Norton vs. Sophos 2024: Norton Has Everything You Need

Norton is the better antivirus overall, as it provides more than just antivirus protection; its plans come with plenty of extra security features like a virtual private network (VPN) and password manager. Norton also has multiple plans, starting at $29.99/first yr, to fit almost any budget.

Sophos antivirus doesn’t have as many plans and it’s not as budget-friendly. There are one-year, two-year, and three-year subscriptions available, starting at $44.99/yr for the one-year plan. However, all Sophos plans cover up to 10 computers, which is more than most Norton plans.

There’s a lot more to unpack regarding these two antivirus programs, so let’s find the best one for you.

Norton vs. Sophos overview

One of the main differences between Norton vs. Sophos is that Norton offers several tiers with various amounts of cybersecurity features. You can cover one to 10 devices and all of the plans come standard with antivirus protection, cloud backup, and a password manager.

Other than choosing the length of your subscription term, all Sophos plans have the same features. If you’re new to antivirus software, Sophos makes choosing a plan easy. Every Sophos Home account protects up to 10 computers, so it may be better suited for large households.

• Norton: Best for a cybersecurity suite
• Sophos: Best for solid antivirus protection

Norton vs. Sophos compared

Star rating	4.8 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.	4.2 AllAboutCookies writers and editors score products based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.
Starting price	Starts at $29.99/first yr	Starts at $44.99/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, Android, macOS, iOS	Windows, Android, macOS, iOS
Learn more	Get Norton Read Norton Review	Get Sophos Read Sophos Review

Which antivirus is the better value?

Overall, Norton is cheaper and offers a longer money-back guarantee.

	Our Pick
Price range	$29.99–$99.99/first yr	$44.99–$104.99
Best value plan	Norton 360 Deluxe for $49.99/first yr	Sophos Home Premium 1-year for $44.99/yr
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 60 days	Yes — 30 days
Learn more	Get Norton Read Norton Review	Get Sophos Read Sophos Review

Norton starts a bit cheaper than Sophos. It also has numerous plan tiers, with the price depending on the number of devices you want coverage for and the features that come with the plan.

The most you will pay for Norton is $99.99/first yr if you choose Norton Select with LifeLock. That plan protects up to 10 devices and has the most features offered, like a VPN, parental controls, and identity theft protection.

Norton picked its Deluxe plan as the best value, and we agree. For $49.99/first yr, you’ll get protection for five devices, 50 GB of cloud backup, parental controls, and other cybersecurity features.

The only difference between Sophos plans is the number of years you want to be covered. With Sophos, you can get antivirus protection for one, two, or three years.

We think the best value is to buy only one year of Sophos for $44.99/yr. Antivirus needs change, and we know many don’t want to be tied down for multiple years to one product. The price only drops about $10 per year if you select the three-year plan.

Sophos includes a 30-day money-back guarantee to try the product risk free. Norton provides a 60-day money-back guarantee, which is plenty of time to decide if the product is right for you. Both offer 30-day free trials as well, so you have plenty of time to determine which antivirus is best for you.

Which antivirus has better features?

Norton offers extra features like a password manager, a VPN, and device optimization tools.

Feature	Our Pick
Manual and scheduled scans
Real-time protection
Phishing protection
Ransomware protection
Firewall
Device optimization tools
Parental controls
Password manager
VPN
Ad blocker
Learn more	Get Norton Read Norton Review	Get Sophos Read Sophos Review

Both Norton and Sophos offer basic antivirus features like an antivirus scan, real-time antivirus protection, as well as protection from phishing and ransomware attacks. But when it comes to extra features, these two antivirus programs differ.

Both antivirus platforms are good for families. Sophos has parental web filtering to give parents more control over what their children can access online. Norton also has parental controls and the School Time feature, which provides online restriction times during school hours.

Sophos comes with a hefty price tag when you consider all it lacks. Although you can protect up to 10 devices, it leaves out some desirable features.

Sophos offers a free firewall, but it’ll overwrite all the data on your computer when installed. Therefore, you’ll need to install the firewall on a separate computer. You also won’t get a VPN to make your online browsing safer, or a password manager to keep your credentials more secure.

Meanwhile, Norton packs a punch, with its basic plan including a password manager and 2 GB of cloud backup with its antivirus protection. The other plans all come standard with advanced features like a VPN, dark web monitoring, and more.

Norton vs. Sophos: Test results

When it comes to malware detection and prevention, we want to be sure you’re protected. Beyond our own testing, we refer to third-party test sites to know exactly how an antivirus performs in real-world environments.

To compare Norton and Sophos, we referred to AV-TEST. It recreates real-world cyberthreats to asses the performance of antivirus programs based on detection, prevention, and mitigation. 

Norton vs. Sophos malware protection scores

	Our Pick
AV-TEST Windows score	18/18	N/A
AV-TEST macOS score	18/18	18/18
AV-TEST Android score	18/18	17/18
Learn more	Get Norton Read Norton Review	Get Sophos Read Sophos Review

Both Norton and Sophos had excellent scores with some minimal markdowns. Norton's Windows score was 18/18 due to some false positives. Unfortunately, Sophos has yet to be tested on Windows, so we can't verify its accuracy. 

Although both Norton and Sophos scored well, Norton had higher total scores. 

Which antivirus has better compatibility and customer support?

While both antivirus offer plenty of support options, Norton offers 24/7 customer support so you can get help whenever you need it.

	Our Pick
Windows
macOS
Android
iOS
Browser extensions	Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari	Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari
24/7 customer support
Customer support options	Live chat, phone, online guides, support forums	Live chat, email, online guides, support forums
Learn more	Get Norton Read Norton Review	Get Sophos Read Sophos Review

The Norton interface was easy to use, and we had no issues with scanning, even with multiple browser tabs open. We also didn’t notice any lag with any of our running programs during scans.

The junk cleaner was a nice addition and helped to remove files we no longer needed, freeing up space on our MacBook device.

While our overall experience with Sophos was positive, we did note that the scan function was confusing at first use. Sophos doesn’t have a quick scan button like most antivirus programs. There is a fast scan option instead, which is similar to a quick scan. The fast scan is worthy of its name, taking only around five minutes to complete.

The interface was simple, but you need to access the Sophos website to make changes or view a setting, which was frustrating for us during testing.

Norton and Sophos have similar offerings for customer support, including phone, live chat, online guides, and support forums. However, Norton offers 24/7 phone support, while Sophos's support hours are limited to Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST. We do like that Sophos provides support videos, which could be helpful for visual learners.

FAQs

Norton vs. Sophos: Which is better?

If we must choose one, Norton comes out on top. With so many features, like a secure VPN, cloud backup, a firewall, and so many other options, Norton is hard to pass up. It’s been a trusted name in antivirus software for many years, and that doesn’t look likely to slow down anytime soon. 

We want to be clear that both Norton and Sophos are good antivirus programs. In our reviews and according to the third-party testing, these products offer security protection you can trust. Everyone needs antivirus protection and with prices starting at $29.99/first yr, we suggest giving Norton a try.

Top antivirus alternatives

As with all products, we know these two antivirus programs may not fit the bill for your particular needs. With that in mind, we have some alternatives you may like better.

Antivirus
Best for	Bundled services	Parental controls	Phishing protection
Starting price	Starts at $29.99/first yr	Starts at $39.99/first 2 yrs	Starts at $29.99/yr (first year only)
Additional features	VPN, password manager, ad blocker, device optimization tools	VPN, identity protection, parental controls, password manager	VPN, identity protection, parental controls, device optimization tools
Learn more	Get Norton	Get McAfee	Get Bitdefender