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Best Overall
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Simple yet powerful interface tools
Perfect protection score in third-party tests
Premium features incur additional subscription fees
Best for Premium Security
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Secure VPN and password manager included
Parental control features
Multi-tab navigation may be overwhelming at first
Best Free Antivirus App
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Free version comes with malware, spyware, and ransomware protection
Includes unsafe email attachment blocking
May detect .exe files as malware, causing software issues
People often get antivirus software to catch computer viruses, but they may forget to protect their Android devices too. Malware can easily infect your phone just as much as your computer. Downloading an antivirus app provides protection against threats like spyware or viruses.
While there are many worthwhile Android apps for antivirus protection, we picked three that stood out from the rest. If you're willing to splurge for a few extra security features, Bitdefender is a great option that won't break your budget. If you are looking for a high-quality and free antivirus app, look no further than AVG. Finally, Norton 360 has excellent premium security features at a relatively affordable cost.
| Antivirus |  Bitdefender Best Overall
|
 AVG |
 Norton 360 |
| Starting price | $14.99/first yr for Android | Free for Android | $14.99/first yr for Android |
| Free version | |||
| Features | Virus protection, malware protection, on-install and on-demand scanning, VPN, Anti-Theft, WearON | Virus protection, malware protection, ransomware protection, phishing protection, Wi-Fi security, VPN | Virus protection, malware protection, ransomware protection, App Advisor, internet security, phishing protection |
| Learn more | See Bitdefender Pricing | See AVG Pricing | See Norton 360 Pricing |
Simple yet powerful interface tools
Perfect protection score in third-party tests
Premium features incur additional subscription fees
Bitdefender is a great option for people looking to protect only their Android device who want either a free or affordable premium plan. While the free plan has minimal features, the premium plan is worth the splurge.
Bitdefender has two Android apps available. The free one is called Bitdefender Antivirus. It's a lightweight app with the same malware detection feature as the paid app, but it doesn't have any extra frills. If all you're looking for is an app to scan for malware without taking up too much storage or battery, then this is the free app for you.
The paid plan is under the app Bitdefender Mobile Security. An Android-only plan is extremely affordable, especially when you consider the extra security features like a VPN for up to 200 MB of encrypted traffic, App Lock to add passwords to apps, web protection from malicious websites, and anti-theft features to locate, lock, or wipe your device. It can even take a photo of the person trying to access your device.
While there are plenty of mobile-focused features available, we missed some other security features that are available on other operating systems. Some of these include a firewall, ransomware protection, and webcam protection. These features may or may not be important to you, but it would be nice to round out the other security elements of Bitdefender.
| Starting price | $14.99/first yr (Android only) |
| Free version | Yes |
| Firewall | No |
| Phishing protection | Yes |
| Ransomware protection | Not available on Android |
| Webcam protection | Not available on Android |
| Network protection | Yes |
| Parental controls | Yes |
| Extra features | VPN, App Lock, Anti-Theft, data breach monitoring, and more |
| Learn more | Read Our Bitdefender Review |
Free version comes with malware, spyware, and ransomware protection
Includes unsafe email attachment blocking
May detect .exe files as malware, causing software issues
AVG is a free antivirus for Android phones. This is a great option for those who don't want to spend money on antivirus software but still want to protect their device from harmful malware and hackers.
Some other antivirus apps only utilize minimal features for their free software, but not AVG. The AVG Antivirus app includes protection against ransomware, spyware, adware, and more. It even has a built-in Anti-Theft Phone Tracker in case your Android gets lost or stolen.
Despite being free, this doesn't mean AVG is poor quality. The AV-Test scores showed that AVG excelled in all categories and had a perfect score of 6.0 for Android devices.[1] The results mean AVG is an excellent tool for malware detection, performance, and usability.
Let's say you want to upgrade to a paid plan for additional security features like phishing protection or Wi-Fi security. Unlike the other antivirus apps on this list, AVG doesn't have a plan to only cover your Android device. Instead, you need to choose the 10-device option from the AVG Internet Security Plan or AVG Ultimate Plan.
This makes it a bit more costly, with Android-inclusive plans starting at $59.88 for the first year. The good news is that it's still a fairly affordable plan if you need to cover multiple devices. But if you need only your Android phone covered, then this plan is expensive.
| Starting price | Free |
| Free version | Yes |
| Firewall | No |
| Phishing protection | Yes |
| Ransomware protection | Yes |
| Webcam protection | No |
| Network protection | Yes |
| Parental controls | No |
| Extra features | VPN and ad blocker |
| Learn more | Read Our AVG Antivirus Review |
Secure VPN and password manager included
Parental control features
Multi-tab navigation may be overwhelming at first
Norton 360, also known as Norton Mobile Security, is best for people willing to spend a little extra to gain all of the premium security features you could possibly need in an antivirus solution. While Norton does offer an Android single-device plan, you may want to upgrade to a more premium plan to unlock high-level security tools.
Most antivirus software focuses on Mac or Windows devices, but Norton has taken the time to include security features for threats that specifically target an Android device. For example, SMS phishing can easily be mistaken for an authentic text message. But Norton has you protected with its SMS Security feature to spot and filter suspicious text messages.
While the Android antivirus plan offers the necessary protection, you may want to add extra security features. For an extra $5 for the first year, you can get a 2 GB cloud backup and a password manager. If you need to cover additional devices or want to add a VPN and dark web monitoring services, then take a look at the Standard plan at $39.99 for the first year. Norton offers a variety of extra security tools, so it's easy to keep it all within one company.
Norton 360 has no theft protection for mobile devices. Bitdefender has a feature to lock your phone and even take a picture of someone trying to access your Android. It even has an app lock feature to provide another layer of protection for sensitive data. Neither of these is essential for an antivirus app, but it was a missing piece for overall Android security.
| Starting price | $14.99/first yr (Android only) |
| Free version | No, only a 7-day free trial |
| Firewall | Not available on Android |
| Phishing protection | Yes |
| Ransomware protection | Yes |
| Webcam protection | Not available on Android |
| Network protection | Yes |
| Parental controls | Yes (only available on Deluxe or Select + LifeLock Plans) |
| Extra features | Password manager, VPN, dark web monitoring, identity protection, and more |
| Learn more | Read Our Norton 360 Review |
Some antivirus programs stood out from the crowd but for the wrong reasons. While there may be some perks to these antivirus apps, the downsides are something that should be considered before you install it. Here are a couple of apps that didn't make the cut due to security or affordability reasons.
Kaspersky is a popular antivirus program, and there are some good reasons for it. Even though there are no free plans, the paid plans are fairly affordable, starting at $16.99 for the first year. It has a comprehensive security suite, including malware protection, private online browsing, and performance optimization.
However, there are some security concerns. In March 2022, Kaspersky was added to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) list of “communications equipment and services (Covered List) that are deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons…."[2] While Kaspersky disagrees [3], it's hard to ignore the FCC's recommendation.
Malwarebytes has a basic free plan that does manual scans for malware. It's great if that's all you're looking for in an antivirus app.
However, the paid plans were rather expensive and may not be worth the cost. For one device, it costs $44.99 annually. In comparison, Norton 360 and Bitdefender offer a one-device plan for Android priced at $14.99 for the first year. They also include more advanced security tools that Malwarebytes doesn't have like SMS phishing protection and anti-theft features.
Yes, there are free Android antivirus apps. There are several options to choose from in the Google Play Store. We recommend taking a look at AVG for a high-quality and free antivirus app. You may also want to take a look at Bitdefender if all you need is basic malware scanning.
You can get rid of a virus on your phone by installing an antivirus app. The next step is to use the app to scan your Android and find the infected files. Once the virus is found, you can delete the malicious file or direct the app to remove it for you. You'll want to scan your phone again to ensure the infected files have been removed.
Yes, Android phones need antivirus software. Androids are just as vulnerable as desktop computers. You could accidentally install a malicious app or download a file with a virus attached. Antivirus software can help detect these threats and stop you from installing them. Some antivirus apps also come with additional perks like anti-theft features or VPNs.
The safest antivirus for Android phones is one that is downloaded from the Google Play Store. Since it has the Play Protect feature, all apps are scanned for malicious content before you install them. Any of the mobile apps listed in this article can safely be downloaded through the Google Play Store.
Let's face it: Android devices face different threats compared to other operating systems. Not only are there security threats from internet browsing, but you also face security issues from malicious apps, smishing scams, and theft.
That's why Bitdefender made our top three. It has a basic free plan for malware detection and a paid plan that includes all the bells and whistles like a VPN and anti-theft features. If you want a free plan while still having a high-quality antivirus app, then look no further than AVG antivirus. But if you have the budget, then consider Norton 360 to gain access to multiple premium security features for your Android device.
If these three antivirus products don't seem like the right fit, you might consider these other antivirus apps for Android:
| Starting price | Best for | Learn more | |
Bitdefender |
$14.99/first yr | Best overall | See Bitdefender Pricing
Read Bitdefender Review |
AVG |
Free | Best free antivirus app | See AVG Pricing
Read AVG Review |
Norton 360 |
$14.99/first yr | Best for premium security | See Norton Pricing
Read Norton Review |
In reviewing and testing these antivirus apps, we considered a multitude of factors. Our choices were influenced by the ease of use on an Android device as well as typical considerations for a high-quality antivirus app. These factors include:
Along with choosing a great antivirus app, consider downloading other Android security apps to fill in any gaps. You may also want to change your Android security settings to your preferred level of privacy.
[1] AV-TEST Product Review and Certification Report - Jan/2023
[2] List of Equipment and Services Covered By Section 2 of The Secure Networks Act
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