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Best for customizable plans
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Excellent protection against malware, ransomware, and hacking with perfect test results
Full security suite available to protect every aspect of your digital life
Protect with confidence thanks to their 100% virus removal guarantee
Best for online child safety tools
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Competitive introductory price
Unique features such as an on-screen keyboard
When comparing Norton and Kaspersky, we found that Norton 360 antivirus is the best option with its excellent features and options for a wide range of budgets, so you’re more likely to find a plan that works for you. On the other hand, Kaspersky offers online safety tools for children that can help parents monitor and protect their kids online.
With this in mind, let’s dig into the pros and cons, pricing, and test results to see which of these security suites is best for you.
In March 2022, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a list of equipment and services that pose a security threat — Kaspersky was included on this list.[1] And in 2017, the Department of Homeland Security also flagged Kaspersky as a credible threat to national security due to its ongoing ties with Russia.[2]
Kaspersky denies all these claims, but it's worth having the full picture before you make your decision. The product is completely unavailable for U.S. consumers.
Norton and Kaspersky take different paths on the road to cybersecurity. Norton focuses more on identity theft protection, with LifeLock and a password manager, and data management, with cloud storage. On the other hand, Kaspersky promotes its child safety tools for parents.
But both Kaspersky and Norton have strong malware protection, having received perfect third-party test scores, and are considered some of the best antivirus software on the market.
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| Star rating | ||
| Starting price | Starts at $29.99/first yr | Free or $27.99/first yr |
| Max number of protected devices | 10 | 10 |
| Malware scans | Manual and scheduled | Manual and scheduled |
| Real-time protection | ||
| Phishing protection | ||
| Ransomware protection | ||
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Compatibility | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS |
| Learn more | Get Norton | Get Kaspersky |
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.
Norton’s first-year starting price is cheaper than Kaspersky’s price and offers a little more in personal security features. Norton comes with cloud backup and a password manager, even with the least expensive plan in its security suite.
Kaspersky’s features are a little less robust in its least expensive Standard Plan, but at least it comes with performance optimization tools.
Kaspersky does edge Norton out by offering a free version of its antivirus software. Unfortunately, we know that when something is free, it tends to sell your data, and Kaspersky’s associations with the Russian government make us take pause.
Our Pick
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| Price range | $29.99–$99.99/first yr | $27.99–$38.99/first yr |
| Best value plan | Norton 360 Deluxe for $49.99/first yr | Kaspersky Premium for $38.99/first yr |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes — 60 days | Yes — 30 days |
| Learn more | Get Norton | Get Kaspersky |
While it may look like Norton’s more expensive, that’s because its top tier, Select + LifeLock, includes an entirely separate product as well. Norton LifeLock is an identity theft protection program. If you aren’t interested in using that feature, the Norton 360 Deluxe plan comes with all of the same benefits except for LifeLock, including 50 GB of cloud backup, for $49.99/first yr.
But if you want to be able to cover more than the five devices included with the Norton 360 Deluxe plan, you’ll need the Select + LifeLock, which covers up to 10 devices.
Kaspersky, on the other hand, covers 10 devices with its top tier, the Kaspersky Premium plan. This plan also includes the Safe Kids technology for one year to help monitor and moderate how your children interact online. This currently costs $38.99/first yr.
The Kaspersky Plus plan is less expensive at $33.99/first yr and includes some identity theft protection features, like a data leak checker. Just know that price is for coverage for up to five devices instead of 10.
Overall, Norton does offer more with its lowest tier since it includes cloud storage and a password manager. As long as you don’t need more than one device covered, Norton gives you a little more protection for a little less money the first year. Make sure you keep an eye on your renewal date, however, as you may want to reevaluate your subscription before it renews at a higher price.
We also like that Norton offers a 60-day money-back guarantee, so you can test the antivirus for a much longer period of time. Kaspersky offers the standard 30-day money-back guarantee.
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Our Pick
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| Manual and scheduled scans | ||
| Real-time protection | ||
| Phishing protection | ||
| Ransomware protection | ||
| Firewall | ||
| Dark web monitoring | ||
| Parental controls | ||
| Password manager | ||
| VPN | ||
| Ad blocker | Yes — iOS only | |
| Device optimization tools | ||
| Learn more | Get Norton | Get Kaspersky |
Both Norton and Kaspersky carry all the main features used in modern antivirus software. Being able to schedule your scans as well as run them manually and have real-time protection automatically surveying your activity leads to a more secure internet experience.
The additional dark web monitoring features available with both, as well as phishing protection and a firewall, help catch all the nasties floating around the internet that may not exactly look like ransomware or a computer virus, even on mobile devices.
The only extra feature offered by Kaspersky but not Norton is an ad blocker (which is only available for iOS). If you prefer Norton’s price (and lack of connection with Russia), this is easily rectified with a free ad blocker. If Kaspersky is still your jam, you’ll enjoy more robust parental controls and child protection software with its Premium Plan.
Whichever product you decide is better for you, just know that you’re getting a lot with either of these two providers. Norton has been trusted in the industry for decades, while Kaspersky continues to perform well in testing. Both have excellent device security and functionality, and both protect you from online threats like spyware as well as other anti-malware features. If Kaspersky didn’t come with security warnings, we’d probably be using it ourselves.
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Norton’s additional features monitor your identity.
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A view of some of the features in the Kaspersky dashboard.
Third-party testing is so important. It makes sure an antivirus product works how it says it works. It also lets us, as the public, know what vulnerabilities may present themselves in the products we rely on to keep us safe.
AV-TEST is at the top of the game when it comes to third-party independent testing. Companies pay for the privilege to be evaluated by AV-TEST, which then gives its 100% unbiased test results to the public.
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| Windows score | 18.0/18.0 | 18.0/18.0 |
| macOS score | 18.0/18.0 | 18.0/18.0 |
| Android score | 18.0/18.0 | 18.0/18.0 |
| Learn more | Get Norton | Get Kaspersky |
Most recent macOS test results as of Dec/2023.
Most recent Android test results as of Mar/2024.
Prior to the latest Windows test results, Norton was dinged for slightly slowing down software installation and launches. It also had seven false positives, while the industry average was just one.
On the latest round of testing, Norton vastly improved its results. It recorded no false positives and didn't slow Windows devices more than the industry average. It matched Kaspersky with a perfect score.
Kaspersky didn’t have any point reductions. Not only did it excel in performance and protection, but it was also considered a dream to use. However, when we tested Kaspersky on our Mac, we found it difficult to use.
Our Pick
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| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| Browser extensions | Yes — Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Safari | Yes — Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Microsoft Edge, Yandex Browser, Opera |
| 24/7 support | ||
| Customer support options | Live chat, phone, support forums, online guides | Live chat, phone, email, support forums, online guides |
| Learn more | Get Norton | Get Kaspersky |
Even though Kaspersky excels in its third-party testing and offers more browser compatibility than Norton, we found it extremely difficult to use on a Mac. Meanwhile, our Norton experience was pretty easy and seamless. We had several key takeaways from testing both products.
Norton took about 10 minutes for a full scan and was able to go completely through our Mac without any issues. Kaspersky took over an hour to complete a full scan. While both returned no results, and the subsequent scans were faster, we were annoyed at how long Kaspersky took.
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Norton cleaning junk files from our Mac.
We do appreciate that Kaspersky has support for a variety of browsers. Norton may have less browser compatibility, but it makes up for that in smooth usability. Both dashboards are designed well. However, we did find it difficult to use Kaspersky’s help center to find answers, while Norton was a little more user-friendly.
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Kaspersky features enabled
Kaspersky used to charge extra for 24/7 support, but we see that’s changed. But when we called Kaspersky support, the representative didn’t know the answer to our question. We spent a lot of time with them hunting it down and, while we appreciated their efforts, the amount of time it took was more than expected.
We didn’t need to contact Norton’s support because it was easy to navigate the support center. The chatbot is available 24/7, and if you really need assistance you can call anytime. There’s no real email support — but between the chatbot and phone support, we didn’t really miss that.
Yes, and it may be better. Since Norton and Kaspersky are basically tied when it comes to performance, features, and support, Norton gains the advantage because it hasn’t been flagged by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as a potential threat to U.S. national security.
Performance-wise, Kaspersky really is a powerhouse. Unfortunately, because of the DHS and FCC warnings, we can’t recommend it for home use.
Kaspersky’s reputation took a huge hit when it was denounced by both the U.S. and U.K. governments. This happened after it was discovered that the Russian-based company was communicating with the Federal Security Service in Russia.
Kaspersky was accused of sharing its customers’ identifying data and real-time security information with the Russian government. Kaspersky’s infrastructure also houses the domain of the Russian Ministry of Defense. For us, it’s just too much shady business to justify using the antivirus.
Norton and Kaspersky have several key differences when it comes to features and service, but Norton’s main attraction is that it’s never been deemed a national security threat.
If that isn’t a concern for you, Norton provides more well-rounded identity protection features, while Kaspersky has extensive tools for protecting children online.
Norton wins. With better pricing, usability, and support, Norton edges out Kaspersky even without the national security issues that accompany the Russian-based antivirus. Norton provides key features, like cloud backup and a password manager, as well as identity protection features included with its product.
We want to love Kaspersky, but we just can’t. While Kaspersky does offer tested and proven protection as well as a myriad of child online safety features, it’s like the shady uncle your mom gives the side eye to at the family picnic. You just can’t be sure if he’s going to ruin the party or not.
Because of its current associations with the Russian government and the growing tensions between Russia and the United States, it’s likely safer to avoid Kaspersky.
You’ve made it this far, and you’re still unsure if either of these antivirus programs is right for you. No worries. We have three more options to ensure your online safety. Whichever you choose, please make sure you’re using some form of antivirus software to protect yourself online.
Excellent protection against malware, ransomware, and hacking with perfect test results
Full security suite available to protect every aspect of your digital life
Protect with confidence thanks to their 100% virus removal guarantee
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