Don't wait for Black Friday — our favorite antivirus software is up to 80% off right now

Our favorite antivirus choice for features, Norton offers almost everything you'd need to stay safe online: a firewall, VPN, password manager, Wi-Fi scanner, hardened browser, ransomware rollback, dark web monitoring and parental controls. It also has great antivirus and malware protection that doesn't overly impact system performance, and covers mobile devices. During testing, we found it easy to use with a quick interface that highlighted the most-used options.

Not only does this package cover a whopping 20 devices, but it's also 73% off. It includes features like dark web monitoring, and 100 GB of PC cloud backup. There's also a VPN, parental controls, and a built-in AI assistant that can spot scams in text messages and online. It has a firewall and webcam protection as well as Norton's fast scans to check for malware, and the same antivirus protection that earned it top marks in independent testing.

This Bitdefender Total Security package for three devices offers cyber security protection for Windows, macOS, iOS and Android. It has useful features like a secure browser that can protect online transactions, a VPN that offers 200MB of usage per day, real time data protection, social network protections, different modes for different activities like gaming or work and microphone and webcam monitoring. It also offers anti-phishing, fraud and spam protections, a file shredder and parental protections. In testing, we liked Bitdefender as our best choice overall because of how easily it functioned, as well as the clear and efficient interface.

Our best overall pick for antivirus software, Bitdefender is easy to install and operate. It has great malware protection and a wide range of features including a firewall and parental controls to a VPN, ransomware rollback, a password manager and a hardened browser. In our testing, we particularly liked the Advanced Scanning Detection which monitors for suspicious activity in real-time in order to intercept threats before any malware infections could occur. The VPN and microphone/webcam blocker were both features that we found particularly useful as well. We also liked the user-friendly dashboard where we could customize our most used utilities.

Malwarebytes is our best budget pick because it's focused on one thing: protecting your computer and devices from malware and online threats without a lot of extra fuss. It's fast, light and has a straightforward interface. There are some essential features like a VPN and the ability to block ransomware attacks, but it doesn't include all the bells and whistles. It is great for scanning for viruses on your devices, and offers a few scan options like a manual or custom scan, and it does have a Browser Guard for extra security online as well.

ESET's antivirus packages are known for offering reasonable pricing, with a feature set that compares well to major brands. When we recently tested the Premium tier, we found that the software was light and ran fast. The scans actively look for threats like suspicious activity, and can block ransomware access in real time. In testing, we found the parental controls to be more comprehensive than competitors. This tier includes thoughtful features like a gamer mode, deep virus scanning and antitheft service. It doesn't include a VPN, or identity theft protection, however.

Our best pick for families, McAfee is known for covering many devices in a household – unlimited devices actually. The software offers many of the features that customers have found useful in competing packages like a VPN and password manager but it also throws in identity monitoring, safe browsing with dark web monitoring, scam alerts that use AI to detect deepfake videos and more. When we tested McAfee we found it easy to use, and particularly like the VPN feature as well as the quick scans. The social media monitoring tool is also useful for younger family members, and the text scam detector also uses AI to give a heads up about SMS messages that may not be legit.

Webroot's Internet Security Complete provides fast antivirus coverage for all devices from PCs and Macs to Chromebooks, iOS, and Androids. It includes both identity theft and anti-phishing features as well as protection against keyloggers, spyware, and web protections that alert you to suspicious browsers. The password manager is provided through LastPass. Likewise, Webroot's antivirus ranks high on Amazon where users say it works well in blocking attacks, performs scans quickly and is easy to use.

This Webroot package includes most of the previous package's features but throws in Allstate Identity Protection services which monitor your identity, credit and financial accounts so that you'll receive alerts if any potentially suspicious behavior is detected. Identity theft insurance for up to $1 million is included too. It also has dark web monitoring which notifies you if your personal details are found in a data breach or if your credentials are compromised. This is all alongside the antivirus offerings of anti-phishing, malware protection and ransomware protection.