.99.
Recommended by Our Editors
Surfshark Deals
Surfshark is best-known for its award-winning virtual private network, but adding a robust security suite on top is a logical extension of its brand. Surfshark One scored well during a hands-on malware protection test, and our expert appreciated that it supports Windows, macOS, and Android. Recent revised testing has impressed us with its thoroughness and diverse feature set, though we did note that its long-term commitments can be cumbersome. Your mileage may vary, but if you need VPN-centric features over others, this is a good option at a discounted price.
More Antivirus Deals
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Surfshark One
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Protect 5 Devices for $2.79 Per Month on 2 Years Plan + 3 Months Free and Includes VPN -
ESET
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$3.49 Per Month for 3 Devices on 1 Year ESET Essential Plan -
Webroot Essentials
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Ranked #1 With Antivirus Plans Starting at $2.50 Per Month -
McAfee
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Plans Start at $4.17 Per Month for Unlimited Devices + Scam Detector -
Norton 360 Deluxe
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Protect 5 Devices for $4.17 Per Month on 1 Year Norton 360 Deluxe Plan -
Get the Best Prices On Anti-Virus
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*Deals are selected by our commerce team
Want to save even more on all of today’s hottest hardware and software? Our deals page should be your destination.
Why Do I Need an Antivirus Program?
Being connected online opens up your devices to a host of threats and they can become infected by downloading malware from a malicious attachment, visiting sketchy websites, or even hidden on an innocuous USB drive. A quality antivirus product will stand between you and the hazards of the World Wide Web.
What Is the Best Antivirus?
Bitdefender Antivirus Plus and Norton AntiVirus Plus received perfect and near-perfect scores from independent testing labs, Bitdefender from three labs and Norton from four. Both earn high scores in our hands-on tests, and both offer more features than some security suites, including a hardened browser for financial transactions, Wi-Fi security monitoring, a feature that blocks ad trackers, and automatic detection of missing security patches. These two get our Editors’ choice stamp of approval and should be at the top of your list of possible options.
What Is the Best Free Antivirus?
Avast One Basic received the PCMag Editors’ Choice award in addition to its “Outstanding” rating, earning excellent lab scores on multiple platforms and offering protection for Android, iOS, MacOS, and Windows—all for free. If you’re looking for a more typical antivirus rather than an almost-suite, AVG Antivirus Free uses precisely the same antivirus protection engine as Avast, but without the crowd of suite-level features. Our experts have put together a comprehensive list of free antivirus solutions for you to check out at your leisure.
Can I Get a Free Trial?
The nice thing about free antivirus apps is that you can try a bunch before picking your favorite. But really, you can do the same with most commercial antivirus apps. Our top antivirus picks all offer a free trial, either for 30 days or 14 days. With some there are no strings attached. Others, such as Norton and McAfee, require that you sign up with a credit card and cancel before the trial ends. In addition, many of them also offer a 30-day or 60-day money-back guarantee.
Which Antivirus Brands Offer the Biggest Discounts?
Just about every antivirus rewards new customers with a first-year discount, meaning you don’t pay list price until the second year. These discounts change frequently, but they’re always clearly marked on the app’s pricing page. If price is a big factor for you, do a price-check on all the antiviruses you’re considering and then purchase the one you prefer right away, while the discount is still current.
About Our Experts
K. Thor Jensen
Contributing Writer
Experience
K. Thor Jensen is a writer and cartoonist living in the Pacific Northwest. He has contributed to dozens of prestigious outlets, including PCMag, Tested, Clickhole, and Newsweek. His second graphic novel, Cloud Stories, was released in 2017.
Jade Chung-Lee
Merchandising Associate
Experience
When she isn’t perusing online stores for deals, Jade enjoys playing video games (mostly JRPGs and roguelikes), sorting board game components neatly into containers, and building Gundam models. Her love of electronics has persisted through her youth and has resulted in a collection of gaming peripherals including keyboards and controllers, scale figures, and art work. Jade lives in blissful harmony with her wife, cat, and two chinchillas—as well as a host of houseplants.
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