5 best antivirus software in 2024

You need the best antivirus software to protect your device from malware. This is particularly true in the modern world, where ransomware attacks and data theft are common. Moreover, many links shared on social media can be infected by viruses. If you are not careful, they can threaten your digital identity and lead to fraud.

This article lists five of the best antivirus software you can use in 2024 and what they offer to protect you.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the views of the writer.

---

5 antivirus software to buy today

1) Trend Micro Antivirus

Trend Micro Antivirus software running on multiple devices (Image via Trend Micro)

Thanks to its clean and user-friendly UI, Trend Micro Antivirus is considered one of the best malware software in the enterprise sector. The company’s Managed Extended Detection and Response (MDR) team has been responsible for detecting many viruses and protecting its customers against them.

Trend Micro Antivirus is one of the best antivirus software for Windows.

Pros

• Strong protection against real-time threats
• Simple, intuitive, and user-friendly UI
• Supports up to 10 devices with premium plans
• 30-day free trial

Cons

• No firewall option
• No VPN, webcam protection, or any other fancy features

---

2) Eset NOD32 Internet Security

ESET won the Cybersecurity Champion award in 2019 (Image via ESET Facebook)

ESET is among the best antivirus software companies, and its NOD32 is an excellent product. Apart from the superb antivirus protection, it has web access security, email protection, parental controls, and more.

Eset NOD32 Internet Security's independent test results show a 99.96% online protection rate. The tool also offers remote device control.

Pros

• Both real-time and cloud-based protection
• Higher detection rate from independent tests
• Light on the system resources
• Parental controls

Cons

• The software has to be upgraded manually

---

3) TotalAV Antivirus

TotalAV scanning for viruses (Image via TotalAV Instagram)

TotalAV Antivirus has garnered a lot of popularity over the last few years, thanks to its vastly improved detection rate and user interface. It has a password manager built into the antivirus, which is quite good. Its web shield is also quite effective and blocks 100% of the malicious links, but only through the IPv4 protocol.

All these features make it one of the best antivirus software for web protection.

Pros

• A complete internet protection suite
• Real-time and cloud protection
• Features like web ad-blocking and tracker-blocking
• Customer support service is exceptional

Cons

• Safe searching fails to work sometimes
• The browser extension for ad-blocking doesn’t have a friendly UI

---

4) Norton 360 Antivirus

Norton 360 Standard is one of the best antivirus software out there (Image via Norton)

Norton 360 is one of the oldest and most reliable antivirus software to this day. Its real-time protection will protect your computer against all types of viruses and malware. It also has a VPN service and a password manager to keep your digital presence safe and secure against all online threats.

In independent tests, Norton managed to provide a 99.98% malware detection rate.

Pros

• Excellent real-time protection against threats
• Plenty of features, including sophisticated VPN and identify-theft protection
• Easy to use and works most of the time without user interaction
• Password Manager

Cons

• The pricing is a bit on the higher side
• You will need to download additional software

---

5) Bitdefender Antivirus Plus

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus won the Product of the Year award in 2020 (Image via Bitdefender)

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus offers robust real-time protection and a 100% detection rate. It comes with multiple security features, including web, fraud, and ransomware protection.

Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is also extremely light on the system, so your device never slows down. The best part is that it’s compatible with almost all your smart devices.

Pros

• The best protection against viruses and malware
• Features include webcam protection, microphone protection, and a VPN
• Scores 100% detection rate in some independent tests
• The free version has many of the same features and protection levels

Cons

• The included VPN only provides 200MB of data per device unless you pay extra

---

How to choose the best antivirus software in 2024

You should look for three things when choosing the best antivirus software:

Detection

The detection rate says a lot about how a particular antivirus software will perform and how capable it will be against modern threats.

Performance

A great antivirus software won’t mean much if it slows your device down. For this reason, always look for one that is light on the system.

Specific features

Features, such as remote device management or ad-blocking software, can be incredibly helpful, so keep an eye on such things.