Best antivirus software 2023 - The first knowledge sharing application in Vietnam

Using antivirus software means you’re protected from more than just malware. While viruses, ransomware, rootkits, and bots are still dangerous threats, the best antivirus software keeps you safe from phishing schemes, keyloggers, spyware, adware, and even identity theft.

Your Windows machines come with Microsoft Defender already installed on them; for many, it is good protection. But it’s a good idea to add additional layers of security because a single program can’t catch everything. And over the years, third-party testers have seen the vulnerabilities and damage that come with putting full faith in Microsoft Defender alone.

I recommend any of the antivirus software in this guide, but my favorite is Bitdefender. It doesn’t take up a lot of resources, catches threats before they are able to begin the download process, and is overall a good value. Here’s a more in-depth rundown of this and other top antivirus solutions.

Best overall: Bitdefender Total Security

Bitdefender Total Security box image

(Image credit: Bitdefender)

Bitdefender Total Security consistently does a great job of stopping malware threats before they even have a chance to start downloading to your device. And most threats don’t even make it into the quarantine folder, because Bitdefender recognizes them and immediately scrubs them away. This means there are no remnants to infect your computer.

This antivirus software recognizes ransomware, so the risk of you falling victim is pretty tiny while using Bitdefender. And when you’re browsing online, Bitdefender’s safe browsing technology will block websites that have known threats hidden in them.

With the Total Security package, you get to protect your family from other threats, too. For starters. Bitdefender has webcam monitoring to make sure no program or person accesses it without your permission. There are also parental controls so you can filter web content and monitor exactly what your child is viewing online.

Bitdefender Total Security (opens in new tab)

This antivirus monitors your computer in real-time to stop malicious files before they have a chance to start downloading.

Bitdefender also includes a password manager to help you remember login credentials and create passwords that are hard for snoops to decipher. There are extra protections so keyloggers can’t watch what you’re typing and steal your credentials that way.

You also get a VPN with Bitdefender, which is a pretty good and reliable one. However, you do have a cap on how often and how long you can use it each day. But it’s enough to shield you when doing your most important business online.

There are some problems with using Bitdefender. The biggest is it doesn’t do well if your computer is already infected with malware. In fact, most antivirus programs don’t do well on existing infections. But after using malware removal tools, Bitdefender will easily take it from there to keep malware off your devices in the future.

Read the full Bitdefender review here
(opens in new tab)

Bottom line: With powerful security tools and impressive real-time monitoring, Bitdefender has enough to keep just about every aspect of your family safe while online.

Best for mobile: McAfee+ Premium

McAfee Premium box image

(Image credit: McAfee)

McAfee+ Premium

Best antivirus for mobile

Our expert review:

Specifications

Operating system:

Window, Mac, Android, iOS

Maximum devices:

Unlimited

Real-time protection:

Yes

Firewall:

Yes

Password manager:

Yes

VPN:

Unlimited

Webcam monitoring:

ID theft protections:

Yes

Parental controls:

Today’s Best Deals

Visit Site

Reasons to buy

Unlimited protection for all devices

VPN

Identity theft monitoring

Gamer mode

Reasons to avoid

–

No webcam monitoring

–

A bit heavy on computers

Many cellphone providers offer antivirus protection as part of their plans, and often they recommend McAfee. There’s good reason to use McAfee for mobile protection. It’s really good and stops threats in real-time. This means McAfee recognizes threats before they can fully download and stops them quickly.

Another good feature of McAfee is fairly easy to use, even if you haven’t used an antivirus software program before. The default settings are strong enough to give you adequate protection, so you don’t need to worry about configuring anything.

All McAfee computer protection software comes with a password manager and a secure firewall. You also get unlimited access to the McAfee VPN. This is a great feature that hides your computer’s IP address and your online identity, so your online browsing activity can’t ever be tracked back to you.

McAfee+ Premium (opens in new tab)

This software is compatible with all devices and is especially good for protecting mobile. And it comes with ID theft monitoring.

One perk for using McAfee+ Premium is you get identity theft monitoring as part of the deal. McAfee will keep an eye out on the dark web for any of your personal information and will let you know if it is ever sold or compromised.

McAfee+ Premium doesn’t help you regain your identity, but there are other programs, like McAfee+ Advanced and Ultimate that both have additional identity recovery tools. These programs also have parental controls for more family protection.

Overall McAfee+ Premium is a good deal and lets you protect an unlimited number of devices. However, the under $50 subscription is only for the first year. After that, the price jumps substantially high to almost $150 per year. Also, on some devices, you may notice a slowdown because McAfee is pretty heavy on its resource use.

Read the full McAfee review here
(opens in new tab)

Bottom line: For stopping malware on mobile devices in real time, McAfee is a really good choice. And you get unlimited access to its VPN.

Today’s best McAfee Total Protection Ultimate deals

$119.99

View

Best free antivirus: Avast Free Antivirus

Avast Free Antivirus box image

(Image credit: Avast)