| 1st-yr $ ▲ | Antivirus | Renews at | Lab protection | Devices | VPN | Pwd mgr | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Defender Free, built into Windows · from 0, renews 0, devices Unlimited, prot 99.5 Visit → | ||||||||
| Bitdefender Top protection, fair renewal · from 35.99, renews 59.99, devices 5, vpn yes, pwm yes, prot 99.9 Visit → | ||||||||
| Norton 360 Deluxe All-in-one + identity · from 49.99, renews 124.99, devices 5, vpn yes, pwm yes, prot 99.8 Visit → | ||||||||
| Kaspersky Plus Strongest detection · from 45.99, renews 74.99, devices 5, vpn yes, pwm yes, prot 99.9 Visit → | ||||||||
| McAfee Total Protection Unlimited devices · from 39.99, renews 119.99, devices Unlimited, vpn yes, pwm yes, prot 99.7 Visit → | ||||||||
| ESET HOME Security Lightweight & fast · from 49.99, renews 64.99, devices 5, pwm yes, prot 99.5 Visit → | ||||||||
| Avast One Popular, free tier · from 50.28, renews 99.99, devices 5, vpn yes, prot 99.7 Visit → | ||||||||
| AVG Internet Security Simple protection · from 39.99, renews 99.99, devices 10, prot 99.7 Visit → | ||||||||
| Trend Micro Maximum Strong web protection · from 39.95, renews 129.95, devices 5, pwm yes, prot 99.5 Visit → | ||||||||
| Malwarebytes Premium Flat price, great clean-up · from 44.99, renews 44.99, devices 5, vpn yes, prot 98.7 Visit → | ||||||||
| Avira Prime All-in-one suite · from 44.99, renews 99.99, devices 5, vpn yes, pwm yes, prot 99.4 Visit → | ||||||||
| TotalAV Cheapest year 1 only · from 19.0, renews 99.0, devices 5, vpn yes, pwm yes, prot 99.0 Visit → | ||||||||
| Panda Dome Cheap first year · from 26.99, renews 89.99, devices 5, vpn yes, pwm yes, prot 99.0 Visit → | ||||||||
| F-Secure Total Simple and private · from 35.99, renews 99.99, devices 5, vpn yes, pwm yes, prot 99.6 Visit → | ||||||||
| G DATA Total Security German engineering · from 39.95, renews 79.95, devices 3, pwm yes, prot 99.4 Visit → | ||||||||
| Webroot Tiny & fast · from 29.99, renews 44.99, devices 3, prot 98.0 Visit → | ||||||||
| Surfshark One VPN-first bundle · from 47.85, renews 107.4, devices Unlimited, vpn yes, prot 99.3 Visit → | ||||||||
| Intego Mac Best for Mac · from 29.99, renews 84.99, devices 1, prot 99.0 Visit → | ||||||||
How we rank. "Cheapest first year" is the discounted teaser price every antivirus advertises. "Cheapest over 2 years" averages it with the renewal, the honest number, which drops the suites with a huge renewal jump (orange or red) down the list. Malwarebytes and ESET barely jump; TotalAV, Norton and McAfee jump the most. Worth knowing: Windows Defender is already solid, so you're really paying for extras like a bundled VPN, password manager and identity monitoring. Prices indicative USD, checked periodically, confirm on the provider's site.
Common questions
Why is antivirus renewal so expensive?
The first-year price is a discounted teaser to win the signup. It auto-renews at the standard price after 12 months, often 2–3 times higher. TotalAV, Norton and McAfee jump the most.
What's the real cost of antivirus?
Average year one with the renewal. A $19 first-year suite that renews at $99 really costs ~$59/yr over two years. Sort by true 2-year cost to see which stay affordable.
Do I even need paid antivirus?
Windows Defender and Mac's built-in protection are good for most people. Paid suites are worth it mainly for extras: VPN, password manager, identity monitoring, family cover.
Cheapest antivirus long term?
Flat/small-renewal ones like Malwarebytes and ESET; Bitdefender keeps renewals reasonable and scores top for protection. The big jumps are the loss-leader first-year deals.