The Nerd Series

Comparison of Best Antivirus Software for Windows PCs

Antivirus November, 18, 2022

Considering how bad online security is in recent years it's safe to say that you need something to keep security holes and malware attacks at bay. This is where a good antivirus program can be very helpful.

There are many options in terms of antivirus software though some of them offer more protection than others. We have investigated the best antivirus software to help you choose the right.

We have brought you some of the best antiviruses that will make your life very easy.


1 Norton

Norton Antivirus is a well-known name in the antivirus world. It has been around for 30 years. Norton can protect you from more than just viruses. It can keep you safe from malware phishing trojans and even crypto-jacking.

It costs less than most of its competitors and has a strong anti-malware engine a wide range of internet security tools an easy-to-use online dashboard and good customer service.

Its anti-malware engine uses machine learning advanced heuristics and a constantly updated list of malware to find viruses trojans spyware ransomware and cryptojackers among other types of malware. During my testing both Norton's full scan and real-time protection were able to find every malicious file I tried to download with minimal system slowdown and no false positives.

What you get

  1. All plans to offer full protection for your identity
  2. Software is the only way to check on your bank and credit card activity
  3. Software is the only thing that has a monthly subscription
  4. 100% protection from malware


2 Kaspersky

Since more than 20 years ago Kaspersky Antivirus has been one of the best antivirus programs. It gets high marks from reviewers and security experts for how well it can find malware. It has four different packages for home users from Kaspersky Anti-Virus to Security Cloud Personal with discounts of up to 50% for the first year.

Kaspersky's Windows products include Kaspersky Standard Kaspersky Plus and Kaspersky Premium. Since it was founded in 1997 Kaspersky's biggest problem over the past few years has been getting rid of its ties to Russia which led to a ban on U.S. government contracts in 2017. In 2020 it finished moving its data processing from Russia to Switzerland as part of an effort to be more open and give customers peace of mind.

The easy-to-use interface of Kaspersky Lab makes it a good choice for people who aren't tech-savvy. When they get an alert they can just click to delete suspicious files.

What you get

  1. Real-time malware detection
  2. All plans come with email security
  3. Provides 24/7 customer support

3 Surf shark

Surfshark has a good security profile because it has several features that work together. For better control it forces you to do some things and gives you choices for others. Even though it's best to turn on all security options you may need to toggle them for convenience.

The way Surfshark encrypts data is the best way to do it. Encrypting your data makes sure that any information that leaves your device is useless even if it gets into the wrong hands. Surfshark uses AES-256 to encrypt data which is the most secure way to encrypt data right now.

What you get

  1. Split tunneling.
  2. CleanWeb feature.
  3. Watching for a data breach
  4. WireGuard protocol.

4 Avira

Avira is one of the most powerful and safest cloud-based antivirus software offering great security tools for Windows Mac Android and iOS users. Its anti-malware tool has a near-perfect record to remove and block all malware including viruses spyware and ransomware.

This all-in-one malware scanner system optimizer and security monitor are really useful to deal with malware attacks network security issues and device performance security concerns. Avira has a FREE plan and decently priced premium plans that offer more features than other antiviruses.

What you get:

  1. Web protection
  2. Password manager
  3. VPS
  4. Performance optimization tools
  5. Game booster

5 McAfee

McAfee is a great choice if you want to protect all of your devices with antivirus software that can find malware in real-time and doesn't cost too much. McAfee has extra features like a file shredder PC cleaner identity protection and a virtual private network. Mcafee is the top choice when it comes to windows antivirus software.

In addition to the usual firewall Wi-Fi security password manager and PC optimization (VPN). McAfee has a huge number of strong security features such as protection against ransomware and a document shredder to help you get rid of sensitive digital files. In the meantime its vulnerability scanner checks update to your devices and apps to make sure they haven't left you open to attack. It also has a password manager and a speed-up feature that makes apps and websites load faster.

What you get

  1. Great protection from all kinds of viruses
  2. In minutes a quick scan gives you peace of mind
  3. The shredder tool is a useful addition
  4. Strong protection against ransomware

6 Webroot

Webroot is one of the most popular antivirus programs on the internet today. It is based in Broomfield Colorado. It has three plans: Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus Webroot Security Plus with AntiVirus and Webroot Internet Security Complete with AntiVirus.

Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus is a small program but it has a long list of features: antivirus real-time antiphishing an extra anti-ransomware layer a simple firewall and a network monitor. A feature called "Identity Protection" gives you a set of tools that stop websites and malware from getting to your data. It protects against keyloggers suspicious browser add-ons stealing of cookie and website data unauthorized screen grabbers and more.

What you get

  1. Covers up to 5 devices
  2. 70-day money-back guarantee.
  3. system optimizer and identity protection.

7 Trend Micro

Trend Micro is one of the most well-known companies that make antivirus software. It has a variety of antimalware apps for different platforms and two of them work with Chrome OS which is pretty unusual for antivirus software.

The software comes with some great extra features such as protection against ransomware and monitoring of the web. But the antivirus programs don't protect against identity theft and you can only get a VPN with the top plan. Trend Micro's malware scanner and real-time protection are both great and the program has some good privacy features that make both online and offline security better.

What you get

  1. Add-on for browser security
  2. PC tune-up
  3. Dark web monitoring
  4. Guard against data theft
  5. Password manager

8 Bitdefender

Bitdefender Antivirus protects against ransomware in more than one way. It uses behavioral threat detection to keep you from getting infected and it keeps ransomware from encrypting your most important files. With Bitdefender Antivirus you can stop worrying about losing your data or money and just enjoy life and your devices.

The behavior-based virus scanner from Bitdefender is great at finding and blocking all kinds of malware and the program also has more extra features than most of its competitors. BitDefender is one of the best antivirus programs on the market right now. There are different plans for both personal and business use so there is one for everyone. And if there isn't BitDefender has add-ons that let you change settings however you want and keep your data safe.

What you get

  1. The best antivirus protection in the market
  2. The VPN is free
  3. Helps keep your files safe from ransomware
  4. Uses the Global Protection Network to keep your devices safe

9 Panda Security

Panda is a type of anti-virus software that is unique. It is always ready to keep any kind of virus from harming your device. But Panda Security has made five different versions so that all of its users can get what they need.

Panda Dome Free Antivirus is a free piece of software that protects your computer from viruses. This is just a tool for getting rid of viruses that also has a Firewall protection feature. All of the paid versions on the other hand have many more advanced levels. This is much stronger and more exciting.

This software makes sure that your device always works well. It even helps to speed up your device quickly. It is based on a much better database program. Panda Dome is different from some of the other apps on this list because it works on both Mac and Android. It also has a lot of safety features like its PC Cleanup tool which includes a Registry Cleaner Defragmenter Boot Manager and Scheduled Cleanup to keep your device safe.

What you get

  1. Multiple payment plans
  2. Rescue Kit for cleaning up a heavily infected PC
  3. Coverage for 1 3 5 10 or as many devices as you want
  4. 30 days to get your money back

Takeaway

In 2021, there were 68% more data breaches than the year before. There is a risk to personal information like Social Security numbers, birth dates, bank account numbers, and credit card numbers.

It's high time to buy a reliable antivirus that can save you from all these problems. with these antivirus software sales, this becomes easier. choose the one that suits you and protect your device from any harm.