{"id":1764,"date":"2025-05-26T13:11:02","date_gmt":"2025-05-26T10:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itechace.com\/?p=1764"},"modified":"2025-05-26T13:14:41","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T10:14:41","slug":"3-best-antivirus-software-in-2025-windows-mac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itechace.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/26\/3-best-antivirus-software-in-2025-windows-mac\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Best Antivirus Software in 2025: Windows, Mac"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>There are hundreds of antiviruses out there&nbsp;\u2014 and they all claim to offer the best protection at the best price. But I tested the top antivirus software on the market, and only a few of them are strong enough, secure enough, and effective enough to be considered the best antiviruses of 2025.\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Most antivirus programs include more than just a virus scanner&nbsp;\u2014 they also come with features that add additional protection, like a firewall, phishing protection, a virtual private network (VPN), a password manager, parental controls, and dedicated protections for mobile devices.\n\n\n\n<p><strong>But a lot of antiviruses don\u2019t work as advertised&nbsp;\u2014 they have poor malware detection rates, don\u2019t consistently block malicious sites, and their extra features are badly designed and virtually useless (despite costing extra).\n\n\n\n<p><strong>I spent weeks testing the top antiviruses on the market,&nbsp;ranking them on security, functionality, speed, and price. Norton came out on top, but I found 10 other products that are also excellent. They all come with money-back guarantees or free trials long enough to see if they meet your expectations. Read on to learn more about each of them and decide which is best for you.\n\n\n\n<p><strong><a href="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/giklop.org%5C/click.php?key=genx7qeqmdmkrrxw4rnc&amp;ext=%7BcreativeId%7D-%7Buid%7D&amp;t1=%7Bt1%7D&amp;t2=%7Bt2%7D&amp;t3=%7Bt3%7D&amp;t4=%7Bt4%7D&amp;t5=%7Bt5%7D&amp;t6=%7BcampaignId%7D&amp;t7=%7BcreativeId%7D&amp;t8=%7Bdays%7D&amp;t9=%7Buid%7D&amp;t10=%7BfeedId%7D%5C%22" target='\"_blank\"' rel='\"noreferrer' noopener>McAfee&nbsp;\u2014 Best for Online Security (+ Great for Families)\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image' size-full><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' width='\"833\"' height='\"298\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/itechace.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/%5Cu0421%5Cu043d%5Cu0438%5Cu043c%5Cu043e%5Cu043a-%5Cu044d%5Cu043a%5Cu0440%5Cu0430%5Cu043d%5Cu0430-2025-05-26-%5Cu0432-13.03.12.png%5C%22" alt='\"\"' class='\"wp-image-1765\"' srcset='\"https:\/\/itechace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/\u0421\u043d\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u044d\u043a\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430-2025-05-26-\u0432-13.03.12.png' https: sizes='\"auto,'>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>McAfee has a great range of internet security features,&nbsp;including malware protection, anti-phishing protection, a password manager, a VPN, and identity theft monitoring and coverage. All of its features are easy to use and work just as advertised. On top of mobile coverage, it even has an app for Chromebooks.\n\n\n\n<p>Pros\n\n\n\n</p><ul class='\"wp-block-list\"'>\n<li>Reliable real-time protection\n\n\n\n</li><li>Customizable scans\n\n\n\n</li><li>Personal data cleanup\n\n\n\n</li><li>Unlimited devices on most plans\n\n\n\n\n<p>Cons\n\n\n\n</p><ul class='\"wp-block-list\"'>\n<li>System slowdown during scans\n\n\n\n</li><li>Basic firewall\n\n\n\n\n<p>Its excellent virus protection makes McAfee a great choice \u2014 scoring a perfect 100% detection rate against all malware samples during my tests. McAfee detected, blocked, and removed both simple and advanced threats, including viruses, trojans, spyware, keyloggers, and rootkits.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Its anti-phishing protection is also excellent, preventing me from accessing known phishing sites and other dangerous web pages. It identified the vast majority of risky sites, outperforming built-in protections from browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and most competing antiviruses.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image' size-full><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' width='\"983\"' height='\"556\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/itechace.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/McAfee-WebAdvisor-19-3.png.webp.webp%5C%22" alt='\"\"' class='\"wp-image-1767\"' srcset='\"https:\/\/itechace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/McAfee-WebAdvisor-19-3.png.webp.webp' https: sizes='\"auto,'>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also protect your phone with McAfee\u2019s mobile apps. Both the iOS and Android versions include the VPN, web protections, and a scanner that alerts you if you try to connect to unsafe Wi-Fi networks. There are unique features, too, like Scam Protection, which warns you about dangerous links in emails, texts, social media, and web browsers.\n\n\n\n</p><p>McAfee\u2019s parental controls are also some of the best on the market \u2014 in addition to blocking inappropriate and unwanted content and apps, they come with advanced location tracking, which allows you to track your child\u2019s device with almost perfect accuracy (this feature works much better than Google or Apple\u2019s tools for locating devices).\n\n\n\n</p><div class='\"wp-block-buttons' is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex>\n<div class='\"wp-block-button\"'><a class='\"wp-block-button__link' wp-element-button href="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/giklop.org%5C/click.php?key=genx7qeqmdmkrrxw4rnc&amp;ext=%7BcreativeId%7D-%7Buid%7D&amp;t1=%7Bt1%7D&amp;t2=%7Bt2%7D&amp;t3=%7Bt3%7D&amp;t4=%7Bt4%7D&amp;t5=%7Bt5%7D&amp;t6=%7BcampaignId%7D&amp;t7=%7BcreativeId%7D&amp;t8=%7Bdays%7D&amp;t9=%7Buid%7D&amp;t10=%7BfeedId%7D%5C%22">Try McAfee Now\n\n\n\n\n<p>2. <a href="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/www.safetydetectives.com%5C/go%5C/vendor%5C/318%5C/?post_id=7281&amp;alooma_btn_name=Affiliate+Link+-+5383129&amp;clickout_id=4%7Cp_MB4WWVSHF4C6X%7C2%7C318&amp;pageview_id=4%7Cp_MB4WWVSHF4C6X&amp;experiment=267139&amp;variation=0%5C%22" target='\"_blank\"' rel='\"noreferrer' noopener>TotalAV&nbsp;\u2014 Best for Ease of Use (Super Beginner-Friendly)\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image' size-full><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' width='\"831\"' height='\"294\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/itechace.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/%5Cu0421%5Cu043d%5Cu0438%5Cu043c%5Cu043e%5Cu043a-%5Cu044d%5Cu043a%5Cu0440%5Cu0430%5Cu043d%5Cu0430-2025-05-26-%5Cu0432-13.07.06.png%5C%22" alt='\"\"' class='\"wp-image-1768\"' srcset='\"https:\/\/itechace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/\u0421\u043d\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u044d\u043a\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430-2025-05-26-\u0432-13.07.06.png' https: sizes='\"auto,'>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>TotalAV&nbsp;has an excellent antivirus scanner and a couple of really good extras,&nbsp;all inside a very intuitive dashboard \u2014 making it a great choice for beginners. However, TotalAV also includes many customization options that advanced users will appreciate.\n\n\n\n<p>Pros\n\n\n\n</p><ul class='\"wp-block-list\"'>\n<li>Great real-time protection\n\n\n\n</li><li>Extensive system optimization tools\n\n\n\n</li><li>Fast unlimited-data VPN\n\n\n\n</li><li>Secure password manager\n\n\n\n\n<p>Cons\n\n\n\n</p><ul class='\"wp-block-list\"'>\n<li>No firewall\n\n\n\n</li><li>Frequent upsells\n\n\n\n\n<p>TotalAV\u2019s antivirus scanner is fast and reliable, with near-perfect malware detection rates. The scanner caught 99% of all of my test malware, from viruses and trojans to ransomware, missing only a couple of tricky files (which Norton and Bitdefender managed to catch). Similar to Bitdefender, it didn\u2019t have a huge impact on my system performance while running a scan.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image' size-full><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' width='\"960\"' height='\"540\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/itechace.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/Best_Antivirus_Software_03.png.webp.webp%5C%22" alt='\"\"' class='\"wp-image-1769\"' srcset='\"https:\/\/itechace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Best_Antivirus_Software_03.png.webp.webp' https: sizes='\"auto,'>\n\n\n\n<p>TotalAV\u2019s WebShield stops you from visiting dangerous websites. During my tests, it blocked the majority of dangerous websites I tried to visit. You also get access to Total Browser, a secure browser that blocks ads and dangerous sites. It even lets you know if a page you\u2019re visiting was ever involved in a data breach.\n\n\n\n</p><p>Furthermore, TotalAV simplifies routine maintenance tasks by compacting them into 1 scan. This includes an antivirus scan, tracking cookie scan, and disk cleanup. I appreciate the amount of time this saves.\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image' size-full><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' width='\"960\"' height='\"540\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/itechace.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/Best_Antivirus_Software_04.png.webp.webp%5C%22" alt='\"\"' class='\"wp-image-1770\"' srcset='\"https:\/\/itechace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Best_Antivirus_Software_04.png.webp.webp' https: sizes='\"auto,'>\n\n\n\n<div class='\"wp-block-buttons' is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex>\n<div class='\"wp-block-button\"'><a class='\"wp-block-button__link' wp-element-button href="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/giklop.org%5C/click.php?key=fmuf2q8x7sxkk5m9lh7u&amp;ext=%7BcreativeId%7D-%7Buid%7D&amp;t1=%7Bt1%7D&amp;t2=%7Bt2%7D&amp;t3=%7Bt3%7D&amp;t4=%7Bt4%7D&amp;t5=%7Bt5%7D&amp;t6=%7BcampaignId%7D&amp;t7=%7BcreativeId%7D&amp;t8=%7Bdays%7D&amp;t9=%7Buid%7D&amp;t10=%7BfeedId%7D%5C%22">Try TotalAV Now\n\n\n\n\n<p>3. <a href="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/www.safetydetectives.com%5C/go%5C/vendor%5C/210%5C/?post_id=7281&amp;alooma_btn_name=Affiliate+Link+-+5383127&amp;clickout_id=4%7Cp_MB4WWVSHF4C6X%7C2%7C210&amp;pageview_id=4%7Cp_MB4WWVSHF4C6X&amp;experiment=267139&amp;variation=0%5C%22" target='\"_blank\"' rel='\"noreferrer' noopener>Norton 360&nbsp;\u2014 Best Antivirus for Windows, Android &amp; iOS\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image' size-full><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' width='\"828\"' height='\"331\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/itechace.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/%5Cu0421%5Cu043d%5Cu0438%5Cu043c%5Cu043e%5Cu043a-%5Cu044d%5Cu043a%5Cu0440%5Cu0430%5Cu043d%5Cu0430-2025-05-26-%5Cu0432-13.08.41.png%5C%22" alt='\"\"' class='\"wp-image-1771\"' srcset='\"https:\/\/itechace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/\u0421\u043d\u0438\u043c\u043e\u043a-\u044d\u043a\u0440\u0430\u043d\u0430-2025-05-26-\u0432-13.08.41.png' https: sizes='\"auto,'>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Norton&nbsp;<em>360&nbsp;offers unbeatable virus and malware protection.&nbsp;It\u2019s a well-built and well-maintained internet security suite that keeps your devices and personal information safe \u2014 and it works well across all operating systems. It\u2019s the best choice for home users looking for a complete, intuitive antivirus with some of the best cybersecurity protections out there.<br><br>Pros\n\n\n\n<ul class='\"wp-block-list\"'>\n<li>Perfect malware detection\n\n\n\n</li><li>Unlimited-data VPN\n\n\n\n</li><li>Great parental controls\n\n\n\n\n<p>Cons\n\n\n\n</p><ul class='\"wp-block-list\"'>\n<li>No free plan\n\n\n\n\n<p>Norton uses a unique scanning engine powered by heuristic analysis and machine learning, making it capable of scanning, finding, and removing all of the newest and most advanced types of malware. It scored a 100% protection rating during all of my tests, consistently beating built-in antiviruses (like Microsoft Defender).\n\n\n\n<figure class='\"wp-block-image' size-full><img loading='\"lazy\"' decoding='\"async\"' width='\"867\"' height='\"485\"' src="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/itechace.com%5C/wp-content%5C/uploads%5C/Norton-detection-rate.png.webp.webp%5C%22" alt='\"\"' class='\"wp-image-1772\"' srcset='\"https:\/\/itechace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Norton-detection-rate.png.webp.webp' https: sizes='\"auto,'>\n\n\n\n<p>Norton\u2019s phishing protections are excellent. They come as a browser extension that reliably blocks phishing sites, giving you detailed info on each site it stops you from visiting. It also has built-in online banking protection and a secure search engine that offers color-coded assessments of your search results. Finally, there\u2019s a free browser called Private Browser that integrates various security and privacy-enhancing tools.\n\n\n\n</p><div class='\"wp-block-buttons' is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex>\n<div class='\"wp-block-button\"'><a class='\"wp-block-button__link' wp-element-button href="%5C%22https:%5C/%5C/giklop.org%5C/click.php?key=zgtp7of7uo0esvi08v0z&amp;ext=%7BcreativeId%7D-%7Buid%7D&amp;t1=%7Bt1%7D&amp;t2=%7Bt2%7D&amp;t3=%7Bt3%7D&amp;t4=%7Bt4%7D&amp;t5=%7Bt5%7D&amp;t6=%7BcampaignId%7D&amp;t7=%7BcreativeId%7D&amp;t8=%7Bdays%7D&amp;t9=%7Buid%7D&amp;t10=%7BfeedId%7D%5C%22">Try Norton Now\n\n\n\n\n<p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"</p><p>There are hundreds of antiviruses out there&nbsp;\u2014 and they all claim to offer the best protection at the best price. But I tested the top antivirus software on the market, and only a few of them are strong enough, secure enough, and effective enough to be considered the best antiviruses of 2025. Most antivirus programs [&hellip;]\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1764","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-1"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/itechace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1764","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/itechace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/itechace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itechace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itechace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1764"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/itechace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1764\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1776,"href":"https:\/\/itechace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1764\/revisions\/1776"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/itechace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1764"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itechace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1764"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itechace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1764"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}</p></a></div></div></figure></p></li></ul></li></ul></em></strong></p></figure></a></p></a></div></div></figure></p></figure></p></li></ul></li></ul></strong></p></figure></a></p></a></div></div></figure></p></li></ul></li></ul></strong></p></figure></a></strong></p></strong></p></strong></p></strong></p></strong></p>