The Best Antivirus Software for Windows 2024

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, Panda Dome, and ESET as the runners-up to round out our list of the top five 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 five best antiviruses for Windows.

The best antivirus software for Windows

• Bitdefender: Best overall
• McAfee: Best for unlimited devices
• Norton: Best for beginners
• Panda Dome: Best free software
• ESET: Best for variety of features

Top 5 antivirus products for Windows compared

Antivirus	Best Overall
Star rating	5.0	4.8	4.8	4.0	4.8
Starting price	Starts at $29.99/yr (first year only)	Starts at $39.99/first 2 yrs	Starts at $29.99/first yr	Starts at $25.50/yr (first year only) (for paid versions)	Starts at $59.99/first yr
Max number of protected devices	10	Unlimited	Unlimited	10	10
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	Parental controls, identity theft protection, VPN	Password manager, VPN, identity theft protection, data and photo encryption, metadata cleanup
Compatibility	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, ChromeOS	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Android	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS
Learn more	Get Bitdefender Read Bitdefender Review	Get McAfee Read McAfee Review	Get Norton Read Norton Review	Get Panda Dome Read Panda Dome Review	Get ESET Read ESET Review

How we tested the best antivirus software for Windows

We chose the best antivirus products for Windows by looking at a number of different factors, including:

• Price: How much the software costs per year.
• Protection features: Whether it provides real-time protection, phishing protection, a firewall, and more.
• Third-party test scores: How well it tested with trusted, third-party organizations.
• Scanning speed and performance: The speed of scans and impact on system resources.
• Additional features: If extra features are included, such as a VPN or password manager.
• Customer support and resources: Whether there’s 24/7 support available through multiple channels.
• Reputation: Not having any known successful intrusions from hackers or red flags.
• False positives: Not picking up legitimate files as potential threats.

We tested (where applicable) and looked at these features because they provide an overall sense of whether an antivirus product might be a good fit for the everyday antivirus user.

Bitdefender: Best overall

Who it’s best for

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/yr (first year only).

What we liked

You can’t get much cheaper than $29.99/yr (first year only) 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 10, it’s worth mentioning that Bitdefender also had perfect AV-TEST scores on macOS and Android devices.

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.

For example, here you can see we’re running a quick scan while checking Windows Task Manager to see what kind of resources Bitdefender is using (bdservicehost and Bitdefender Main Interface). Overall, the memory usage wasn’t even close to what our millions of Chrome tabs use, and we experienced no significant impact on our PC performance.

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.

What we didn’t like

The initial full system scan took about 25 minutes to complete, scanning a little over 1.8 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.)

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.

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.

Test results

	Bitdefender
AV-TEST Windows score	17/18
AV-TEST macOS score	18/18
AV-TEST Android score	18/18
AV-Comparatives malware protection score	99.92%
SE Labs results	N/A
Learn more	Get Bitdefender Read Bitdefender Review

McAfee: Best for unlimited devices

Who it’s best for

McAfee is best for people who want an all-around excellent product 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 McAfee.

Additionally, McAfee is 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 had perfect test results across the board with no issues. 

McAfee starts at $39.99/first 2 yrs, though the lowest-priced plan for unlimited devices is $49.99/first yr. That’s definitely a bit pricier, but still not unreasonable.

What we liked

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.

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.

What we didn’t like

The starting price for the first year ($39.99/first 2 yrs) is a bit higher compared with Bitdefender ($29.99/yr (first year only)) and Norton ($29.99/first yr). And we didn’t love the seemingly endless barrage of McAfee notifications that popped up after installing the program.

It wasn’t really an endless barrage, but it was a bit annoying, considering we generally try to keep our PC clear of unnecessary notifications. And 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.

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.

There’s also no free version of McAfee Antivirus, though you can do a 30-day free trial. Bitdefender and Panda Dome both have free versions, which might be more useful for giving you time to see whether you like a product.

Test results

	McAfee
AV-TEST Windows score	18/18
AV-TEST macOS score	N/A
AV-TEST Android score	18/18
AV-Comparatives malware protection score	99.91%
SE Labs results	N/A
Learn more	Get McAfee Read McAfee Review

Norton: Best for beginners

Who it’s best for

Norton is best for beginners to antivirus products who want an easy-to-use program packed with useful features.

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.

And starting out at $29.99/first yr is an affordable option for most people.

What we liked

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).

These types of steps and tips are all over the place in the Norton app, which is great for beginners.

What we didn’t like

There’s no free version of Norton Antivirus, and the free trial only lasts seven days, which is quite short.

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.

A follow-up system scan took about nine minutes to complete.

Test results

	Norton
AV-TEST Windows score	16.5/18
AV-TEST macOS score	18/18
AV-TEST Android score	18/18
AV-Comparatives malware protection score	99.97%
SE Labs results	99%
Learn more	Get Norton Read Norton Review

Panda Dome: Best free software

Who it's best for

Panda Dome has a cute name, but it's proven to be a powerful antivirus. The Free Antivirus has a malware protection score of over 99% with AV-Comparatives and a 92% with SE Labs, which is impressive for a product you won't have to pay for.

We also love Panda for its free antivirus. You'll get antivirus protection around the clock and you'll be able to scan external devices like USBs and SD memory cards. 

What we liked

The Panda Free Antivirus will keep your Windows and Android devices protected without you paying a dime. 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. 

To keep your data protected from ransomware attacks, Panda comes with the Rescue Kit. You'll be able to make a backup of your hard drive and use it to scan your device for and remove cyberthreats.

Panda Dome also has some useful bonus features with its paid plans. For Windows, these include:

• Parental controls: Allow you to monitor and restrict your children's devices
• Password manager: Create and store strong passwords for all your accounts
• Update manager: Keep your PC up to date and scan for vulnerabilities

What we didn't like

Panda Free Antivirus is limited to Windows and Android only. So if you want to cover your Apple devices, you'll need to find another free antivirus program.

Some of Panda Dome's extra features can be lacking. For instance, most plans come with the regular VPN, which has a daily bandwidth cap of 150 MB. Plus, it only has an automatic server option, so you won't get all the flexibility and functionaltiy of a premium VPN. 

Test results

	Panda Dome
AV-TEST Windows score	N/A
AV-TEST macOS score	N/A
AV-TEST Android score	N/A
AV-Comparatives malware protection score	99.57%
SE Labs results	92%
Learn more	Get Panda Dome Read Panda Dome Review

ESET: Best for variety of features

ESET uses machine learning coupled with its real-time protection to stop new and emerging threats. At the same time, it offers additional protective features like a password manager, VPN, identity theft protection, and more.

Who it’s best for

ESET offers a variety of features for people looking to bundle their subscriptions. If you want a password manager, VPN, identity theft protection, and more, all protected by advanced machine learning, ESET may be your best choice.

What we liked

We appreciated how many features ESET offers customers. You can combine several services, like a password manager, VPN, and identity theft protection. Additional features like metadata cleanup, file and photo encryption, and notification blocking add to ESET's offerings, enhancing your security.

ESET uses machine learning alongside its real-time protection. This means that when you browse the web, you won't need to worry about picking up malware, viruses, or trojans. ESET is always scanning to ensure your security.

What we didn’t like

While ESET does offer 30 days free without needing to enter credit card information, it doesn't have a free product. With all the extras you get, we understand why, but we would love to see at least some essential protection for free. If you don't have a lot of wiggle room in your budget, ESET might not be the best choice.

Test results

	ESET
AV-TEST Windows score	18/18
AV-TEST macOS score	N/A
AV-TEST Android score	18/18
AV-Comparatives malware protection score	99.3%
SE Labs results	N/A
Learn more	Get ESET Read ESET Review

Honorable mentions

We tested many antivirus programs to determine the best for Windows. These honorable mentions also had strong third-party testing scores, but they may lack the advanced security features of our top recs or have a higher price point than we'd prefer. 

• Avast: Avast is best if you're looking for a budget antivirus that packs a punch or just want an unlimited free trial. It's not only available for Windows, it's also available for macOS and Android. The Avast free plan comes with a smart scan to find vulnerabilities on your device, a file shield to scan new files for threats, and a quarantine feature to isolate any threats found.

  Get Avast | Read Our Avast Review

• Microsoft Defender: We'd be remiss not to acknowledge Microsoft Defender, a premium product that enhances the free protection of Windows Security. If you already have a Microsoft 360 subscription, then utilizing Defender is an easy solution. Plus, it boasts perfect protection, performance, and usability scores in the AV-TEST for Windows. 

  Read Our Microsoft Defender Review

What to look for when choosing the best antivirus for Windows

In general, you want an antivirus that hits these three factors:

1. Easy to use
2. Doesn’t slow down your computer
3. Provides high levels of security and protection

For most people, computer programs are complex strings of code that don’t make sense. But if presented in a certain way, we can easily understand and use them. And that’s exactly what you want with an antivirus program — something that’s intuitive and straightforward for the average person.

You also don’t want your antivirus software to slow down your computer. After all, what good is real-time protection if you can’t surf the web or stream a show while it’s running? A good antivirus program should have little impact on your system performance.

And, of course, your antivirus should also protect your computer. This often means providing scheduled scans, a firewall, phishing protection, anti-ransomware features, and web or browser protection.

Best antivirus for Windows FAQs

Bottom line: The best antivirus programs for Windows

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 Panda Dome. 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.

One highlight of McAfee is that you can get a license to use it with an unlimited number of devices. This isn’t a common feature and could be useful in certain situations. With Norton, we found that it was very easy to use and would be a good fit for antivirus beginners. And Panda Dome provides one of the best free antivirus products.

5 best antivirus products for Windows 2024

	Starting price	Best for	Learn more
	$29.99/yr (first year only)	Best overall	Get Bitdefender Read Bitdefender Review
	$39.99/first 2 yrs	Best for unlimited devices	Get McAfee Read McAfee Review
	$29.99/first yr	Best for beginners	Get Norton Read Norton Review
	$25.50/yr (first year only)	Best free software	Get Panda Dome Read Panda Dome Review
	$59.99/first yr	Best for variety of features	Get ESET Read ESET Review