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Best Budget-Friendly Antivirus
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Real-time protection from viruses, malware, and online threats
Blocks tracking cookies and ads, proactively monitors for data breaches, and option to schedule smart scans
100% compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS operating systems on up to 3 devices
Best for Windows users
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Competitive introductory price
Unique features such as an on-screen keyboard
TotalAV and Kaspersky are two of the top antivirus programs, but how do they compare? TotalAV has high third-party test scores and extra features like an ad blocker and VPN. The price starts at $39.00/yr (first year only), so it’s a fair investment for data protection.
Kaspersky is better for Windows users because it lacks a firewall and phishing protection for Apple. However, it has been listed as a national security threat by the Federal Communications commission agencies due to having links to Russia. If you can look past this, the software itself has good points like high third-party test scores.
We’ll cover TotalAV and Kaspersky's unique features along with pros and cons below.
One of the main differences between these two antivirus products is Kaspersky’s national security issues. Because the government doesn’t trust it, we thought you might want to use caution with this product. It’s also a little pricier than TotalAV; it starts at $38.99/first yr for Kaspersky Standard.
If you’re not bothered by the aforementioned security issue, Kaspersky does have other excellent features. All plans come with options like safe web browsing tools, virus removal, and a two-way firewall that monitors incoming and outgoing network requests.
If you’re more safety conscious and want a plan with no baggage, plenty of features, and offers good value for the money, TotalAV is one of the best antivirus programs you’ll find. Just note that it lacks a firewall.
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| Starting price | Starts at $39.00/yr (first year only) | Starts at $38.99/first yr |
| Free version | ||
| Max number of protected devices | 8 | 10 |
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Compatibility | Windows, Android, macOS, iOS | Windows, Android, macOS, iOS |
| Real-time protection | ||
| Phishing protection | ||
| Ransomware protection | ||
| Learn more | Get TotalAV | Get Kaspersky |
Our Pick
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| Price range | $29.00–$49.00/yr (first year only) | $38.99–$53.99/first yr |
| Best value plan | Internet Security for $39.00/yr (first year only) | Kaspersky Premium for $53.99/first yr |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes — 30 days for annual, 14 days for monthly | Yes — 30 days |
| Learn more | Get TotalAV | Get Kaspersky |
Kaspersky starts at a higher price point than TotalAV, and it tops out at a higher cost.
For TotalAV, we chose Internet Security for $39.00/yr (first year only) as its best value plan. You’ll get protection for six devices, and its bonus features include a virtual private network (VPN) and an ad blocker.
Kaspersky Premium is our choice for the best value for this program. It’s not quite a $20 difference, but you’ll get coverage for up to 10 devices, and it comes with many more features than the other two plans. You’ll get remote access detection, 24/7 remote IT support, and a password manager, just to name a few.
Both of these products include a 30-day money-back guarantee. If you aren’t happy with your purchase, you can get a full refund.
| Feature | Our Pick
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| Manual and scheduled scans | ||
| Real-time protection | ||
| Phishing protection | ||
| Ransomware protection | ||
| Firewall | ||
| Parental controls | ||
| Password manager | ||
| VPN | ||
| Ad blocker | ||
| Device optimization tools | ||
| Learn more | Get TotalAV | Get Kaspersky |
Kaspersky includes the standard antivirus features like real-time protection and ransomware protection. If you want a firewall, Kaspersky offers one but for Windows only. You can also get a password manager and a VPN, but you’ll need to opt for the Plus or Premium plans for these features.
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TotalAV also includes antivirus scans, real-time protection, and protection against phishing and ransomware. Unfortunately, it doesn’t include a firewall with any operating system.
TotalAV does include features like a VPN and a password manager. Total Adblock is standard with all paid plans as well. If you pay for the Total Security subscription, you’ll also have the ad blocker to cut down on those marketing pop-ups.
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If parental controls are important for your family, you won’t find those with either of these products. That may not be a deal breaker, but it’s worth noting for those who are looking for that option.
We rely on third-party testing to inform how antivirus programs perform when faced with real-world scenarios and environments. Aside from our testing, this helps us form a complete picture of what an antivirus is capable of and how well it might protect you. For this comparison, we referred to AV-TEST scores.
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Our Pick
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| AV-TEST Windows score | 17.0/18.0 | 18.0/18.0 |
| AV-TEST macOS score | N/A | 18.0/18.0 |
| AV-TEST Android score | 18.0/18.0 | 18.0/18.0 |
| Learn more | Get TotalAV | Get Kaspersky |
TotalAV scored lower than Kaspersky with its Windows platform. In January, it scored 98.2% for protection against zero-day malware attacks, which is below the industry average of 99.9%. In February, TotalAV recovered and scored 100%, so it was good to see it showed improvement.
During performance testing, TotalAV also took a slight hit because it slowed computer speeds while loading webpages and installing software. TotalAV didn’t submit its macOS platform for testing, so we can’t verify how well it would perform.
Kaspersky had perfect scores across every operating system tested. It also submitted its macOS app for testing, so we’re able to verify it provides top-tier protection, performance, and usability as well.
Our Pick
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| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| Browser extensions | Chrome, Edge, Firefox | Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Yandex |
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Customer support options | Live chat, phone, email, online guides | Live chat, phone, email, online guides, forums |
| Learn more | Get TotalAV | Get Kaspersky |
Kaspersky was easy to use and the interface simple to navigate. However, we noticed that anti-phishing protection and the firewall are only available for Windows. Some antivirus programs don’t include a firewall because Macs have internal firewalls, but it would have been nice to have more transparency upfront.
We also weren’t happy with the web monitoring situation. To receive the service, you must enable the browser extension, and when we attempted to do so, our Mac sent an alert that made us uncomfortable and a little unsure. Many users aren’t going to give Kaspersky permission to read and alter every website visited.
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Our TotalAV experience was much different. The features were easy to use, and we only had a couple of issues.
First, the password vault made the system crash when we tested it. Second, the dashboard repeatedly gave us notifications to enable full disk access after we already had. That was confusing and a bit annoying.
But overall, the antivirus worked well and scanning was fast. It found some threats, and we removed them without issues.
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As far as customer service, both TotalAV and Kaspersky provide 24/7 support. This is specifically TotalAV’s phone assistance, while Kaspersky’s live chat, email, and phone are all 24/7. Kaspersky also offers community forums, so you can troubleshoot with other Kaspersky users.
TotalAV is a great antivirus because it offers budget-friendly prices, performs well in third-party testing, and comes with extra features like a password manager and an ad blocker.
Although Kaspersky may be a decent antivirus, we can’t recommend it and do suggest you avoid Kaspersky. Government agencies aren’t allowed to use this software due to the potential national security threat. It also collects too much data to make us feel comfortable.
We’re confident you can trust TotalAV to keep your device secure from malware after carefully testing and reviewing its AV-TEST results.
Kaspersky has some good features, but many antivirus products don’t have the security stigma surrounding their software. TotalAV, McAfee, and Bitdefender are a few of the best antivirus products on the market to consider instead.
Kaspersky has a lot to offer if you want plenty of options like a two-way firewall, anti-phishing, optimization, and more. If you aren’t bothered by the potential security problems that come with using the product, Kaspersky is best for the risk taker who wants more than typical antivirus protection.
Alternatively, TotalAV is the right choice when you want an antivirus you can trust with good third-party protection scores, a user-friendly interface, and extra features.
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Real-time protection from viruses, malware, and online threats
Blocks tracking cookies and ads, proactively monitors for data breaches, and option to schedule smart scans
100% compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS operating systems on up to 3 devices
In our comparisons, we always include some alternatives in case neither product reviewed works for you. Below, we have a few antivirus programs that might meet your needs if TotalAV and Kaspersky don't.
| Antivirus | 
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| Best for | Bundle services | Parental controls | Phishing protection |
| Starting price | Starts at $29.99/yr (first year only) | Starts at $39.99/yr (first year only) | Starts at $29.99/yr (first year only) |
| Additional features | Cloud backup, password manager, VPN, dark web monitoring, parental controls | VPN, identity protection, parental controls, password manager | VPN, identity protection, parental controls, device optimization tools |
| Learn more | Get Norton | Get McAfee | Get Bitdefender |
Real-time protection from viruses, malware, and online threats
Blocks tracking cookies and ads, proactively monitors for data breaches, and option to schedule smart scans
100% compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS operating systems on up to 3 devices
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