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Best with Unlimited Devices
Based on our testing, experience, and research, we recommend Bitdefender as the best antivirus for Windows. It’s a low-impact antivirus that’s easy to use and packed with useful features, including malware and ransomware protection and a firewall.
We picked McAfee, Norton 360 Antivirus, and the pre-included Microsoft Defender as the runners-up to round out our list of the top antivirus products for Windows. We tested these and other antivirus programs, ranking them according to their price, impact on PC performance, features, scanning speeds, customer support, and more.
Let’s see why these are the best antiviruses for Windows.
| Antivirus | 
Best Overall
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| Star rating | ||||
| Starting price | Free or $29.99/first yr | Starts at $39.99/first yr | Starts at $29.99/first yr | Free or $12.99/mo |
| Max number of protected devices | 10 | Unlimited |
Unlimited | 30 |
| Malware scans | ||||
| Free version | ||||
| Firewall | ||||
| Phishing protection | ||||
| Ransomware protection | ||||
| 24/7 customer support | ||||
| Extras | VPN, password manager, identity theft protection | Password manager, VPN, dark web monitoring | VPN, personal data cleanup, identity monitoring and alerts | ID theft monitoring, VPN, cloud storage, Microsoft 365 apps |
| Compatibility | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, ChromeOS | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS |
| Learn more | Get Bitdefender Read Bitdefender Review |
Get McAfee Read McAfee Review |
Get Norton Read Norton Review |
Get Microsoft Defender Read Microsoft Defender Review |
We use our proprietary grading rubric in all of our testing, which considers ease-of-use, third-party testing scores, internal testing scores, price, compatibility, and features offered, among other metrics.
This means that our testing process is designed to ensure that the product isn't too confusing, protects as it claims, and offers you a lot for a reasonable price. We download and run each program on our own computers on home networks, just like you would. Our ratings reflect the real-world performance of the antivirus product. This ensures that we can recreate a similar experience for you and give our best advice on whether or not it's worthwhile.
To learn more about how we test, check out our full antivirus testing methodology here.
Super reliable antivirus software with a non-intrusive free version
Simple yet powerful interface tools
Perfect protection score in third-party tests
Bitdefender is best for people who want an antivirus that outright functions as a total security product. It’s easy to use, barely impacts PC performance, and has perfect AV-TEST scores for protection.
This means it provided 100% malware protection against malware attacks (which can include spyware and adware). Bitdefender's performance and usability dipped from previous testing, as it did slow the launch of standard software apps more than the industry standard and had a few false detections of legitimate software as malware. Despite these dings, Bitdefender still stands as a top choice for antivirus protection.
It also doesn’t hurt that Bitdefender starts out at the very low price of $29.99/first yr.
Good price: You can’t get much cheaper than $29.99/first yr for a well-known antivirus product. But this isn’t a budget antivirus, at least not in terms of what Bitdefender can provide. This includes a Windows app that we found easy to navigate and use with fast manual scans (at least after the initial scan). Although this is a recommendation for Windows, it’s worth mentioning that Bitdefender also had perfect AV-TEST scores on macOS and Android devices.
Lightweight: One feature we liked about the Bitdefender Windows app was that it didn’t have much impact on our system performance. We could still browse the web and go about our everyday computer activities while Bitdefender was running without any performance issues.
Customizable: We also liked how you could customize the dashboard in Bitdefender. This makes it easier to quickly find the features and actions you access most often.
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Initial scan took a bit: The initial full system scan took about 20 minutes to complete, scanning a little over 1.5 million items. That’s not a terribly long time, especially for a first scan, but we’ve seen better results. (McAfee Total Protection only took about 10 minutes for its first full scan.)
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It should be noted that a follow-up full scan with Bitdefender only took about eight minutes, which is more in line with what we expect from a top antivirus product.
No unlimited devices: We don’t love that Bitdefender doesn't offer a plan for unlimited devices, which you can find with McAfee. Instead, you max out at 10 devices. This is common for antivirus products, but it could still be a hassle in certain situations where you might need or want antivirus software on a lot of different devices.
| Bitdefender | |
| AV-TEST Windows score | 18/18 |
| AV-TEST macOS score | 18/18 |
| AV-TEST Android score | 18/18 |
| AV-Comparatives malware protection score | 99.92% |
| SE Labs results | 100% |
| Learn more | Get Bitdefender Read Bitdefender Review |
Premium antivirus, scam, and web protection, plus a VPN, identity monitoring, and secure password manager
Added peace of mind with 24/7 expert online support and McAfee’s Virus Protection Pledge
Compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and ChromeOS on up to 5 devices
McAfee is best for people who want an all-around excellent product. It's a reputable cybersecurity product that’s been around for more than 30 years, which is a long time in the antivirus space (considering the internet is barely older). If you want protection against computer viruses, there’s not much better than McAfee.
This is apparent if you consider McAfee has outstanding AV-TEST scores for protection, performance, and usability. McAfee has high test results across the board with no issues.
McAfee starts at $39.99/first yr, though the lowest-priced plan for unlimited devices is $49.99/first yr. That’s definitely a bit pricier, but still not unreasonable.
Easy to use: McAfee has spent years improving its products, and it shows in how easy the Windows app is to use. We were able to easily navigate between different features, including the area to schedule and run scans.
Fast scans: We were impressed with how quickly the initial scan was completed, only taking about 10 minutes. We know the scanning time frame can vary depending on your PC speed and the number of files being scanned, but it was still a quick scan. For reference, McAfee says its scans take about 5 to 15 minutes.
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A bit pricier in comparison: The starting price for the first year ($39.99/first yr) is a bit higher compared with Bitdefender ($29.99/first yr) and Norton ($29.99/first yr).
Annoying notifications: We didn’t love the McAfee notifications that popped up after installing the program. Maybe some of these notifications could be helpful, but we didn’t need to know about our PC memory usage or that we had turned off real-time scanning.
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We noticed we didn’t receive as many notifications after fiddling with some of the settings and using McAfee for a bit, so maybe the notification flood starts to subside as time goes on and you try to manually turn off some alerts.
No free version: There’s also no free version of McAfee Antivirus, though you can do a 30-day free trial. Bitdefender and Microsoft Defender both have free versions, which might be more useful for giving you time to see whether you like a product.
| McAfee | |
| AV-TEST Windows score | 18/18 |
| AV-TEST macOS score | N/A |
| AV-TEST Android score | 18/18 |
| AV-Comparatives malware protection score | 99.95% |
| SE Labs results | 100% |
| Learn more | Get McAfee Read McAfee Review |
Tested protection against hackers, viruses, malware, and ransomware
Includes VPN, parental controls, and more
Backed by a 100% Virus Removal Guarantee
Norton is best for users who want an antivirus that can be used with an unlimited number of devices on certain subscription plans. It’s common for antivirus plans to max out at 10 devices (like Bitdefender), but you don’t have that limit with Norton.
Similar to McAfee, Norton Antivirus is internet security software that’s been around for a while (since 1990), which gives it ample time to develop and improve its product. This can be seen in its simple Windows interface that lays out everything you need to know on one screen.
For example, look at this clean layout with buttons for all the features and settings. You can access your scans, updates, VPN, cloud backup, and more, all from the same screen.
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And starting out at $29.99/first yr is an affordable option for most people.
Easy to set up: The Norton Windows app guides you through different steps to help protect your computer. For example, it let us know we should activate the Cloud Backup feature because our plan had 10 GB of cloud storage. But even better, Norton explained why we should activate Cloud Backup (in case of a hard drive crash or ransomware attack), what would be backed up (default selection or manual selection of files), and how to access backups (through our Norton account).
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These types of steps and tips are all over the place in the Norton app, which is great for beginners.
No free version: There’s no free version of Norton Antivirus, and the free trial only lasts seven days, which is quite short.
Long initial scan: We also didn’t love that our first full scan took about 30 minutes, though this isn’t too uncommon. But it was strange that we had to keep track of the elapsed time ourselves because there didn’t seem to be any sort of timer in the Norton app.
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A follow-up system scan took about nine minutes to complete.
| Norton | |
| AV-TEST Windows score | 18/18 |
| AV-TEST macOS score | 18/18 |
| AV-TEST Android score | 18/18 |
| AV-Comparatives malware protection score | 99.8% |
| SE Labs results | 100% |
| Learn more | Get Norton Read Norton Review |
Brings the well-loved Microsoft antivirus to other devices
Includes a firewall, parental controls, identity theft protection, and a VPN
Free for Windows users
Microsoft Defender Antivirus may come pre-loaded on all Windows machines, but it's still proven to be a powerful antivirus. The free antivirus has high malware protection scores with multiple third-party testers, which is impressive for a product you don't have to pay for.
Good free option: The Microsoft Defender antivirus will keep your Windows devices protected without you paying a dime. If you want to add it to other devices or take advantage of extra features, like Microsoft Office apps, you can opt for the decently-priced bundle starting at $12.99/mo.
Still powerful: Just because it's basic and free doesn't mean it doesn't get the job done. You'll be able to run manual and scheduled scans to review your device for malware. You'll also be able to scan your external devices for threats.
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Free version only for Windows: The free version of the Microsoft Defender antivirus can only be used on Windows, so if you want to cover your Apple devices or your phone, you'll need to find another free antivirus program.
Lacking extra features: Some of Microsoft Defender's extra features can be lacking. For instance, it doesn't come with built-in web or mic protection. The VPN also leaves a lot to be desired.
| Panda Dome | |
| AV-TEST Windows score | 18/18 |
| AV-TEST macOS score | N/A |
| AV-TEST Android score | N/A |
| AV-Comparatives malware protection score | 99.84% |
| SE Labs results | 98% |
| Learn more | Get Microsoft Defender Read Microsoft Defender Review |
While Windows 10 already includes the Windows Defender antivirus, it doesn’t hurt to have a dedicated antivirus program that has more security features than Microsoft Defender. With official support for Windows 10 ending in October 2025, users will be even more at risk since security issues are less likely to be patched. You'll want to make sure you have the best protection possible when this happens.
Bitdefender is our top pick because it’s easy to use and affordable while also providing loads of useful features. This includes anti-phishing and anti-fraud protection, ransomware protection, and web attack prevention against online threats. You can also access a limited VPN.
Windows Security is free antivirus software included with Windows 10 and provides enough features for at least a basic level of protection. However, depending on your situation and preferences, you might want to consider these top-tested alternatives: Bitdefender, McAfee, Norton 360, Avast, AVG, and ESET.
We don’t recommend Kaspersky for Windows because AO Kaspersky Lab, the company that provides Kaspersky Antivirus, was deemed a potential threat to national security by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2022.
Bitdefender is the best overall antivirus for Windows according to our testing, research, and personal experience. Bitdefender is easy to use, provides top protection against malware, and has little impact on your PC performance.
Following Bitdefender, we also recommend McAfee, Norton, and Microsoft Defender. Although they provide high levels of malware protection and have little effect on Windows PC performance, but we generally had a better experience with Bitdefender.
| Starting price | Best for | Learn more | |
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$29.99/first yr | Best Windows test scores | Get Bitdefender Read Bitdefender Review |
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$39.99/first yr | Best overall antivirus | Get McAfee Read McAfee Review |
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$29.99/first yr | Best for unlimited devices | Get Norton Read Norton Review |
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| $12.99/mo | Best basic software | Get Microsoft Defender Read Microsoft Defender Review |
Super reliable antivirus software with a non-intrusive free version
Simple yet powerful interface tools
Perfect protection score in third-party tests
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