A Review of the Best Antivirus Programs in 2023
The five antivirus products covered in the original 2023 review: Norton, Bitdefender, McAfee, Kaspersky and Avast. Historical coverage, not a current ranking.
Published
- cybersecurity
- security
This article preserves the products and topics covered in the review published in 2023. Product names and features reflect that source. The ranking has not been reassessed for the present day.
1. Norton 360
The original review described Norton 360 as antivirus and malware protection with ransomware protection, password management and a VPN.
The 2023 review focused on combining device protection and online security tools in one product.
2. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus
The original review discussed Bitdefender’s threat detection and prevention, listing phishing protection, webcam protection and protection against zero-day attacks.
This list is retained from the 2023 review. It has not been verified against the features included in the current Antivirus Plus package.
3. McAfee Total Protection
The original review described McAfee Total Protection’s virus detection alongside protection against network attacks and protection of personal information.
Its focus in the 2023 review was the combination of antivirus and protection for users’ data.
4. Kaspersky Internet Security
The original review discussed Kaspersky Internet Security’s real-time attack detection and protection against data theft.
The product name and description in this section retain the context of the 2023 review.
5. Avast Free Antivirus
The original review described Avast Free Antivirus as a free option for basic malware and virus protection, with fewer features than paid alternatives.
The 2023 review focused on choosing a tool that matched basic protection needs.