Panda Dome Antivirus 2025: Cute Name, Serious Protection

You may giggle at Panda antivirus’s name, but the free product offers a lot while the paid plans give serious protection.

Panda Dome is a solid antivirus provider with lots of features, but it doesn't rise to the standards of the best antivirus software. It's had some significantly slow scan speeds and frequently is in the middle of the pack with its third-party test results. 

However, Panda has a free version as well as lots of pricing options for paid plans. You can select how many devices you need coverage for and you can even pay monthly. On top of being a reliable antivirus, you can also opt for a full security suite, with parental controls, dark web scanning, and more.

Learn more about our experience testing Panda Dome in our comprehensive review.

Pros
  • Feature-rich for Windows users
  • User-friendly interface
  • Options to pay monthly and annually
Cons
  • Slow scan speeds
  • Mac product lacks firewall, PC tuneup tools, Wi-Fi protection, and more
In this article
At a glance
Our experience
Who is it best for?
Cost
Features
Test results
Compatibility
Customer support
Alternatives
FAQs
Bottom line

At a glance

Price $22.50–$63.00/first yr
Free plan Yes
# of devices protected 1 to unlimited
Malware scans Manual and scheduled
Real-time protection Yes
EICAR test results 2/3
Firewall Yes
Phishing protection Yes
Compatibility Windows, macOS, Android, iOS (Many features limited to Windows)
Extras Wi-Fi protection, parental controls, identity protection, password generator, VPN, PC cleanup, update manager
24/7 customer support Yes
Learn more Get Panda Dome Antivirus

How we test and rate antivirus software

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.

We last tested Panda Dome on June 12, 2025.

4.1
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Panda Dome's website
Antivirus Software
Panda Dome
  • Feature-rich for Windows users
  • Options to pay monthly and annually
  • Mac product lacks firewall, PC tuneup tools, Wi-Fi protection, and more

Our experience

Our experience with Panda Dome was mostly good, considering we've had some hiccups in the past. We were impressed by the amount of tools available and happy overall with the scan times.

Panda Dome main dashboard

We tested the critical area and full scans to see how quickly they'd be completed and if they would impact our device performance. We really liked the progress page that shows up while a scan was running. It gives you an idea of how far along the scan is so you can estimate how long it'll take.

Panda Dome in the process of a critical area scan

We also downloaded fake viruses prior to installing Panda Dome to see if they would be detected with a scan. The file was only detected after Panda Dome's second full scan, so you may need to conduct some more diligent scanning if you go for this program. 

When a scan is done, you can review the event files, which let you know what the program did with any viruses it found. Overall, we thought the scan experience was good.

Panda Dome critical area scan results

We've tested the Panda Dome Premium plan in the past, which is jam-packed with features beyond antivirus scanning. We had fun playing around with the updates scanner, VPN, and PC tune-up features, which all were easy to access and worked as promised.

Overall, Panda Dome has a lot to offer if you look past the slightly un-modern appearance and confusing layout. We were pleased with its ability to detect our fake viruses and felt safe with it on.

Note that Windows Defender has previously flagged Panda Dome as a potentially unwanted app. Luckily, nothing like that happened this time but we figured it was worth warning.

Who is Panda Dome Antivirus best for?

  • Recommended for individuals or families researching the right protection plan

One of Panda Dome Antivirus’s advantages is the option to pay monthly with no commitments. Your first month is even free! 

Because of these flexible payment options, various features, and multiple types of plans, this is the perfect product for people looking to find the right protection for themselves or their families. Panda lets you try out different plans to see if this antivirus product works for you.

One caveat is that Panda isn’t the best for macOS users. While the Windows product is fairly robust and offers a lot, the Mac product doesn’t come with a lot of the same features. 

Mac users looking for a similar product should check out MacKeeper, which is an antivirus and performance optimization tool.

Panda Dome Antivirus cost

While Panda Dome does offer a free plan, there are four different paid plans available, costing between $22.50/first yr and $63.00/first yr. You can also select one, two, or three year plans and you can even pay month to month.

The starting prices are slightly higher than competitors like McAfee ($29.99–$249.99/yr), Avast ($35.88-$119.88/yr (first year only)), and Avira ($26.99–$59.99/first yr).

It’s also nice that Panda lets you choose how many devices you’d like to protect for each plan. Some competitors will make you purchase a higher tier to include more devices, but Panda allows you to choose between one, three, five, 10, or unlimited devices for each tier. 

Overall, we feel like Panda’s options are a good value for the price. Even with the Essential Protection plan, you receive a decent amount of features. 

Free Essential Advanced Complete Premium
Price Free $22.50/first yr $27.00/first yr $40.50/first yr $63.00/first yr
Manual and auto scan
Real-time protection
Firewall
Wi-Fi protection
Parental controls
Ransomware protection
Password manager
Dark web monitor Scanner only Scanner only Scanner only Scanner only
VPN Yes — 150MB daily Yes — 150MB daily Yes — 150MB daily Yes — 150MB daily Yes — unlimited data
Update manager
Learn more View plan View plan View plan View plan View plan

Panda Dome Antivirus offers a free month to test the product. You can cancel at any time with no questions asked.

Panda Dome Antivirus features

Panda Dome Antivirus offers the essentials for security suites, like scans and antivirus protection, and it includes bonus features like Wi-Fi protection, external device scanning and a virtual private network (VPN). It’s great to be able to scan external devices like your USB sticks and external hard drives for malware before they can infect your device.

All Panda plans include antivirus protection, but you’ll need to opt for at least the Advanced plan if you also want ransomware protection.

List of apps and feature icons on Panda Dome dashboard

Malware and antivirus scan

With Panda, you get both manual and automatic scans. Custom scans can be scheduled from the Antivirus icon on the dashboard. Panda’s real-time protection means it’s scanning files and apps as they’re running on your device, so you can feel confident that a new threat can be caught quickly in any critical areas.

When you check your antivirus dashboard, you’ll be able to see your last scan, scheduled scans, any files in quarantine, and any problems found, like spyware and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs). It’s all easy to understand and organized.

Panda Dome antivirus dashboard

Phishing protection

Panda’s Safe Browsing features help protect against phishing pages by blocking them. A pop-up will let you know that the site you’re trying to visit isn’t safe and give you the option to navigate away.

Panda has built-in blockers that will immediately block a fraudulent or malicious site without you having to do anything. You can configure this in the Safe Browsing section.

Panda Dome's Safe Browsing section, which shows the number of URLs blocked, malware found, phishing and fraud found, and URLs allowed by the user.

Firewall and network protection

The Firewall feature allows you to choose where you’re working from so it can be more diligent in protecting your computer. If you set the option to Public place, then this feature can add a layer of security along with your VPN.

And the firewall doesn’t just monitor access when you’re connecting and disconnecting from networks, it also monitors activity while you’re using your device. If a foreign device tries to access your computer while you’re online, Panda’s firewall will block the interaction. 

You can use Panda’s preconfigured permissions or customize permissions to work for you. Using the firewall can give you more peace of mind that hackers and malware are being blocked from your computer.

Panda Dome's firewall settings for where you're working, blocked statistics, and a button for a detailed report.

Real-time protection

Real-time protection means that the cybersecurity product you’re using is scanning files and apps as they’re running on your computer. Panda’s real-time protection appears on the main screen of the dashboard as it shows you the total number of files scanned to date.

Panda Dome letting you know that your PC is protected and that 10,313 files have been scanned.

The paid plans protect against all forms of malware, including spyware, ransomware, and adware. As we were testing the product, we could continue to scan files and processes on our laptop without issue.

Ransomware protection

Panda Advanced, Complete, and Premium customers enjoy additional ransomware protection. Panda’s antivirus is great for protecting against older bugs like trojans and computer viruses while ransomware protection is more advanced for protecting against modern threats like spyware and adware. 

Panda Dome's anti-ransomware features with a breakdown of what was blocked, customizable protection, and ransomware education.

Panda’s ransomware dashboard breaks down what was blocked, allows you to customize protection, and even educates you on ransomware.

Bonus features

Panda’s dashboard has some other cool features that may be beneficial to you. The Rescue Kit allows you to make a backup of your hard drive and use Panda’s Cloud Cleaner to look for advanced threats that may be tucked away on your computer.

Panda’s Rescue Kit feature, which allows you to make a backup of your hard drive and use Panda’s Cloud Cleaner to look for advanced threats that may be tucked away on your computer.

Here’s a list of Panda’s other bonus features:

  • Parental controls: Monitor and limit your kids’ online activities
  • Dark web monitoring: Scans the dark web for your information
  • Device optimization tools: Helps your device run smoother and more efficiently
  • Password manager: Stores all your passwords in one convenient, safe place
  • Private browsing: Part of the VPN, this allows you to browse anonymously to avoid trackers
  • Virtual keyboard: Use this keyboard while typing confidential data to protect against hackers

Panda’s Parental Control feature, which allows you to monitor and limit your kids’ online activities

Panda Dome Antivirus test results

As part of all our product reviews, we run through a set of standardized internal tests so we can make sure the product works as promised. We also rely on trusted third-party testing to get a wider amount of information.

Here's how Panda Dome fared.

Scan speed

  • Result: Slow

Panda Dome offered three types of scans: Critical (which is basically a quick scan), full, and custom. We timed how long a critical and full scan took so we can compare against other antivirus.

Scan type Time spent
Critical scan 5 minutes. 55 seconds
Full scan 40 minutes, 30 seconds

The critical scan took under six minutes and the full scan took over 40 minutes. Panda was significantly slower than usual, but our CPU usage stayed around 20% to 35%. 

Most antivirus programs we've tested usually take only a minute or two on the quick scans and under 15 minutes for the full scans. If you're seeking a fast scanning program, you should look elsewhere. 

EICAR test results

  • Result: 2/3

In order to safely test how well the antivirus can detect viruses, we rely on a series of tools developed by the European Institute for Computer Anti-Virus Research (EICAR). These allow us to download files and visit pages that act maliciously, but don't actually endanger our devices.

As part of our tests, we try downloading malware in two different ways and visiting a page that acts like it's trying to phish info from us.

Test Panda Dome score
Malware detection Pass
Drive-by malware downloads Pass
Phishing pages detection Fail

Test results as of 06/12/2025.

Panda Dome detected the EICAR files during the full device scan. They were promptly sent to quarantine. 

Pop-up from Panda Dome notifying that its deleted a virus (EICAR file)

However, the safe web feature was unable to detect the phishing page we visited.

AV-TEST results

  • Result: Decent but outdated results on Windows

AV-TEST is a trusted third-party tester that vigorously examines an antivirus' ability in three areas: protection against viruses, impact on device performance, and how many false positives it finds (usability).

Panda Dome hasn't been tested by AV-TEST by a while, but here are its most recent results:

Test type Windows score macOS score Android score
Protection 6/6 N/A 0/6
Performance 5/6 N/A N/A
Usability 5.5/6 N/A 6/6
Date December 2018 N/A November 2017
Link to test Link N/A Link

On Windows, Panda Dome performed pretty well. It lost a point in performance because it generally made devices slower when downloading and installing applications or when copying files. It also found five false positives, which is exactly industry average and cut down its usability score a little.

The Android scores weren't impressive at all, only detecting 65.9% of malware vs. the industry average of 94.8%. Though this test was from 2017, we would recommend finding an alternative antivirus for your phone.

AV-Comparatives test results

  • Result: Top performance scores but lower than average scores on protection tests

AV-Comparatives is another trusted third-party tester. Luckily they've much more recently looked at Panda Dome, and the scores are much better than the AV-TEST results.

That said, they didn't do a mobile security test, so Panda's abysmal Android scores have not been redeemed.

Test type Mobile security Real-world protection Malware protection Performance impact (Lower is better)
Score N/A 97.9% 99.3% 4.8
Platform N/A Windows Windows Windows
Date N/A July - October 2024 March 2025 September 2024
Link N/A Link Link Link

On paper, these scores look excellent. When taken in context of how other antivirus did, it's more accurate to just call them good scores. 

When it comes to real-world protection, Panda came in seventh place and was compromised by eight threats. The top antiviruses in this category — Avira, F-Secure, McAfee, and Norton — saw a much more impressive 99.8% protection rate.

Similarly, Panda's score of 99.3% in malware protection placed it in 11th place out of 13 antivirus programs. The top contender, Kaspersky, got a perfect 100% score.

Finally, when it comes to the performance test, the closest to zero you can get, the better. Panda did improve significantly in this category, coming in fourth. The top antivirus was McAfee, which received a 2.6 score.

SE Labs results

  • Result: 99%

SE Labs is the last third-party tester on our list. The U.K.-based company compiles quarterly reports of antivirus effectiveness for both consumers and enterprises. Here's how Panda Dome fared last time they were included:

Test type Home Anti-Malware Protection
Protection accuracy rating 94%
Legitimate accuracy rating 96%
Total accuracy rating 95
Date 2025 Q1
Link Link

While not a bad score on its own, Panda only came in last place with this score out of eight antivirus programs. Five other antivirus actually tied for first place with a perfect score of 100% — Avast, Kaspersky, McAfee, Microsoft Defender and Norton.

Panda Dome Antivirus compatibility

You can install Panda on desktops, laptops, and mobile devices running:

  • Windows XP+
  • Android 6+
  • macOS 10.10+
  • iOS 13+

Panda Dome Antivirus isn’t available on every platform and doesn’t list any browser extensions you could install if you don’t have one of the compatible devices. It does, however, cover the bases for most home users.

What's important to note is that not all features are available on every platform. Here's a breakdown on which features are available on each device:

Windows Mac Android iOS
Antivirus
Dark web scanner
Anti-theft
VPN
PC Tuneup
Password manager
Update manager
Wi-Fi protection
Safe browsing
Parental control
Firewall
Data protection
USB protection
Virtual keyboard
App lock
File encryption
File shredding
Process monitor

Panda Dome customer support

The Support icon in Panda’s dashboard is listed along with all the other features. You can search the support forums, go over its FAQs, or contact technical support.

Panda Dome's list of support options including forums, FAQs, technical support, and premium services support.

Panda support is available at all times and is accessible by calling the number listed on the site (1-917-341-2063) or by filling out an online form. You can navigate to the site from the dashboard of your Panda Dome product.

 

Panda Dome's links to their customer support number, customer support form, and forums.

Top alternatives

Is Panda Dome not quite what you're looking for? Compare it against these top antivirus solutions:

Antivirus
Star rating
4.7
4.7
5.0
Price $29.00–$49.00/yr (first year only) $29.99–$249.99/yr $29.99–$299.99/first yr
# of devices protected 4 - 8 Unlimited 1 - 10
Malware scans Manual and scheduled Manual and scheduled Manual and scheduled
Real-time protection
EICAR test results 2/3 3/3 3/3
Firewall
Phishing protection
Compatibility Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Chrome, Edge, Opera, Safari Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
Extras Password manager, ad blocker, VPN Parental controls, performance optimization tools, VPN Password manager, VPN, dark web monitoring, parental controls, privacy monitor, identity theft protection, cloud backup
24/7 customer support
Learn more Get TotalAV Get McAfee Get Norton 360

Panda Dome FAQs

Can I trust Panda antivirus?

Yes, Panda has been independently reviewed and tested by sites like AV-Comparatives and SE Labs. Although it typically has middle of the pack results with both testers, it still has high protection and performance rates. 

Does Panda offer coupon codes?

While there do not appear to be any coupon codes specifically from Panda itself, it does offer your first month free, as well as affordable monthly payment options. You can save even more if you purchase a year of Panda security upfront.

Who owns Panda antivirus?

Panda is owned by WatchGuard, a cybersecurity company. WatchGuard is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and has a variety of products and services centered around cybersecurity.

Is there a Panda antivirus free download?

Yes, Panda does have a free antivirus! You can download a free version of Panda for Windows or Android by visiting the free download page.

Bottom line: Is Panda Dome good?

Yes, we feel confident that Panda Dome is a good option to protect your Windows computer based on our antivirus review experience. We appreciated the extras like the VPN and private browsing as well as the free product offerings. 

With a variety of features and alright test results, Panda proves it’s able to compete on the cybersecurity stage. It can even be argued that it outdoes some of its competitors with a free product and a lot of features as you move up in tiers. 

We just wish the Mac product was more robust but our best antivirus software list has options for macOS devices.

4.1
Editorial Rating
Learn More
On Panda Dome's website
Antivirus Software
Panda Dome
  • Feature-rich for Windows users
  • Options to pay monthly and annually
  • Mac product lacks firewall, PC tuneup tools, Wi-Fi protection, and more
Author Details
Mary is a seasoned cybersecurity writer with over seven years of experience. With a B.S. in Liberal Arts from Clarion University and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Point Park University, she educates audiences on scams, antivirus software, and more. Her passion lies in educating audiences on helpful ways to protect their data.
Kalleigh Lane is a passionate digital security advocate and the Managing Editor at All About Cookies. After completing her Master of Arts in English Literature, Kalleigh has gained over 5 years of editing and writing experience in the fields of cybersecurity, tech, and finance. She has been featured in major media outlets such as The Globe and Mail and CTV News, emerging as an advocate for digital security.