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Best Overall
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Best for Identity Monitoring
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After hands-on testing, our top three picks are Norton, McAfee, and Avira. Norton stood out as the best overall thanks to its long-standing reputation and powerful features like Wi-Fi security and safe browsing protection. McAfee impressed us with its email breach monitoring, helping you stay ahead of phishing scams, while Avira offers a strong free plan, plus a built-in VPN for extra privacy.
We tested each app’s Android version in-house for malware, drive-by downloads, and phishing. For iPhone, we compared the features each company lists for its iOS app, along with lab scores from AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives, which test the Android versions.
While iPhones don’t support traditional antivirus tools in the same way PCs or Android devices do, the best iOS security apps can still scan for vulnerabilities, flag unsafe settings, and protect you against online threats.
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Our #1 rated antivirus that scores 18/18 on AV-TEST across Windows, macOS, and Android, verified across multiple test rounds
Passed every malware, drive-by download, and phishing detection test we ran, quarantining threats automatically
Backed by a 100% Virus Protection Promise: if Norton can't remove a virus, you get your money back
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Premium antivirus software with perfect scores from AV-TEST in 2026
Bundles identity monitoring, credit monitoring, and ID restoration without needing a separate subscription
Plans above the entry tier cover unlimited devices, including phones, tablets, and computers
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Antivirus program with a Smart Scan that checks security, privacy, and performance issues in a single pass
Consistently earns high scores from AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives across Windows, macOS, and Android
Avira Prime bundles antivirus, a VPN, password manager, and PC optimization tools under one subscription
Best Overall
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| Best for | Overall | Identity monitoring | Value |
| Star rating | |||
| iOS App price | $19.99/first yr | $29.99/yr | Free |
| Apple App Store rating | 4.7/5 | 4.7/5 | 4.3/5 |
| Learn more | Get Norton Mobile Security | Get McAfee Security: Privacy & VPN | Get Avira |
Our team has conducted hands-on tests of more than 30 antivirus programs. A dedicated reviewer tests each product on a rotating basis across Windows, macOS, and Android with a subscription we purchase ourselves.
We evaluate each product across seven areas:
We retest all antivirus products at least once a year and update our reviews to reflect any changes. To learn more about how we test, read our full antivirus testing methodology here.
We run our in-house malware tests on Android. For iPhone, we compare the features each company lists for its iOS app. Lab scores from AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives also come from Android testing.
Our #1 rated antivirus that scores 18/18 on AV-TEST across Windows, macOS, and Android, verified across multiple test rounds
Checks for missing iOS updates and warns you about unsafe Wi-Fi networks
Backed by a 100% Virus Protection Promise: if Norton can't remove a virus, you get your money back
Patch management: One of the things we liked most about Norton’s iPhone antivirus is that it checks for the latest security patches and iOS updates. That’s a crucial step for antivirus software to stop current malware from infecting your device.
Text protection: Norton covers all the critical security layers, and the antivirus protects you with SMS security that helps keep your text messages and iOS calendar invites free of phishing links. With so many people getting random texts, that’s a nice perk.
Wi-Fi protection: Also, if you’re using public Wi-Fi, Norton notifies you whether the network is potentially unsafe. This Wi-Fi security feature can help you thwart potential security threats. Pair it with Norton’s VPN, which comes with some plans, to secure your internet connection. Depending on your plan, Norton can also monitor the dark web and notify you if your personal information turns up there.
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Complicated trial: You can try Norton free for seven days, but you have to sign up for an annual subscription to start the trial. If you don’t cancel before it ends, your subscription starts and renews every year. You’ll need to cancel through your Apple account settings. That makes it hard to try Norton without committing to a plan first.
To make sure we're getting the full picture of what Norton can do, we looked at malware detection scores from independent antivirus testers. We checked Norton's mobile test results from AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives, which are two trustworthy sources of antivirus capabilities. Norton Mobile Security received perfect or near-perfect scores with both testers.
We also conducted our testing on Norton Mobile Security for Android in-house. Norton didn't flag the malware test files we downloaded, but it did flag the phishing test site.
| Norton | |
| AV-TEST Android score | 18/18 as of July 2026 |
| AV-Comparatives Android security score | 99.6% with two false positives as of May 2026 |
| Android EICAR score | 1/3 |
| Learn more | Get Norton Mobile Security |
Norton is best for users who want an all-in-one security and privacy package and are comfortable paying more for its broad feature set. It earned one of the strongest overall scores in our review because it pairs excellent protection results with those features.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 20% | 5.0 |
| Prices & value | 3% | 5.0 |
| Features | 22% | 5.0 |
| Test results | 49% | 5.0 |
| Compatibility | 3% | 5.0 |
| Customer service | 3% | 5.0 |
Premium antivirus software with perfect scores from AV-TEST in 2026
Bundles identity monitoring, credit monitoring, and ID restoration without needing a separate subscription
Plans above the entry tier cover unlimited devices, including phones, tablets, and computers
Advanced monitoring: The McAfee app provides identity monitoring for email addresses, phone numbers, and bank account information. With so many cyber threats related to identity theft, that’s a big plus for any antivirus product. When there’s an identity breach, you’ll get immediate notification so you can take action quickly to prevent further damage.
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Performance enhancements: It also has a number of cleanup tools, including ways to clean your data from data broker sites and reviewing your online accounts for data exposure risk. You can also protect your device while browsing online with its safe browsing tools that block malicious websites and a VPN to encrypt your connection.
Patch management: On top of all this, McAfee’s iOS app has a system scan that looks for the latest operating system updates, which helps you patch any vulnerabilities and avoid current malware issues.
Lackluster instructions: There’s no clear direction on what to do if your phone gets infected. The McAfee website shows that your mobile device can get a virus, but offers virus scans only for Android devices. What if you need to get rid of iPhone malware?
Number of devices: McAfee’s free iPhone app covers one device. To protect unlimited devices, you’ll need a McAfee+ plan.
When we tested McAfee, we also checked testing results from other independent antivirus testers to see how well McAfee detects malware. McAfee only has recent mobile test results with AV-TEST, and it received a perfect score.
In our Android testing, McAfee Security: Privacy & VPN caught all three of our malware, drive-by download, and phishing tests.
| McAfee | |
| AV-TEST Android score | 18/18 as of July 2026 |
| AV-Comparatives Android security score | 99.9% as of July 2019 |
| Android EICAR score | 3/3 |
| Learn more | Get McAfee Security: Privacy & VPN |
McAfee scored well by combining strong malware protection with generous, family-focused coverage. Its slower scan performance kept it from taking the top spot, but it remains a strong option for multi-device households.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 20% | 4.5 |
| Prices & value | 3% | 5.0 |
| Features | 22% | 5.0 |
| Test results | 49% | 5.0 |
| Compatibility | 3% | 5.0 |
| Customer service | 3% | 5.0 |
Antivirus program with a Smart Scan that checks security, privacy, and performance issues in a single pass
Consistently earns high scores from AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives across Windows, macOS, and Android
Avira Prime bundles antivirus, a VPN, password manager, and PC optimization tools under one subscription
Strict security: We like the no-frills option Avira offers. We know Apple is serious about security and, as such, only allows downloads from the App Store. We also know that even though Avira is a free app, Apple wouldn’t allow it in the store if it didn’t abide by strict security guidelines. Many free apps may try to get around security policies, but not Avira.
Anti-theft protection: Avira gives you anti-theft protection and helps you recover stolen or lost iPhone and iPad devices from your dashboard. We also like the free VPN you get that gives you even better protection while using public Wi-Fi. Another useful feature is Avira's ability to block Siri from recording your conversations.
Minimalistic: Although Avira offers a reliable free antivirus, it’s not exactly feature-heavy. It’s more of a minimalistic app.
VPN limits: We do like the added VPN, but you get a traffic limit of 100 MB per day. If you want unlimited data, you’ll need to buy the Phantom VPN Pro plan. Also, to get Avira’s safe online shopping features and protection against malicious websites, you’ll need to upgrade to the Avira Mobile Security Pro plan.
Avira Mobile Security has earned high test scores with both AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives. However, Avira Mobile Security for Android didn’t catch any of our three in-house tests.
| Avira | |
| AV-TEST Android score | 18/18 as of July 2026 |
| AV-Comparatives Android security score | 99.9% with 0 false positives as of May 2025 |
| Android EICAR score | 0/3 |
| Learn more | Get Avira Mobile Security |
Avira Antivirus earned a 4.8 star rating with perfect marks in every category but test results. It received lower AV-TEST scores, but still aced our in-house testing.
| Decision factor | Weight | Verdict |
| Our experience | 20% | 5.0 |
| Prices & value | 3% | 5.0 |
| Features | 22% | 5.0 |
| Test results | 49% | 4.7 |
| Compatibility | 3% | 5.0 |
| Customer service | 3% | 5.0 |
Out of the available antivirus products on the market today, we found Norton, McAfee, and Avira to be the best antivirus apps for iPhone, with Norton being the overall best due to its top-notch security and advanced web protection.
Our #1 rated antivirus that scores 18/18 on AV-TEST across Windows, macOS, and Android, verified across multiple test rounds
Checks for missing iOS updates and warns you about unsafe Wi-Fi networks
Backed by a 100% Virus Protection Promise: if Norton can't remove a virus, you get your money back
While you may think Apple products can't get viruses, that's simply not true. Antivirus for iOS isn't just nice to have; it's necessary to keep your most personal data private.
Not strictly, but a security app adds useful protection. Apple has strong security built in, but scammers are always working to get around it.
A security app with real-time phishing protection can help you avoid smishing and other scams that slip past your phone’s defenses.
It’s rare, but it can happen. Your risk goes up if your iPhone is jailbroken. For most people, the bigger threats are phishing texts, scam websites, and unsafe Wi-Fi.
You can’t run a traditional virus scan on an iPhone. Each app runs in its own sandbox, so no app can see into other apps or system files. Instead, check for the problems malware relies on:
Not in the traditional sense. iPhones rely on built-in security features instead. Each app runs in its own sandbox, which keeps it from collecting or changing data that other apps store.
Apple relies on built-in protections like app sandboxing instead of a separate antivirus app. You may see XProtect and Gatekeeper mentioned, but those are Mac tools, not iPhone features.
To protect your iPhone, keep iOS updated and only download apps from the App Store.
Our #1 rated antivirus that scores 18/18 on AV-TEST across Windows, macOS, and Android, verified across multiple test rounds
Passed every malware, drive-by download, and phishing detection test we ran, quarantining threats automatically
Backed by a 100% Virus Protection Promise: if Norton can't remove a virus, you get your money back
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