If 2020 taught us anything, it's that we all need virus protection. That goes for people masking up and washing hands, as well as equipping our devices with top-notch anti-malware protection.
For years we've asked our readers to rate the antivirus software and security suites they trust most to protect their PCs. This year we also asked how they feel about the security apps protecting their Android and iOS devices. Read on to see which brands they picked.
Security Suites for Home 2021
A first-time Readers' Choice winner, Bitdefender improved its already excellent score of 9.1 to 9.2 on a scale from 0 (extremely dissatisfied) to 10 (extremely satisfied). It was enough to tie with Webroot, last year's winner, which saw its overall satisfaction score drop from last year's high of 9.4 to 9.2. ESET, which won two years ago and came in second last year at 9.3, didn't get enough responses in our survey this year to make the final results.
Comparing the two winners this time around feels almost pointless, as they both either tie in so many categories or come within one- or two-tenths of a point of each other. Even in important scores like trustworthiness, where Bitdefender is on top, it's only by a tenth. Bitdefender's Net Promoter Score of 79, however, creates a bit of a gap to Webroot's 72.
The runner-up, Microsoft, also gets a lot of kudos from readers, boosting its overall score from 8.8 last time to 9.1 for 2021. That's thanks to the Microsoft Windows Defender Security Center, which is an integral part of Windows 10 and jumps in to protect your PC if no other antivirus program is installed. (Many readers rated it as a security suite since Microsoft also includes a firewall, as well as ransomware and phishing protection.) It earns the top score in ease of use (9.4), setup (9.6), and how it impacts PC performance, all because of that Windows integration. It also rates very well for reliability, earning a 9.4 to tie both Bitdefender and Webroot. So while we at PCMag know you could usually do better with a third-party tool, readers think Windows Defender does just fine.
Malwarebytes and Kaspersky Lab were in fifth and fourth place last time; this time they're back but swap places. They tied with an 8.9 overall score, a small drop for Kaspersky. Bringing up the rear is Norton LifeLock, which got dinged for cost and tech support, and AVG, which got low marks for affecting PC performance as well as for trustworthiness.
For more, read The Best Security Suites of 2021.
Antivirus Protection 2021
Not everyone wants a full security suite—they can be expensive, may have tools you don't need, and have a reputation for slowing things down. Those are all good reasons to just get a third-party antivirus protection tool. Many are free and some even work with macOS. And while we always recommend getting the full suite when you can, PCMag readers believe if you only get antivirus protection, you should get it from Malwarebytes.
This is the company's second outing as our AV winner, upping its overall score from 9.0 last time to 9.1. All of Malwarebytes' ratings are pretty impressive, receiving a 9.1 or higher on everything except tech support (still on top with 8.5) and trustworthiness (where it ties with Webroot for the best score with 8.8). Webroot also ties with Malwarebytes for ease of use (9.2).
Microsoft is again the runner-up, though it earns top marks over Malwarebytes in categories we've mentioned before (ease of use and setup and performance) where it's impossible to outperform a tool integrated into the operating system. When it comes to non-paid protection, readers again think Microsoft's Windows Defender is doing the job perfectly well, so why pay?
As in years past, AVG and Avast, which are essentially the same products (both now from the same Czechoslovakian company) are at the bottom. AVG's score went up from last year (8.3 to 8.6), with Avast staying at the bottom with 8.3. It was probably not helped by the improper data collection uncovered by PCMag and Motherboard in early 2020.
For more, read The Best Antivirus Protection of 2021.
Full Results
Mobile Antivirus/Security Apps 2021
When it comes to mobile devices, the rule is like that of the PC world. Your Windows PCs, which are very open and vulnerable, need lots of security and protection, while Macs need less (mostly because they are a smaller target). On mobile, Android is the more open and vulnerable of the OSes—malware-laden apps gets snuck into the Google Play Store all the time—so you should get some kind of security app on your Android phone or tablet. Google removes apps from its store when an issue crops up, but that may be too late for apps you've already installed.
It's less of an issue on iOS or iPadOS, because Apple's tight control over its OSes keeps them (mostly) protected; it's the one time the company's stringent policies may be a benefit.
Nevertheless, for the first time, we asked people using both mobile OSes what they use for security on those devices.
Android users made it clear their choice is Bitdefender. Bitdefender Total Security is our Editors' Choice, as it covers Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, though there are other options in the Google Play Store like Bitdefender Antivirus and Bitdefender Mobile Security.
Bitdefender earns a top score in every metric we ask about; it's particularly high for setup and reliability at 9.4 each, ease of use at 9.3, and cost and performance at 9.2 each. The brand is the way to go whether you get a paid app or not. That said, Kaspersky Lab also has plenty of Android offerings that rate high with our readers.
On iOS, we only had response on two brands that provide some kind of security, but again, these apps are not really providing a traditional antivirus experience. They're not actively looking for signatures of threats or providing a scan that will identify and eliminate malware. For example, Norton LifeLock—our winner here—offers the Norton Mobile Security app, but it checks things like your Wi-Fi security, provides a kind-of VPN, and blocks dangerous websites. It's much the same with the McAfee Mobile Security app, which is not an antivirus tool.
Those limitations—which are all imposed by Apple, because I'm sure Norton and McAfee would love to scan your iPhone for real-time threats—are probably why the scores on these tools for iOS are so low compared to those for Android, many a full point lower. It doesn't take away from the fact that our readers do appear to appreciate what Norton does; they just don't appreciate it as much as an Android users do (and should).
For more, read The Best Android Antivirus Apps for 2021.
Full Results
The PCMag Readers' Choice 2021 survey for Antivirus Software & Security Suites was in the field from November 2 to November 23, 2020. For more information on how our surveys are conducted, read the survey methodology.
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