Best Antivirus in 2018

BitDefender Antivirus Plus

Rock-solid and reliable protection

Accurate

Password manager

Can be resource-hungry

In a world packed with free security software, Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 2018's annual $39.99 fee may look expensive. Especially as this now only covers you for a single device, down from three last year.

Still, there are compensations. Bitdefender's engine is one of the most accurate and reliable around, for instance, loved by all the big independent testers.

Web filtering blocks access to malicious sites, a secure browser keeps your online financial transactions safe, and there's a password manager which auto-completes credit card details in web forms.

An excellent anti-phishing module alerts you to malicious links in your search engine results, and blocks access to dangerous sites

ESET NOD32 Antivirus

Expert-level antivirus for the more experienced user

View Similar at Amazon Germany

Highly configurable

Device access control

Relatively expensive

Not for beginners

If you judge an antivirus on the length of its feature list, ESET NOD32 Antivirus might be a disappointment. There’s no firewall, password manager, file shredder, vulnerability scanner or any of the bundled extras you'll often find elsewhere.

This doesn't mean the package is short on power, it's just more focused on the antivirus fundamentals. ESET NOD32 Antivirus comes with real-time malware protection, an anti-ransomware layer, exploit protection, URL filtering to block malicious websites, and modules to prevent attacks using PowerShell and malicious scripts.

Advertisement

A Device Control module limits the risk of infection from other devices by controlling access to USB sticks, external hard drives, optical storage media, even devices connecting by Bluetooth and FireWire. It's an unusual extra, but could make a difference if others are regularly plugging devices into your PC.

ESET NOD32 Antivirus isn't aimed at beginners. The interface is clumsy sometimes, some features are very advanced, and even the Help isn't always exactly helpful.

Experienced users will appreciate ESET’s power and configurability, though. Above-average protection does a good job of keeping you safe, and a lightweight design ensures the package won't slow you down

F-Secure Antivirus

Nothing is easier to use

Very user-friendly

Good value

Prone to false positives

If you're tired of the junk that weighs down some antivirus tools, F-Secure Anti-Virus will make a refreshing change. There are no unnecessary extras here, no bonus features you'll never use: you just get straightforward real-time browsing and antivirus protection.

Advertisement

Keeping things simple doesn't mean compromising your safety. The package typically receives maximum marks for protection from AV-Test, and generally scores highly with AV-Comparatives, too. They also say it can generate significantly more false positives than most of the competition, but how that affects you will vary depending on how you use your computer.

The interface is a major plus. It's extremely easy to use, lightweight, and for the most part you can just leave the app alone to look after your PC. The program has minimal effect on your system performance, and if you do need to intervene then you can generally solve any issues in a couple of clicks.

Competitors like Bitdefender and Kaspersky offer better protection and more features, but F-Secure Anti-Virus remains an appealing package: fast, lightweight, and able to run alongside many other security tools without conflict. It's good value, too.