TotalAV vs. Aura Antivirus 2026: Which Keeps You Safer?

TotalAV wins. It passed all three of our in-house malware tests, earned strong scores from AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs, and costs less the first year on every plan.

Aura is the better pick if you want identity theft protection bundled with your antivirus. Its Ultimate plan adds $1 million in identity theft insurance and credit monitoring, and its plans cost less at renewal.

We tested both hands-on and compared them on price, features, malware protection, and support.

TotalAV vs. Aura Antivirus at a glance

• TotalAV: Best for affordability
• Aura Antivirus: Best for comprehensive protection

	Our Pick
Star rating	4.7 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.	4.5 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	Free or $19.00/first yr	Starts at $35.99/first yr
Max number of protected devices	8	10
Malware scans	Manual and scheduled	Manual
Real-time protection
Phishing protection
Ransomware protection
24/7 customer support
Compatibility	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Chrome, Edge, Opera	Windows, macOS, Android
Learn more	Get TotalAV Read TotalAV Review	Get Aura Antivirus Read Aura Antivirus Review

TotalAV pros and cons

TotalAV has broad compatibility and can protect up to eight devices. It performed well against various types of malware and includes additional privacy features, such as a password manager. 

Aura Antivirus pros and cons

Aura has quite the offering: You can bundle a virtual private network (VPN), password manager, and identity theft protection with its antivirus. Aura doesn't include any parental controls in any of its plans.

Is TotalAV or Aura Antivirus the better value?

TotalAV wins on value. It costs less the first year on every plan. Aura costs less at renewal and gives you twice as long to get a refund.

	Our Pick
Price range	$19.00–$49.00/first yr	$35.99-$59.99/first yr
Best value plan	Total Security for $49.00/first yr	Antivirus Plus for $47.99/first yr
Money-back guarantee	Yes — 30 days	Yes — 60 days
Learn more	Get TotalAV Read TotalAV Review	Get Aura Antivirus Read Aura Antivirus Review

TotalAV costs less up front. Its plans range from $19.00–$49.00/first yr, compared to $35.99-$59.99/first yr for Aura Antivirus. If you're on a budget, TotalAV is a good choice, and its antivirus protects you from malicious threats.

We think TotalAV's best value is Total Security. It covers 8 devices and adds an ad blocker and a password manager for $10.00 more than Internet Security in the first year.

Aura starts at $35.99/first yr for three devices. Ultimate, the top plan, costs$59.99/first yr and covers 10 devices.

We think the best value is Aura Antivirus Plus at $47.99/first yr. It covers five devices and adds a password manager, an ad blocker, a 1 GB file vault, and monitoring for your online accounts and Social Security number. Ultimate adds $1 million in identity theft insurance, credit monitoring, and bank fraud alerts

Aura also gives you 60 days to get a refund. TotalAV gives you 30 days on annual plans.

That flips at renewal. TotalAV's plans renew at $99.00/yr to $149.00/yr while Aura's renew at $69.99 to $129.99/yr. For example, TotalAV Total Security renews at $149.00/yr, and Aura Antivirus Plus renews at $99.99/yr.

Does TotalAV or Aura Antivirus have better features?

	Our Pick
Manual and scheduled scans		Manual only
Real-time protection
Phishing protection
Ransomware protection
Firewall
Parental controls
Password manager	Yes, with the Total Security plan	Yes, with Antivirus Plus and Ultimate plans
VPN	Yes, with Internet Security and Total Security plans
Ad blocker	Yes, with the Total Security plan	Yes, with Antivirus Plus and Ultimate plans
Device optimization tools
Learn more	Get TotalAV Read TotalAV Review	Get Aura Antivirus Read Aura Antivirus Review

When comparing TotalAV and Aura Antivirus’ features, you’ll find that there’s only some small differences. 

One of the biggest issues we noticed was that you can’t schedule scans with Aura Antivirus, so that can be troublesome for users who like the ease and convenience of that feature. TotalAV includes scheduled scanning in its features.

Aura’s real-time malware protection is also only available for PCs at this time, which could be a big drawback for macOS users who like Aura’s features but want the security of real-time scanning.

You’ll note some differences with other features, like a virtual private network (VPN). You need to get TotalAV’s Internet Security or Total Security plan for that option, but with Aura, the VPN comes standard with all plans.

However, Aura's VPN is a basic toggle on/off, whereas Total VPN is a full standalone VPN. 

Aura includes a password manager with Antivirus Plus and Ultimate. TotalAV includes one only with Total Security. A password manager is a definite plus because it helps you stay safe online by keeping your online credentials safe, and with auto-login functionality, you won’t be tempted to use easy passwords that hackers could guess.

TotalAV does provide a junk cleaner, which can be beneficial for clearing out old files that take up space. This is not something that Aura offers at this time.

Which has better malware protection, TotalAV or Aura Antivirus?

The EICAR file was designed to test an antivirus program's response to potential malware. The file uses code that mimics a virus, but is not dangerous. To test an antivirus program, we download the EICAR file and check whether it flags it as a virus.

	Our Pick
AV-TEST Windows score	17.5/18 as of August 2026	Not tested
AV-TEST macOS score	18/18 as of June 2026	Not tested
AV-TEST Android score	18/18 as of July 2026	Not tested
AV-Comparatives malware protection score	99.98% as of March 2026	Not tested
SE Labs score	91% as of 2026 Q2	Not tested
EICAR score	3/3	2/3
Learn more	Get TotalAV Read TotalAV Review	Get Aura Antivirus Read Aura Antivirus Review

TotalAV passed all three of our tests: manually downloaded malware, drive-by malware downloads, and phishing page detection. Aura passed the first two but missed the phishing page.

TotalAV scored a perfect 18/18 on macOS and Android, and 17.5/18 on Windows. In AV-TEST's July to August 2026 Windows test, it blocked 100% of 0-day malware attacks. The half point it lost was for performance, not protection.

TotalAV also scored 99.98% in AV-Comparatives' March 2026 malware protection test and 91% with SE Labs in 2026 Q2.

Which has better compatibility and customer support, TotalAV or Aura Antivirus?

	Our Pick
Windows
macOS
Android
iOS
Browser extensions	Chrome, Edge, Safari, Opera	Chrome, Firefox, Edge
24/7 customer support
Customer support options	Online guides, email, phone, chat	Online guides, email, phone
Learn more	Get TotalAV Read TotalAV Review	Get Aura Antivirus Read Aura Antivirus Review

Aura’s interface was easy to use, and we encountered no device issues during scans. We opened multiple browser tabs to put it to the test, and it took only around 10 minutes for a full scan.

After the scan, Aura flagged and quarantined our EICAR test files, which is exactly what it should do. You can keep quarantined files for seven days or delete them right away.

TotalAV was easy to use overall, but it wasn't flawless. The Password Vault crashed our system several times.

We also had trouble turning on real-time protection on Mac. TotalAV asked for full disk access even though we'd already granted it, and the Next button didn't respond.

Otherwise, we were impressed with the scanning and other features, like the VPN, ad blocker, and the junk file cleaner.

Aura offers 24/7 U.S.-based phone support on every plan, but no live chat. TotalAV does offer live chat, but you need to go through some prompts on the support center before being able to connect. 

TotalAV vs. Aura Antivirus: Which is better?

TotalAV is the better all-around choice for antivirus security at a lower first-year price. If you're looking for an antivirus with high test scores and additional beneficial features, such as a VPN and ad blocker, TotalAV is one of the best antivirus programs available this year.

If you like more identity protection with your antivirus, Aura Antivirus is a great choice. You’ll get malware protection and a secure VPN with each plan. If you want to upgrade to the Ultimate plan, Aura provides $1 million of identity theft insurance and transaction monitoring for more peace of mind.

Top alternatives

TotalAV and Aura Antivirus offer real-time malware protection at a good price point. Here's how they compare to other top security bundles.

TotalAV vs. Aura Antivirus FAQs