Driver issues can lead to frustration -  a slow PC, stuttering games and software, and even video playback. While Windows Update adds drivers to your PC, operating system patches and updates are prioritized.

From a point of overall stability, this might make sense. However, if you have specific hardware (e.g. specialist audio equipment) or a brand new device (perhaps a monitor) and its drivers are not available in Windows Update, you have a problem.

The solution is a driver updater, software like Avast Driver Updater that is designed to find, download, and install the latest drivers for your computer. 

You’ve probably heard of Avast Software s.r.o, the Czech cybersecurity company now owned by Gen Digital Inc. (formerly Symantec). But you might be more familiar with Avast’s antivirus tools, rather than system performance tools.

Avast driver updater: Plans and pricing

You can sign up for an annual Avast Driver Updater subscription via the website for an annual license that covers a single computer, at $43.99 for 1 year. However, if you opt to download the trial version and click the upgrade button, you’re offered a choice of discounted options to sign up for 2 or 3 years.

Payment options are limited to credit/debit cards or PayPal. Note that the software comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee should you decide you don’t want the subscription. Note that this isn’t a one-off payment, but an annual subscription. This will recur annually until canceled, so keep an eye on this if you don’t think you’ll use it long-term.

Avast driver updater: Features

To run Avast Driver Updater, you need Windows 10 or 11 (although 7, 8, and 8.1 are supported). Minimum hardware is 1GB of RAM, 2GB of storage, and an Intel Pentium 4/AMD Athlon 64 or later.

Avast Driver Updater includes the key features you would expect from a driver management tool. 

Automatically scans

The software scans your system for outdated drivers automatically when you load it, and identifies anything that needs updating. This can have a beneficial impact on your system, notably in reducing security risks caused by old drivers and reducing the chances of system crashes or lock-ups.

Similarly, improved audio and smoother graphics can be enjoyed with the latest drivers installed.

Checks over 300,000 hardware devices

Avast Driver Updater can compare your system setup with a database of over 300,000 devices and components and scans in real time to look for drivers when new devices are added. Identified drivers are selected based on the operating system version in use, and the hardware itself. For instance, a hybrid may require different drivers for the same device than a desktop PC would.

Backup and restore drivers

It isn’t wise to simply bulk-update a bunch of drivers without first taking steps to back things up. Windows uses restore points when running Windows Updates, and Avast Driver Updater uses a similar feature here. Before new updates are installed, the existing drivers are backed up. If you run into any problems using the new drivers, you can easily reinstate the originals.

Note that older backups are deleted after 3 months by default, but you can set this to 6 months at the longest.

Alternative drivers

In the event of a hardware vendor not providing updated drivers for a prolonged period, Avast Driver Updater offers alternatives. These are installed after a specific length of time (6 months by default, 1 year maximum) after the official driver developer’s last update.

Although useful, this feature can cause problems. Although it is enabled by default, this feature can be disabled.

Desktop notifications

If you want to know the latest news from Avast Driver Updater, you can enable desktop notifications. This will inform you when new scans have run in the background. Note that multiple languages are supported with this software.

Account management

You can access account information from within the Avast Driver Updater tool. As well as being able to sign into an existing Avast account, you can enter the software’s activation code, and manage your Avast subscriptions.

Avast driver updater: Interface and in use

Firstly, downloading the Avast Driver Updater is uncomplicated. Go to the official website and download the installation file, whether free or paid. Afterward, run the downloaded file, and it begins installing. It doesn't require much computing resources, just 1GB RAM or above and at least 1GB free space on your hard drive.

The free version only lets you scan and update drivers, whereas the paid version has added features.

After installing and launching the software, you’ll see that it's easy to use. It has a central dashboard from which you can control all the features. The features are easily accessible on this dashboard for you to choose from.  

The Avast Driver Updater scores very high in user-friendliness and ease of use.

Avast driver updater: Support

What happens if you can’t get results from Avast Driver Updater, or need to cancel the subscription? Avast’s website has a whole subdomain dedicated to product support, providing assistance for everything from installation and activation to billing, subscriptions, and refunds.

Several help pages can be found for each Avast application, including Avast Driver Updater, which should help you to solve most issues. For those problems that aren’t covered, you can get in touch with Avast’s support team through the website (limited to subscribers).

Support can be contacted directly if you wish to cancel your subscription. 

Avast has a 4-star rating on Trustpilot.

Avast driver updater: Competition

Driver updating tools are popular PC performance options, so it should come as no surprise that a whole host of similar apps are available. Think IObit Driver Booster and Ashampoo Driver Updater; many others also crowd this somewhat niche sector. 

In fact, Avast even has competition from within its own stable. Avast and AVG (a company it bought in 2017?) are both now owned by Gen Digital. Both offer very similar suites of software, including driver updating tools. In our view, there is very little difference between these two utilities. 

The similarities between the tools are so great that you cannot actually install them both on the same system. 

Avast driver updater: Final verdict

When looking for a driver updater utility, you want software that doesn’t just look like it is regularly updated, it runs like it is. Avast Driver Updater looks good, boasts modern features (a slick user interface, account, and license management options), and will also update your Windows drivers.

Avast Driver Updater’s free trial is functional and limited only by time, rather than features. This means you can get a good idea of whether it will help you get the best performance out of your PC without paying first. And when it comes to subscribing, the app isn’t too expensive. 

Overall, it’s a good driver updater that will deliver the latest drivers to your Windows PC as they’re released.

We've also highlighted the best driver update software

Our series on identity theft protection apps will evaluate the features, pricing options, competition, and also the overall value of using each app. However, these are not full hands-on reviews since evaluating identity theft protection apps is almost impossible. It would require several months of testing, purposefully hacking accounts to see if the protection app works, handing over personally identifiable information, performing multiple credit checks, and risking exposure of the reviewer’s personally identifiable information.

When closely examined, ID Watchdog emerges as a rather ordinary identity theft protection app, situated firmly in the middle of the pack. However, a somewhat longer investigation reveals its affiliation with Equifax, a company notorious for one of the most severe data breaches in recent history. In 2017, a staggering 145.5 million customer records, including sensitive information like names and social security numbers, were compromised. This wealth of data became a treasure trove for hackers operating on the Dark Web, the infamous hub of criminal activity. ID Watchdog, ironically developed by Equifax, aims to provide protection against the very dangers that its parent company inadvertently unleashed.

ID Watchdog, a reasonably prevalent identity theft protection service, shares numerous characteristics and pricing structures with Equifax TrustedID. However, a closer examination reveals that ID Watchdog's primary emphasis appears to be on creating leads for credit reports, rather than offering comprehensive fraud protection and theft recovery services.

While ID Watchdog does provide tools for monitoring and tracking identity theft incidents, these features are relatively basic and fall short when compared to the offerings of other top-tier products. For example, Norton LifeLock, a leading provider in this industry, prioritizes fraud protection and theft recovery over credit monitoring, ensuring that customers receive robust protection against identity-related crimes.

One notable drawback of ID Watchdog is its limited focus on credit reporting. While it offers credit monitoring and alerts, these services are often seen as secondary to the more critical aspects of identity theft protection. In contrast, Norton LifeLock provides a comprehensive suite of features designed to safeguard customers' personal information, including dark web monitoring, social media monitoring, and identity theft insurance.

Furthermore, ID Watchdog's customer service has received mixed reviews. Some users have reported experiencing difficulties reaching customer support representatives or resolving issues promptly. This can be a significant concern, as timely and effective customer support is essential in addressing identity theft incidents.

In conclusion, ID Watchdog may be a suitable option for individuals primarily interested in credit reporting services. However, those seeking comprehensive identity theft protection and robust fraud recovery options may find that other products, such as Norton LifeLock, offer a more well-rounded and reliable solution.

Plans and pricing

Equifax ID Watchdog offers a competitive feature set at an affordable price point. While similar products often charge around $30 per month for premium protection packages, ID Watchdog's Platinum plan costs only $21.95 per month for individuals. Additionally, an annual option of $220 is available, making it even more cost-effective.

The Platinum plan provides monitoring for three major credit bureaus, $1 million in protection insurance, and $500,000 in coverage against 401K fraud. Notably, this plan also includes a branded VPN, NordVPN, which is an essential security tool for online protection.

Considering the comprehensive features and affordable cost, Equifax ID Watchdog's Platinum plan stands out as an attractive option for individuals seeking identity theft protection and credit monitoring services.

The Platinum plan is an excellent option for families looking for comprehensive insurance coverage. It can cover up to two adults and up to four children, making it an ideal choice for large households. The plan includes a wide range of benefits, including access to a network of preferred providers, coverage for preventive care and routine check-ups, and coverage for major medical expenses.

The Platinum plan is available for a monthly cost of $34.95 or an annual cost of $350. The annual option provides a significant savings over the monthly option, making it a great value for families.

Beyond its extensive coverage, the Platinum plan provides additional benefits. One notable feature is the Child Credit Lock, accessible through your ID Watchdog account. This lock helps secure your minor child against credit fraud by generating an Equifax credit report and locking it to prevent unauthorized access by potential lenders and creditors. ID Watchdog stands out as the only provider with this advanced online child lock capability.

Looking for an even more affordable option? ID Watchdog offers an Individual Select Plan for identity theft protection at $14.95 per month or $150 annually. This plan includes features like Equifax credit report monitoring, identity monitoring across billions of data points, and fully managed resolution support in case of identity theft.

The ID Watchdog Individual Select Plan offers a comprehensive suite of identity protection features. It includes regular monitoring of your Equifax credit report to identify any suspicious activity, as well as comprehensive monitoring across billions of data points to uncover potential fraud. Additionally, you can lock and unlock your Equifax credit report to prevent unauthorized access.

The plan also provides social account monitoring to keep an eye on your social media accounts for suspicious activity and offers up to $1 million in insurance coverage for identity theft-related expenses. Finally, you'll receive fully managed resolution support to assist you in resolving identity theft issues with step-by-step guidance and support.

ID Watchdog does a better job than some others in this space to offer multiple tiers of plans, both for families, and individuals, and also to have flexible payment options.

Interface

ID Watchdog's interface diverges from the conventional dashboard and wizard-driven designs commonly found in identity theft protection services. Instead, it resembles a virus-scanning tool, presenting a refreshing and unique approach to managing personal data security.

Features

Upon launching the application, the main window greets users with a straightforward layout. At the forefront is the option to initiate scans for Dark Web monitoring, an essential feature that scours the hidden corners of the internet for any traces of your personal information that may have been compromised in data breaches or leaks.

Another valuable feature is the ability to receive alerts about any changes to your physical address. This is crucial, as fraudsters often update their targets' addresses to reroute sensitive mail, such as credit card statements and tax documents. ID Watchdog's monitoring ensures that you are promptly notified of any unauthorized modifications, allowing you to take swift action to protect your identity.

For those concerned about potential sex offender registrations in their vicinity, ID Watchdog offers a scan feature that provides peace of mind. By keeping track of registered sex offenders in your area, you can make informed decisions about your personal safety and the safety of your loved ones.

At the heart of ID Watchdog's services is the comprehensive display of credit checks and credit scores. These are the primary calling cards of the platform, empowering users to monitor their credit health and detect any suspicious activities. The easy-to-understand presentation of credit information allows you to stay vigilant and address any issues promptly.

ID Watchdog's unique interface and focus on essential identity theft protection features set it apart from many of its competitors. It provides a user-friendly and visually appealing tool for safeguarding your personal data and maintaining peace of mind.

When compared to other identity protection apps, there aren't many distinctive features in this app. Although it offers standard features such as monitoring, reporting, credit history checks, credit scores, and address change alerts, it lacks unique elements.

For instance, while the app has an alert system for sex offenders moving into your area and monitors social media, the monitoring primarily focuses on your own behavior. Unfortunately, it doesn't provide alerts for more common scenarios like abusive comments directed at you or account compromise.

Support

ID Watchdog offers comprehensive support to help you with any issues or questions you might have. Their Customer Care Center is available 24/7, 365 days a year at 1-800-970-5182. You can also contact them via email through their official website. Access your account and find answers to frequently asked questions on their online portal. For questions regarding their mobile app, customer service can be reached at 1-800-967-9005.

A shortcoming is that there is no chat, an increasingly popular support option.

The competition

Similar to other identity theft protection tools, ID Watchdog faces competition from the more prominent Norton LifeLock. Additionally, it struggles with its own name, as customers often associate it with its parent company, Equifax. This association is reinforced by the prominent notice about Equifax's ownership on the ID Watchdog website. Consequently, Equifax becomes a significant competitor, influencing customers' perceptions of the protection ID Watchdog offers.

During the registration process, ID Watchdog requires personal information, including social security numbers, bank accounts, physical addresses, emails, and phone numbers. This requirement may give customers pause, considering that Equifax experienced a data breach in 2017, which became widely publicized.

Similar to Experian IdentityWorks' uphill battle in overcoming the 2015 data breach involving 15 million customer records, these apps face significant challenges. Understanding their purpose is crucial. They aim to provide customers with tools to explore their credit history. This is particularly relevant when securing a substantial mortgage, as banks prioritize individuals with clean records.

Additionally, credit history can be crucial during job applications. While we appreciate the existence of these apps in helping us proactively manage our personal information beyond credit scores and finances, their laser-focused concentration on credit reporting and monitoring aspects may not be genuinely helpful, especially for subscribers not actively seeking loans.

Final verdict

Equifax's ID Watchdog offers a budget-friendly approach to identity theft protection. While it may not be the most comprehensive option available, its low monthly cost of approximately $20 for the premium package makes it a compelling choice for those seeking affordable security. Compared to competing services that often charge around $30 per month for similar features, ID Watchdog provides excellent value, particularly for consumers primarily concerned with price.

When selecting a product of this nature, cost is undeniably a significant factor to consider. However, it should not be the sole basis for decision-making. In the case of an app from a company that has had a prior data breach, there may not be an elevated risk of using it. The security vulnerabilities may have been identified and rectified, and the company may be more vigilant in ensuring the security of its users' data. However, it is essential to acknowledge that this remains an unresolved issue.

However, what truly prevents ID Watchdog from being ranked among the top choices is not its history of data breaches, but rather its lack of groundbreaking or novel features. In a crowded market where numerous apps offer identity theft protection, ID Watchdog fails to stand out. It provides standard identity monitoring and alert services, but it does not offer any unique or innovative features that would set it apart from its competitors. This lack of differentiation makes it difficult for ID Watchdog to stand out and attract users who are looking for a truly comprehensive and exceptional identity theft protection solution.

We've also highlighted the best identity theft protection

Our series on identity theft protection apps will evaluate the features, pricing options, competition, and also the overall value of using each app. However, these are not full hands-on reviews since evaluating identity theft protection apps is almost impossible. It would require several months of testing, purposefully hacking accounts to see if the protection app works, handing over personally identifiable information, performing multiple credit checks, and risking exposure of the reviewer’s personally identifiable information.

Preserving our identity's safety is paramount for various personal achievements, including maintaining a spotless record, a stellar credit history, and a clean criminal background. It serves as a foundation for financial well-being, facilitating employment opportunities, vehicle and home purchases, and even securing bank loans for ventures like starting a new business. However, in recent times, we have witnessed a surge in online activities, particularly during the pandemic. Remote work, video chat platforms, Slack communication, and endless website browsing have become commonplace.

The threat of identity theft looms over individuals in the digital age, capable of causing catastrophic disruption and financial devastation. While many people hope to never fall victim to this crime, the reality is that it can happen to anyone, regardless of their prudence or precautions. Identity theft occurs when someone unlawfully obtains and uses another person's personal information, such as their name, address, social security number, or credit card details, for fraudulent purposes. The consequences of identity theft can be far-reaching and long-lasting.

One of the most immediate impacts of identity theft is the inability to access financial resources. Banks and lenders may suddenly deny loans or credit applications due to the compromised identity. This can make it difficult for individuals to purchase homes, cars, or even secure essential personal loans. Additionally, identity theft victims may find their existing accounts frozen or compromised, preventing them from accessing their own funds and paying bills on time.

Employment opportunities can also be jeopardized by identity theft. During background checks, employers may uncover discrepancies or red flags associated with the victim's stolen identity. This can result in job rejections or termination, leaving individuals without a source of income and struggling to provide for themselves and their families.

The emotional toll of identity theft can be equally devastating. Victims often experience feelings of violation, anger, and helplessness. The process of restoring one's identity and repairing damaged credit can be time-consuming, costly, and emotionally draining. Identity theft can also lead to social isolation as victims may lose trust in others and become wary of engaging in everyday activities that involve sharing personal information.

In a world where identity theft poses a significant threat, proactive measures for safeguarding personal information have become essential. Individuals can take steps such as utilizing robust passwords, implementing two-factor authentication, and exercising caution when sharing sensitive data online. Regularly monitoring credit reports and bank statements enables timely detection of suspicious activities. Furthermore, identity theft protection services offer additional security layers and assistance in the event of identity theft, making them a worthwhile investment for individuals seeking peace of mind and enhanced protection from this growing menace.

If you're concerned about identity theft, IDShield is worth considering. The product emphasizes fraud intervention, using licensed private investigators to work on your behalf. You just grant them Power of Attorney, and they handle the credit agencies to restore your good name. However, we have concerns with this approach, as we believe an identity theft protection app should focus more on preventing fraud rather than dealing with it after the fact. Additionally, unclear explanations on the website can create confusion about what the product actually offers.

Plans and pricing

One of the key selling points of IDShield is its affordability compared to other identity theft protection apps. The basic plan, priced at $14.95 per month for an individual, provides $1 million of insurance protection for financial restoration, lost wage compensation, expert consultations, and credit monitoring through a single credit bureau. The higher-tier plan, priced at $19.95 per month, extends credit monitoring to all three major credit bureaus. While the main difference between the two plans is the scope of credit bureau monitoring, the rest of the features remain the same. This simplifies the decision-making process and makes the lower-tier plan more appealing because it offers substantial protection at a more affordable rate.

For families seeking financial security, the family plan offers two options: one credit bureau coverage for $29.95 or three credit bureaus for $34.95. This plan extends protection to the policyholder, a loved one, and up to ten dependent children.

The fees of IDShield are lower compared to its two main competitors in the market. Norton LifeLock has a tiered pricing structure that can be confusing, with its $30 per month plan offering $1 million insurance protection. IdentityForce, on the other hand, costs $17.99 per month for similar protection. IDShield's website does not mention any discounts for annual plans, but it does provide a 30-day free trial. All IDShield plans include Trend Micro Maximum Security for malware protection, Trend Micro’s VPN Proxy One, and a password manager, making it a comprehensive security solution for a generous up to 15 devices that should cover most user’s needs.

Interface

Before discussing the desktop and mobile apps, it's imperative to highlight the IDShield website. Unlike other apps that can be downloaded and used right away, identity theft protection requires some self-education. Understanding the field of identity theft, including how criminals can harm your reputation, destroy your credit, and even impersonate you to commit crimes, is essential.

Despite its efforts, IDShield encounters some obstacles in conveying critical information. The primary website provides descriptions of the app's features, but the "See more" option that elaborates on additional functionalities is easily overlooked due to its diminutive size.

Furthermore, the consultation feature's description lacks specifics, leaving out crucial details. It merely states that “We monitor your personal and financial information 24/7. When we detect fraud, we work to restore your identity quickly.” However, without some more specifics, it fails to provide any meaningful information about the restoration process or the actual steps taken to return consumer reports and other records to their pre-theft status. This generic description leaves potential customers with some unanswered questions and an unclear understanding of the services provided.

Mobile app

Within the app, just like in other sections, there's a lack of detailed explanations about the features' functionality. In contrast, Norton LifeLock excels in presenting options in a dashboard layout, similar to a wizard. It clearly indicates the remaining steps or the number of accounts that require configuration.

IDShield places too much emphasis on your credit score. Some of the information intended to explain features actually ends up explaining general credit monitoring concepts. This issue persists not only in the desktop app but also in the mobile apps for iPhone iOS and Android.

Features

IDShield lacks substantial features, except for the consultation with licensed investigators. This service primarily addresses issues that arise after identity theft has already occurred. The app monitors credit bureaus and sends alerts for credit-related problems, allowing users to address them promptly before they become severe, such as a low credit score. However, some of these features are repetitiously listed, causing inconvenience.

On the IDShield website and in a feature comparison document, "Unlimited consultation" and "Licensed private investigators" are listed. However, these phrases essentially convey the same idea. Another example is social media monitoring, which is not as impressive as it seems. It primarily tracks illicit images, drug references, and foul language, but it does not monitor for account hacking.

IDShield excels in its vigilance in safeguarding your identity. While Norton LifeLock offers superior tools for identity protection, IDShield surpasses it in monitoring the usage of your personal information, such as your address, phone number, and other identifiable details. IDShield's capabilities extend to tracking public court records and detecting pay-day loan fraud attempts made with your name and identity.

One standout feature of IdentityForce is its capability to alert users when a registered sex offender moves into their neighborhood. However, it's worth noting that the app currently lacks the ability to notify users if a sex offender attempts to steal their identity. This could be a valuable addition to the app, as it would provide users with a more comprehensive identity protection solution.

Support

IDShield understands that customers may have questions or concerns about their services, and they offer multiple support channels to ensure timely and convenient assistance.

For immediate assistance, customers can call IDShield's dedicated phone support line at 1-888-494-8519. Phone support is available from Monday through Friday, from 7 AM to 7 PM Central Standard Time (CST). Customers can speak directly to knowledgeable representatives who are trained to address a wide range of issues, from account inquiries to technical support.

For customers who prefer written communication, IDShield offers email support at Idshield@legalshield.com. Customers can send detailed queries or concerns to this email address anytime, and they can expect a response within 24 hours. This option is particularly suitable for non-urgent matters or complex inquiries that require more comprehensive explanations.

IDShield's website features a live chat option for customers who prefer real-time assistance. The live chat function allows customers to connect directly with a support representative and have their questions answered promptly. This option is available during business hours, and customers can initiate a chat by clicking the "Live Chat" button on IDShield's website.

In addition to these support channels, IDShield also provides a comprehensive knowledge base and frequently asked questions (FAQs) section on their website. Customers can find answers to common questions, troubleshooting tips, and other resources without contacting support directly.

IDShield's commitment to customer satisfaction is evident in their diverse support options. By offering phone, email, and live chat support, IDShield ensures that customers have convenient and accessible channels to resolve their queries and concerns.

The competition

In the realm of identity theft protection apps, IDShield faces off against its primary rival, Norton LifeLock, the industry's dominant force. Norton LifeLock features a thoughtfully-designed dashboard that clearly presents each feature and guides users through the configuration process. This design makes it easy to track progress and monitor settings. IdentityForce, another contender, provides additional value with alerts regarding sex offenders who might attempt identity theft.

While IDShield offers the valuable service of allowing users to enlist experts to resolve credit and identity issues through power of attorney, specific details regarding their services are limited. Notably, repairing compromised credit and identity may be less advantageous than proactive protection. However, having a dedicated team working on fraud cases can be beneficial. In terms of cost, IDShield tends to be more affordable than some competitors, making it a viable option if the primary focus is credit protection.

Final verdict

IDShield might benefit significantly from rebranding with a more suitable name. Given that its primary focus lies in collaborating with investigators to handle fraud cases, a name like "IDRestore" would align more closely with its core function. This strategic shift in nomenclature would provide a clearer and more accurate representation of the services offered by the app.

Moreover, when compared to its competitors, IDShield stands out as a cost-effective option. Its pricing structure makes it an accessible choice for individuals and families seeking protection against identity theft. The low cost associated with IDShield makes it a practical solution for those who prioritize financial security without breaking the bank.

Despite its affordability, IDShield doesn't compromise on the quality of its services. It employs robust security measures and advanced technologies to safeguard users' personal information. The app's user-friendly interface and comprehensive features make it easy for users to monitor their credit reports, detect suspicious activities, and receive real-time alerts.

By combining a competitive price point with effective identity protection services, IDShield offers an attractive value proposition. Its commitment to providing affordable yet reliable solutions makes it a compelling choice for individuals and families looking to safeguard their personal information in an increasingly digital world.

Take a look at our full guide to the best identity theft protection

Our series on identity theft protection apps will evaluate the features, pricing options, competition, and also the overall value of using each app. However, these are not full hands-on reviews since evaluating identity theft protection apps is almost impossible. It would require several months of testing, purposefully hacking accounts to see if the protection app works, handing over personally identifiable information, performing multiple credit checks, and risking exposure of the reviewer’s personally identifiable information.

Maintaining a strong understanding of your online identity is crucial. This knowledge empowers you to effectively monitor your credit, review bank accounts, and stay vigilant against potential threats. Equipped with accurate information, you can proactively respond to and potentially prevent identity theft. The absence of such information can leave you feeling vulnerable and powerless against hidden adversaries who may impersonate you and commit crimes without your awareness. The field of identity theft protection relies heavily on the information at your disposal and the subsequent steps taken to address any issues that arise.

Identity Guard, an identity theft protection app, offers a plethora of robust features, including expert consultations for identity recovery. However, it falls short in providing detailed information about its functionality and benefits. The website, resembling an online brochure, lacks comprehensiveness. In comparison, Norton LifeLock excels in presenting clear and detailed information about how its tools protect, assist, and resolve identity theft issues. Identity Guard could greatly enhance user understanding and satisfaction by improving the website's content and incorporating more detailed explanations within the app.

Identity Guard, established in 1996, stands as a venerable entity in the identity protection sector. Its longevity in the industry speaks volumes about its commitment to safeguarding individuals' sensitive information. With over two decades of dedicated service, Identity Guard has significantly impacted protecting over 47 million identities. This remarkable achievement showcases the company's proficiency in recognizing and mitigating identity fraud risks.

Identity Guard, renowned for its commitment to safeguarding individuals' identities, has achieved remarkable success in resolving identity fraud cases. Surpassing the milestone of 140,000 resolved cases, Identity Guard's expertise and dedication have empowered countless individuals to reclaim control of their compromised identities. This outstanding track record is a testament to the organization's unwavering commitment to protecting its clients from the devastating consequences of identity theft.

Through the years, Identity Guard has honed its capabilities, developing a comprehensive suite of identity protection solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of individuals and families. Its team of highly skilled professionals, armed with cutting-edge technology and extensive knowledge, works tirelessly to detect and resolve identity fraud attempts promptly and effectively. Identity Guard's proactive approach includes continuous monitoring of credit reports, social media activity, and dark web surveillance, ensuring that potential threats are identified and addressed in a timely manner.

Moreover, Identity Guard's commitment to excellence extends beyond resolving identity fraud cases. The organization is dedicated to providing unparalleled customer support, offering personalized assistance and guidance to individuals throughout the recovery process. Its team of knowledgeable and compassionate professionals works closely with clients, providing emotional support and practical advice to help them navigate the complexities of identity theft and restore their peace of mind.

• You can sign up for Identity Guard here

As a result of its exceptional service and proven results, Identity Guard has earned the trust and confidence of individuals seeking comprehensive identity protection solutions. Recognized as a leader in the industry, Identity Guard continues to raise the bar for identity protection services, empowering individuals to take control of their identities and protect themselves from the ever-evolving threat of identity fraud.

Plans and pricing

Regarding pricing, Identity Guard is transparent, unlike Norton LifeLock, which has confusing plans and tiers. Identity Guard categorizes its plans into two main groups: individual and family, with the latter being more expensive. Within each group, there are three tiers: Value, Total, and Ultra. Unfortunately, the lowest tier, the Value plan, lacks credit monitoring and an actual credit score, two essential features offered by Identity Guard. Some identity theft protection apps provide credit monitoring but don't include the full credit score. To access the credit score, users must upgrade to the Total or Ultra plan.

Value offers a budget-friendly identity protection plan at $8.99/month (or $7.50/month when paid annually). While it provides essential features like high-risk transaction alerts, a risk management score, and $1 million in identity theft insurance, it lacks more advanced options like a VPN or a comprehensive credit score. Its safe browsing extension and password manager are useful additions, but may be too similar in comparison to free browser extensions. Given its omission of a credit score, the password manager might seem somewhat superfluous to some users.

By upgrading to the Total plan, which costs $19.99 per month or $16.67 per month with an annual subscription for the individual plan, you'll gain access to a credit lock, financial transaction monitoring, and 3-bureau credit bureau monitoring, along with a monthly credit score. Furthermore, Identity Guard provides bank account monitoring as an added layer of protection.

For $29.99 per month or $25 per month on an annual subscription for the individual plan, the Ultra tier provides advanced monitoring services. These include credit and debit card monitoring, 401k and investment account monitoring, and criminal and sex offense monitoring. Additionally, premium features such as home title monitoring, USPS address change monitoring, and an Experian credit lock are included with this subscription.

In contrast to some competitors' family plans, which limit the number of children covered, the Family Plans offer the advantage of covering up to two adults and an unlimited number of children. The Value tier of the Family Plan starts at $14.99 per month, with annual discounts available.

All plans include customer support through phone or email with a dedicated case manager based in the United States. The support service is available six days a week: Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 11 PM, and Saturday from 9 AM to 6 PM They are not available on Sundays. For email inquiries, the target response time is 24 to 48 hours.

Although there isn't a free trial, the annual plans come with a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Interface

If you seek detailed explanations of every feature and a user-friendly dashboard that guides you through each step, Identity Guard may not be the ideal choice for you. The marketing department's involvement appears to have overshadowed the app's functionality. Website notifications about IBM Watson and a prominent logo on the dashboard serve as reminders of its presence, although paying customers may not fully grasp the role of this super-intelligent mainframe in protecting their identity. While IBM Watson likely correlates identity tracking information and alerts users to potential issues, the customer's primary concern should be the effectiveness of the app, not the underlying mechanisms behind its operation.

While the app highlights the fundamentals of credit scores and monitoring, offering valuable insights for identity protection, it lacks comprehensive information in other crucial areas. Notably, there's limited coverage of criminal activity, fraud, banking issues, credit card problems, and identity theft beyond credit agency reports. Furthermore, the interface falls short in providing sufficient tips and instructional resources to assist users in navigating the process and comprehending potential risks.

Features

Identity Guard offers tiered identity theft protection services, including a standard suite of monitoring and tracking tools designed for individuals concerned about their credit. The higher tiers provide additional features like a credit score check, making it easier to identify and address potential suspicious activity.

The standard entry tier of Identity Guard includes the following features:

• Credit Monitoring: It continuously monitors all three major credit bureaus (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion) for unauthorized changes or inquiries. If any suspicious activity is detected, you will be notified immediately.
• Fraud Alerts: Identity Guard places fraud alerts on your credit file, making it more difficult for fraudsters to open new accounts in your name.
• Identity Theft Insurance: This coverage reimburses you for expenses incurred due to identity theft, such as legal fees, lost wages, and child care expenses.

The two higher tiers of Identity Guard (Total and Ultra) include all the features of the standard tier, plus the following:

• Credit Score Check: With this tool, you can regularly check your credit score and track your credit history. This information can be helpful for identifying any potential problems that could affect your creditworthiness.
• Dark Web Monitoring: Identity Guard scans the dark web for your personal information, such as your Social Security number, credit card numbers, and passwords. If your information is found, you will be notified immediately so you can take steps to protect yourself.
• Identity Restoration Services: If you become a victim of identity theft, Identity Guard's team of experts will work with you to restore your identity and minimize the damage caused by the fraud.

In terms of the more basic features, the app does alert you about activity related to your bank account and other personal info, such as if there was suspicious activity over the phone where someone tried to use your bank account. The app provides consultations with experts who can guide you through any recovery or fraud remediation steps. Identity Guard doesn’t note whether these are licensed private investigators (which is the staple feature of some competitors, such as IdentityForce).

Identity Guard lacks a virtual private network (VPN) component, which is a notable limitation.

The competition

Identity Guard offers a limited user experience compared to Norton LifeLock. While Norton LifeLock provides comprehensive background material and a user-friendly dashboard to track progress in protecting online identities, Identity Guard lacks these features.

Other apps like IdentityForce excel in explaining their features but have their own drawbacks, such as hard-to-find explanations. Identity Guard's standout feature is the inclusion of an actual credit score, which can be beneficial for individuals focused on credit checks, such as those applying for a home or car purchase.

However, Identity Guard lacks monitoring for criminal activity conducted in the user's name, such as sex offenders impersonating individuals to secure loans. This limitation could compromise the overall effectiveness of Identity Guard's identity protection services.

Ultimately, users seeking a more comprehensive identity protection solution with background material, progress tracking, and robust monitoring capabilities may find Identity Guard lacking compared to other options in the market.

Final verdict

The Identity Guard website, which acts as the entry point for the app, gives the impression of haste and lack of polish. Upon arriving at the landing page, users are greeted with a minimalist design that lacks essential navigation options or information about the app's features and benefits. This omission is particularly confusing, as users may struggle to understand the purpose and functionality of the app without proper guidance. To access the homepage, users must manually delete the landing page URL, which adds an unnecessary step to the user experience. These issues collectively make it challenging for potential users to evaluate and learn about the app, potentially limiting their understanding of its capabilities and deterring them from exploring it further.

While the app does include valuable features such as credit score monitoring, there is a concerning lack of transparency regarding its identity protection capabilities. This lack of clarity leaves customers in the dark about the specific measures the app takes to safeguard their personal information and protect them from identity theft. Without detailed and accessible information about these critical aspects, users may be hesitant to trust the app with their sensitive data, undermining their confidence in the app's ability to effectively protect their identity. This deficiency in transparency not only erodes customer trust but also makes it challenging for users to make informed decisions about using the app.

We've also highlighted the best identity theft protection

ESET’s home user range starts with ESET NOD32 Antivirus, which focuses on the antivirus, anti-phishing, and anti-ransomware basics. It supports Windows, Mac, and Linux, with the pricing beginning at $39.99 for a single-device, one-year license. Extending the license to cover five devices during three years is possible at $179.97.

Upgrading to ESET Home Security Essential adds a spam filter, parental controls, webcam protection, a secure browser to protect online transactions, and an anti-theft feature for Windows. It also throws in a firewall, traffic monitoring, Android support, and a vulnerability scanner feature for your home devices. Prices start at a reasonable $49.99 for a single-device, one-year license, rising to $227.98 (284.97 on renewal) to cover 10 devices over three years.

Next is ESET Home Security Premium, which extends the suite with a password manager, file and folder encryption, and a LiveGuard feature to proactively discover and stop previously unseen types of threats, starting at $59.99 for one device during one year, and increasing to $251.98 ($314.97 upon renewing) for a 10-device, three-year license.

Finally, ESET Home Security Ultimate tops the range with the addition of enhanced browser and privacy protection and unlimited VPN. It starts at $179.99 for a five-device, one-year license, climbing to $614.97 to expand coverage on 10 devices for the duration of three years.

• You can sign up for ESET Antivirus solutions here

ESET NOD32 Antivirus

Installing ESET NOD32 Antivirus is as easy as it gets. Upon successful installation, ESET NOD32 Antivirus automatically launches a full system scan.

The executables and data files grab about 100MB of hard drive space, which is very little, there are three background processes, and you can use your system as usual when it’s on.

Besides, AV-Comparatives’ November 2024 Performance Test has also delivered mostly positive results, placing ESET fifth out of 17 for minimal impact on system performance.

Interface

ESET NOD32 features a clear and easy-to-use dashboard showing your current security status, allowing you to launch a full system scan with a click, as well as a sidebar that enables browsing the program’s other options. You can also drag and drop features to arrange them in the most convenient way for you.

You can also drag-and-drop files or folders you wish to scan separately. The logs for individually scanned items can be exported into an XML or TXT file using a right-click menu inside the recent antivirus events. It is also possible to filter items by multiple parameters.

Antivirus

Scan types might be a bit more limited than some of the competitors’ - there are only Full System, Removable Devices, and Custom scans. There’s no Quick Scan - at least as a standard, as it’s actually possible to create scan profiles to run more limited checks.

The app scanned our 80GB test system in less than 10 minutes during the first run, and 6 minutes for the second, which is a rather fast time.

If you feel comfortable enough with tinkering, you can browse the Advanced Settings box for expert-level options ranging from basic objects to scan (boot sectors, network drives, archives, and more) to finer details like email protocols to check/ignore and the level of nested zip files to scan.

For more flexibility, you can right-click a file in Explorer, and ESET NOD32 gives you the option to scan it for threats. You can also check the file’s reputation, scan it without cleaning it, submit it for analysis, or manually quarantine it even if it’s not been flagged as malware but you’re concerned about it.

Protection

AV-Comparatives’ Real-World Protection Test summary report for July-October 2024 saw ESET in fifth place (out of 16), with a protection rating of 99.2%.

In terms of AV-Test’s Home Windows User reports, ESET performed marvelously, scoring maximum points for the past year in areas of protection, performance, and usability.

Blocking malicious sites

ESET NOD32 Antivirus is equipped with multiple URL defense system layers. They include web access protection, an anti-phishing option, traffic scanning, and browser protection through an advanced script scanner, all built into the core engine.

This means that there’s no need to install browser extensions or worry about supported or unsupported browsers - you’re automatically covered for everything that accesses the World Wide Web.

There are a lot of configuration options here as well. Most are on/off switches, like those for scanning HTTP sites, as well as creating handy blacklists and whitelists of sites to always/never be blocked, alongside ThreatSense which combines various complex threat detection methods.

AV-Comparatives’ 2024 Anti-Phishing Test discovered that ESET blocked 87% of malicious URLs and delivered no false positives, thus outperforming NordVPN Threat Protection Pro (85%), but trailing behind Kaspersky (93%), McAfee (92%), and Avast (91%).

Device control

Extras start with Device Control, an unusual feature that enables defining what happens when users connect any type of a host device to the system, be it external storage, a USB printer, a Bluetooth device, a scanner, a smart card reader, modems, and more.

Specifically, options include making devices read-only, displaying a warning to users, or blocking them entirely. Rules can apply to all or specific devices, as well as to some or all user accounts. The system logs all device connections for later review.

More features

ESET NOD32 doesn’t have the usual bonus tools that many other security apps do, so there’s no password manager, file shredder, junk file cleaner, and the like. However, there are some uncommon options hidden away in the Tools menu.

Here, you can view logs, see what the program has blocked, monitor running processes with additional reputation information from ESET LiveGrid, fire up the ESET SysInspector that collects detailed information about your system, clean your device, and more.

That said, some of these hidden features may be a little odd. The System Cleaner claims to warn you if key Windows settings have been changed from their defaults (like because of malware), but it doesn’t offer enough information to make a clear decision.

Meanwhile, ESET SysInspector takes the spotlight by taking a snapshot of your system and highlighting interesting items: running processes, network connections, critical files (HOSTS), important Registry entries, and more, something like an extended task manager.

Final verdict

ESET NOD32 is an interesting antivirus that boasts some expert-level tweaks and tools, as well as boasting solid results from the independent testing labs.

ESET Home Security Essential

Previously known as ESET Internet Security, the Home Security Essential builds upon the NOD32 Antivirus edition, adding a firewall, spam filter, parental controls, webcam protection, network monitoring, extra network attack and botnet protection, an anti-theft feature for Windows, as well as an Android app.

Firewall

ESET Home Security Essential’s firewall starts in automatic mode, allowing all outgoing traffic without making any filtering attempts while blocking uninitiated traffic from the web.

It doesn’t tell you that outbound traffic is unfiltered by default, so if a process tries to get online, it can. Secondly, even if you enable the alternative Interactive Mode, it still won’t make any decisions by itself, instead asking you whether it should trust any application making an outbound connection.

And it’s literally any application, including the most well-known and trusted processes such as Firefox, Chrome, Windows system processes, and others. While this may be straightforward for the above apps, looking at something like ‘64DriverLoad.exe is trying to communicate with remote site 255.255.255.255’ won’t make much sense.

ESET also offers a firewall Learning Mode, which the company says ‘automatically creates and saves rules according to predefined parameters’ but warns shouldn’t be used permanently as it’s intended for initial configuration only.

Spam filter

ESET Home Security Essential’s spam filter can integrate into Microsoft Outlook. It is quite capable, allowing you to decide whether to scan incoming, outgoing, and read emails, select an action to take (delete, move to the spam or a specified folder), add custom text to the subject line, and log the spam score.

Other features

ESET Home Security Essential’s webcam protection is powered by a very configurable rules-based system, so you can always allow access to some apps, block others, prompt for a few, or just automatically block everything.

The Banking and Protection feature opens your default browser in a hardened form which ESET says makes it more difficult for keyloggers to capture personal data.

In terms of Parental Controls, ESET’s are also very basic, with support for content filtering and activity logging, but nothing else, even the basic functionality like restricting internet access or device use by time.

At the same time, the Anti-Theft feature allows you to track your device’s location, use webcam image capture to get a view of its location or send a message to its finder.

Elsewhere, the Network Inspector lists devices connected to your network and raises alerts for any new connections. It can scan your network for open ports, weak router passwords, and other vulnerabilities.

Internet Security App

ESET Home Security Essential also has Android support, and upgrading from a free Mobile Security and Antivirus app packs extras, from mobile versions of desktop tools (anti-theft, banking protection, network monitor), to an app locker, security audit, and more.

AV-Test’s January 2025 Android Test gave it full marks for protection, performance, and usability.

Final verdict

ESET Home Security Essential has a long list of features, some impressive, some not as much. If you’re an ESET fan or need this precise feature set, the suite might be interesting, but if not, you might want to look elsewhere.

ESET Home Security Premium

Previously called ESET Smart Security Premium, the ESET Home Security Premium adds the new LiveGuard feature (an extra layer of cloud analysis), a password manager, and a file encryption system to the Home Security Essential’s feature list.

Live Guard

The LiveGuard tech is a new form of cloud analysis aiming to detect the very latest and yet undiscovered threats. This means that, if you turn it on, whenever you access a file it hasn’t seen before, it will automatically send it to the ESET cloud for in-depth testing.

Password manager

Although it’s not as powerful as specialist standalone apps like Dashlane and LastPass, ESET’s Password Manager is smarter than the efforts you get with most security suites, and it covers the basics well enough.

Wide platform support includes apps for Android, iOS, and Mac, as well as browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari. You can import passwords from Chrome, Firefox, and a range of other password managers (1Password, LastPass, Dashlane, BitWarden, Enpass, and many more).

Once you’re up and running, the browser extensions allow you to generate secure and customized passwords, save your credentials, sync them across devices, and automatically fill in web forms.

You can also create one or more Identities, with personal details to be automatically filled into web forms: name, address, date and place of birth, common forms of web ID, credit card information, and more.

The service also highlights particularly weak and reused passwords.

Secure data

Finally, the Secure Data feature allows you to create an encrypted vault on a hard drive, USB stick, or another device. The vault is opened with a password and acts like a virtual drive or folder, where you can save or copy files to encrypt them, or open or view them to decrypt them.

Final verdict

All things considered, ESET Home Security Premium is a solid offering, especially taking into account its extras - the password manager, LiveGuard service, and Secure Data option. However, if you don’t need any of these, you may want to skip this package.

ESET Home Security Ultimate

ESET’s top-of-the-line Home Security Ultimate adds enhanced browser and privacy protection, unlimited VPN, as well as identity protection through dark web scanning, credit report monitoring, identity threat alerts, SSN tracking, lost wallet assistance, and recovery alongside $1 million insurance.

That said, due to local legislative and sales barriers, this tier may not be available in many countries at the time of writing, and these are listed on the website.

Enhanced browser and privacy protection

Ultimate takes Premium’s browser security and privacy to a whole new level with identity protection, dark web scanning, credit report monitoring, social media identity monitoring, identity threat alerts, SSN tracking, lost wallet assistance, and identity recovery alongside $1 million insurance.

Unlimited VPN

An especially useful feature added by Ultimate is the unlimited ESET VPN, which is available on Windows, macOS, smartphones, and tablets, with a guaranteed no-logs policy, zero tracking, DNS leak protection, and MAC spoofing protection.

You’ll also get access to servers in over 60 locations around the world. The VPN allows you to unblock geo-restricted content, ‘kills’ the internet when the VPN is off, enables you to decide which apps to pass through it, as well as configure which proxies and connection protocols you want to use (WireGuard, IKEv2 (IPsec), UDP, TCP, Stealth, or Wstunnel).

Final verdict

The unlimited VPN, aside from the advanced identity protections and insurance, makes ESET Home Security Ultimate a complete and desirable package for anyone concerned with online privacy and identity - unless you’re in one of the excluded countries, that is.

We've also highlighted the best antivirus

Formerly known as Webroot SecureAnywhere, now simply Webroot, used to have AntiVirus Basic, Internet Security Plus, and Webroot Complete plans, which were replaced by Essentials, Premium, and Total Protection packages, each supporting different numbers of devices and features, as well as featuring family plans.

Despite the name change, at their core remains a curious little green-toned Windows and Mac app (which turns to angry red if it encounters a threat), as well as Android and iOS support, that takes an unconventional approach to malware hunting.

Specifically, other suites have a heavy focus on detecting known malware, typically requiring a bunch of background processes and regular downloads of signature definitions, whereas Webroot spends most of its time on smart behavior monitoring to allow it to detect the latest threats as soon as they emerge.

This allows it to be amazingly compact, with the 15MB on our test computer versus 1GB and more for many suites out there. And because it’s not checking every possible file for known threats the scans are completed in a matter of seconds.

Despite its small size, Webroot still manages a lengthy feature list, including antivirus, real-time anti-phishing, an extra anti-ransomware layer, a simple firewall, network monitor, system optimization, a password manager, unlimited cloud backup, and even a VPN with its top package.

Its identity protection feature includes a set of tools designed to prevent websites and malware from accessing your data. There’s protection from keyloggers, dubious browser add-ons, cookie and website data stealing, unauthorized screen grabbers, you name it, Webroot’s got it.

The interface reports statistics about recent scans and a button to launch an on-demand scan. A panel at the right-hand side provides access to the stack’s other security features and more.

• You can sign up for Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus here

Plans and pricing

Webroot Essentials offers antivirus, anti-malware, browser protection, anti-phishing, and password manager, while covering one, three, five, or 10 PCs, Macs, smartphones, Chromebooks, or tablets at the same time, starting at $37.49 for the first year, renewing at $49.99 per year, for one device.

Next is Webroot Premium which includes everything from Essentials and throws in a system optimizer and identity protection. It can protect five devices and one identity for an individual account, or families with 10 devices and 10 identities. Plus, you’ll get up to $1 million in fraud expenses and stolen funds reimbursement. Its pricing begins at $77.99 for the opening year, renewing at $129.99.

Finally, Webroot Total Protection throws in everything that’s in Premium, while adding a secure VPN, parental controls, as well as automated cloud backup and restore with unlimited storage for one device. Its coverage is the same as that of Webroot Premium, and it’s priced at $89.99 in the first 12 months, renewing at $179.99.

There’s also a 14-day free trial that doesn’t involve you handing over your payment details, so there are no traps here.

Setup

Installing Webroot is quite straightforward and speedy, which is no surprise considering that the package is so lightweight that there’s almost nothing to do. Webroot can run happily alongside most other antivirus apps as well, with none of the usual conflicts or hassles.

As part of getting started with Webroot, you’ll need to set up an online profile, password included. The platform demands a highly robust password and signing in requires that you successfully perform the traditional CAPTCHA testing.

After setup is complete, Webroot launches, runs an initial system scan, and begins actively monitoring your system. Now you can also run your own system scan, which took under a minute on our test PC but still managed to find a couple of items that other antivirus products typically ignore. The app allows you to review or deal with any findings in a click or two and proceed to leave Webroot protecting your device.

Whatever you’re doing, you won’t even notice Webroot doing its thing, as it doesn’t have any real impact on your system resources. In fact, it only added two background processes - one user application and one service, which usually consumed under 10MB of RAM, just about as undemanding as an antivirus can be.

You can also examine your protected devices from Webroot’s browser console and make sure their protective shields are active. Here you can also access your subscriptions and renew them if needed.

Antivirus

Webroot has a bit more cluttered interface than some of its competitors, featuring panels, icons, switches, tiny buttons, and plenty of text, but it is all neatly organized and decently straightforward, so it doesn’t impact user experience drastically.

The app starts protecting you immediately as it’s installed and the Scan My Computer button is pretty prominent, making it clear what you need to do from the get-go.

That said, locating other features can be a bit more tricky. For instance, there are multiple scan types, including Quick (RAM only), Full (local hard drives), Deep (searching for rootkits, Trojans, and more), and Custom (scanning specific files or folders), but you wouldn’t know it as they’re buried in the interface.

You’ll need to click on the little cog icon next to PC Security > Scan & Shields > Custom Scan to see what’s on offer.

Webroot will also add a right-click option to scan any file or folder in the Explorer (‘Scan with Webroot’) and you’ll be able to have the antivirus check them out even as another scan is already in progress.

That said, whichever scan you choose, you can be sure it’ll be speedy in the extreme. The Quick Scan lives up to its name, completing in a matter of seconds. The intensive Deep Scan won’t take much of your time either - taking a little under three minutes, and the rest were somewhere in between.

Features

Webroot’s URL filtering comes in the form of the Web Threat Shield browser extension that the app installs automatically on your default browser (Chrome, Edge, or Firefox). It features browser annotations (showing the reputation of the site you’re visiting), search annotations (reputation of pages in your search results), and real-time protection from malicious sites, including those with phishing tools.

When it comes to the latter (phishing websites that try to trick you into revealing your login credentials so they can get access to your bank account, online shopping account, or social media profiles), Webroot also does a pretty good job with its Phishing Shield, which you can turn on and off in its Settings.

The program also offers what Webroot calls a firewall, but it doesn’t have much configurability we see with some of the competition. Instead, it does most of the heavy lifting by itself, looking out for new and untrusted processes connecting to the internet, alerting you about new connections made by untrusted applications, and asking you to approve or deny them.

Running apps are categorized into good, bad, and unknown and the firewall fortifies itself when Webroot identifies an active infection, asking for permission to run unknown programs while leaving regular activities like web browsing to continue uninterrupted. When there’s no current emergency, it doesn’t interfere with programs trying to access the network.

Experts won’t be impressed by the lack of control and it doesn’t put your system’s ports in stealth mode (leaving it up for the Windows Firewall to deal with, which it does), with all the apps present before installing Webroot considered trusted by default. However, otherwise, this is a welcome and unusual addition to any antivirus package.

All packages also feature a password manager courtesy of top-of-the-line LastPass, with all of its expected features, although its security track record hasn’t done it a service (we’re talking about the 2022 breach that is still wreaking havoc across the board).

Then there’s the SafeStart Sandbox that experts will appreciate and that we didn’t expect Webroot to have. Specifically, if you’re an avid antivirus researcher, you can use this feature to run dubious programs in an isolated environment under detailed customizable limitations, making it impossible for them to modify your system.

The Antimalware Tools dialog provides a utility to remove suspect programs manually, along with their associated Registry entries. While it’s not a full uninstaller, it could be handy and isn’t something we’ve seen from other vendors.

Here, you can also access convenient system repair features to fix the damage left behind after malware remediation, which includes an option to ‘Set system policies to defaults,’ fixing Task Manager, Regedit, or another imposed policy-type restriction with a click. You can also reboot the device into Safe Mode, deal with malware-modified desktop background, or reset your screensaver.

Upgrade to the Premium plan, and you’re getting a handy system optimizer tool in the Utilities section of the main window and in settings that let you select data to clean up whenever it runs, either on-demand or on a schedule. The scheduler may run on a daily or weekly basis, or at a regular interval, up to every 24 hours.

The Optimizer can also quickly wipe out useless files, freeing up the space previously occupied by them, but there’s no preview of what it plans to delete, nor do you get a report upon completion. However, you can see a blow-by-blow list of things it removed by going to the platform’s settings and System Optimizer and pressing the View Log button at the bottom right.

That said, don’t worry, it’s only temporary files and the Recycle Bin. More advanced users can configure the Optimizer to erase other types of data, like login history, storage folder for files burned to CD or DVD, and memory dump files.

On top of that, Premium also adds automatic deletion of your web activities, while Total Protection throws in an online backup service with unlimited secure storage for one PC or Mac (courtesy of Carbonite - OpenText owns both Webroot and Carbonite).

Protection

In terms of independent testing, neither AV-Comparatives nor AV-Tests have covered Webroot for years due to incompatibility, like Webroot’s prohibition of sending personal data to the internet and keeping a journal of reversible actions while awaiting a verdict from Webroot’s cloud analysis system.

We had more luck with SE Labs, which includes Webroot in its Home Protection tests.

Specifically, during the SE Labs’ Q4 2024 Home Protection test, Webroot rated eighth, with a Total Accuracy Rating of 97% and the top AAA award from SE Labs. However, it ranked lower than Avast Free Antivirus, Kaspersky Premium, McAfee Total Protection, Norton LifeLock Norton360, and Sophos Home Premium, which all scored 100%, as well as Panda Dome with 99% and Microsoft Defender at 98%.

Curious about what Webroot has been doing to protect your system while you weren’t looking? The Reports tab in its Settings allows you to check its current and historical activity. This is handy if technical support asks for available scan or threat logs. Also, if there’s a file you’re suspicious of, you can submit it to Webroot’s research team to have a closer look.

Anti-ransomware

Webroot also features handy built-in anti-ransomware capabilities and may even roll back the effects of encrypting ransomware in some cases (though not malware that encrypts or wipes the whole drive). That is, if it even manages to get past all the other layers of protection. That said, this comes with a disclaimer - the company itself warns that the success depends on available drive space.

Final verdict

Webroot is an exceptionally lightweight antivirus with accurate URL blocking and powerful bonus features, but test results show it may not be as accurate as the top players in the antivirus field. Still, it runs surprisingly easily alongside other antivirus products, perhaps allowing you to run it alongside Microsoft Defender, which would do a great job of keeping you safe.

We've also highlighted the best antivirus

For almost 20 years, Malwarebytes has been the top malware removal tool for many hoping to clean their device from various nasties. In the last few years, the company has extended its offering to include antivirus software, making Malwarebytes more effective at protecting against all kinds of present and future threats. With a few advanced features and some additional privacy tools, the package looks convincing, to say the least.

But looks aren’t everything, as they say - which is why a deeper look is highly warranted.

First up is Malwarebytes Free, the basic malware removal offering we recommend for infections already cozied up in your computer. That’s about all it does, though it certainly has enough merit to find itself on all your devices.

Moving on to paid subscriptions, within ‘Malwarebytes Premium Security’ offerings (a bit confusing, I know), Malwarebytes Standard gets you an upgrade in the form of AI-powered antivirus defenses, including real-time protection against robocalls, phishing, and the like. It covers up to 20 devices.

Malwarebytes Plus ups the ante and throws in a virtual private network (VPN) for the same maximum number of devices. A VPN shields your online movements so they can't be tracked or traced back to you.

I’d be remiss not to mention Malwarebytes Total as an option geared towards those who want an encompassing security solution that comes with identity theft protection - and a hefty price tag that makes the package too far off for the purposes of this review.

So, how good is Malwarebytes in safeguarding you from the ever-present online dangers? We took the software for a spin and set it side by side with its AV peers to see how well it performs. We also looked at independent antivirus test labs to see their findings and compared them with our data. Keep on reading to learn if Malwarebytes is right for you.

Plans and pricing

With no cost of use, it’s important to think about potential consequences. Basically, you're left open to attacks since Malwarebytes Free is limited to malware removal. As such, it’s good enough to dispose of unwanted software that is currently on your machine(s).

On the other hand, Malwarebytes Standard starts at $44.99/yr for a single device. For 35 bucks more, you can extend the protection to five devices in total. You get real-time protection against the broad -ware spectrum, along with the ad and scam blocker extension called Browser Guard for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox.

If you fancy more privacy for your online activities, Malwarebytes Plus comes in at $59.99 per year for one device or $99.99 for five. The difference in pricing is solely due to unlimited access to a no-logs VPN.

Compare Malwarebytes Subscriptions

Malwarebytes Free

The sad reality is that some antivirus programs fail to detect current malware infections. Typically at this point, most users turn to Malwarebytes for help. The caveat here is that this is a malware removal tool, not full-fledged AV software. It employs uninstall protections to both install itself onto your device and prevent whatever is plaguing your machine from blocking its use. And it finds and removes malware with great success, mind you.

When you first install Malwarebytes (and it scans and cleans your computer), you’re given a two-week trial of paid features. These include 24/7 threat protection, automatic scanning, and a Trusted Advisor responsible for instant insights into your security status and recommendations to optimize both protection and device performance.

Besides doing it manually, you can set the program to conduct a scan of your device every few days. If you forget, a little message will pop up to remind you how long it’s been since your last malware scan. Malwarebytes is compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS devices.

Mobile apps

The free Android offering works on the same basis as its desktop version. Correspondingly, you get alerts on SMS phishing links and a small perk in Privacy Checker that shows which apps can access your information. This is a standard feature you’ll find in other apps, but it’s nice to have it nonetheless.

It’s pretty much the same thing with the free iOS app, supported by ad blocking for Safari and automatic filtering of fraudulent texts. Do note that the malware scanner isn’t available on iOS due to the nature of Apple’s operating system - though risks of getting infected are low, to begin with.

Final verdict

Malwarebytes provides decent help in combating online dangers. It’s far from a great AV and you won’t get the best protection, but then again, it won’t cost you a penny either. When paired with real-time protection from Windows Defender (or something similar), Malwarebytes offers a relatively safe haven with its malware-busting mechanism, so that counts for something.

Malwarebytes Standard

The best part of using Malwarebytes Standard is access to top-of-the-range malware removal and immediate AV protection. This means security against exploits, ransomware, and potentially unwanted programs (PUPs), as well as Brute Force Protection that kicks in when someone tries to guess your login information.

You can tinker with rules for specific apps and programs, schedule scans at the most convenient times, and configure the tool’s MO when playing games or streaming movies.

The question now is - does this combo of malware removal and antivirus work as advertised? Here’s what we found.

Protection

For reasons unknown, Malwarebytes has a habit of not allowing most third-party test labs like AV-Comparatives and AV-Test (last results are from 2023) to regularly evaluate its software. When you do find fresh independent data (like on AVLab), it’s almost always only the Windows version, so there isn't any info on how it protects Mac users.

The mishmash of historical and recent data from independent labs and our testing shows that Malwarebytes is fairly average in blocking a fair share of threats. This is likely due to the company’s decision to rely on user feedback running its apps. It collects information on the threats and builds its own database, as opposed to tapping into the same threat databases as other antivirus software.

Our first test involved specially designed apps of our own creation to simulate malware that exploits common Windows tools to create processes, download malicious files, and behave in a suspect way. Malwarebytes ignored the behavior and allowed the files to download. It blocked them all on launch or when they were ready to open, keeping us safe.

While that's good, other programs are more cautious. For example, Trend Micro spotted our test app's dodgy-looking actions and closed their processes before they could download anything. Bitdefender also recognized some of the behavior and stopped the potential threats in their tracks before having a chance to download. In both cases, if anything was missed, malicious files were still spotted either during download or shortly afterward and removed before the malware could do its bidding.

As a second, more high-stakes test, we pitted Malwarebytes against a simple ransomware simulator, once again made by our team. The idea was to throw at its behavior monitoring something it hadn’t seen before and check if it could detect the threat.

Sadly, Malwarebytes sat idly by as our simulator encrypted thousands of test documents.

Other vendors fared far better on our test. Trend Micro and Bitdefender not only spotted our simulator by its actions alone, but they also killed the process and recovered the handful of lost files, ensuring we didn't lose a byte of data.

We normally don't treat failing this test as a major black mark since it’s a single sample and not even real malware. As such, it would be unfair to draw big conclusions from so little data.

That said, the poor results broadly match the sentiment of independent labs and other testers: Malwarebytes simply doesn't deliver the protection you'll get elsewhere, and that has to be a concern.

Performance

In terms of user-friendliness, Malwarebytes does well. It runs in the background and protects you immediately, with everything turned on and ready to go right out of the proverbial box.

A simple double-click on the Malwarebytes icon and another click on the Scan button will run an on-demand scan. The process is very straightforward so that even newbies will feel at home right away.

The main Scan feature swiftly checks memory, startup items, and key areas of your file system. It made sensible choices on our test system, examining enough areas to be useful but not so many that we were kept waiting for results. If you're in a real hurry, a Quick Scan checks RAM and startup objects blazingly fast.

With the Custom Scan option, you can choose items you'd like checked, including specific files and folders. It provides a bit more control over the entire process, including what to do with PUPs. It's a welcome touch, albeit not at the level of control you'll see with more geek-friendly products from Avast, Avira, and others.

You're able to scan files, folders, or drives from the right-click Explorer menu. The Windows client can't handle simultaneous on-demand scans, which isn't a huge issue by any means. Malwarebytes' algorithms still pick up threats as they appear, even if another scan is running - but it's a hassle you don't get with the best AV solutions.

Extra features

If you're hoping for a pile of bonus features and additional stuff, you're out of luck. There's no specialist banking protection here, no password manager, and all that jazz you might get with some of Malwarebytes’ peers. Truth be told, this focus on the fundamentals keeps the tool undemanding to use, so if you can live without all the bells and whistles, you’ll likely appreciate the simplicity and lack of clutter.

Final verdict

While Malwarebytes Premium Security has enough charm and wits to make your PC a little safer, it falls short of being a complete antivirus replacement. Its protection score isn’t all that great as it misses a little bit of this and that here and there, but it certainly passes off as a capable AV solution for basic users and needs.

Malwarebytes Plus

In case you want to beef up your protection and privacy, Malwarebytes Plus adds the company's VPN product, Privacy VPN, to the paid offering.

Compared to most “proper” VPNs on the market, the network is quite modest, with 500+ servers in almost 50 countries. However, with an even global spread and 19 locations in the US alone, there's a good chance you'll have a server near you.

The general VPN offering is basic in the extreme (this goes for mobile, too), but there are some technical pluses underneath. Privacy VPN connects via the fast and secure WireGuard protocol, you can route your connection through two servers, and there is a kill switch to block all network traffic in case the connection drops.

Privacy VPN

If you’ve ever used a VPN, you’ll be right at home with the simple but familiar interface of Privacy VPN. The dashboard shows the current server location, while you can choose another server from the list of countries and cities without closing the active connection first. Once connected, your new IP shows up, highlighting its location on a world map.

And that’s the gist. The apps lack numerous common features, like a Favorites system to group your most commonly used locations. You have no idea the ping or load of each server, so you just have to wing it when choosing the best ones. You can’t switch protocols, either: it's strictly WireGuard-only.

Nonetheless, a deeper look reveals plenty of useful touches.

For instance, the app can automatically connect when you access insecure networks. It supports split tunneling to set which items use the VPN and which don't, and if you know what you’re doing, you can set an alternate DNS server for more privacy. We were impressed, briefly, until we spotted another big omission.

Performance

The thing is, Privacy VPN doesn't have an 'Automatic' or 'Fastest' option - a staple in most VPNs today. For some reason, Sweden is set as a default regardless of where you are, which means you have to pick your preferred location manually.

The saving grace is that the connection times were rather sensible, at around 5 seconds. With performance-oriented WireGuard protocol in tow, UK download speeds reached a commendable 780Mbps - though we've seen faster with Surfshark in recent testing.

Plus, the core VPN engine is tuned well. Case in point: when connecting from one location to another, most VPN apps close the first connection, leaving you unprotected until they establish a new one. Malwarebytes’ Privacy VPN seems to employ a temporary kill switch, blocking internet traffic for just those few unprotected seconds until the VPN is restored. Smart.

Unfortunately, the actual kill switch was less useful. Sometimes when it was on, the app couldn't connect - to the point it couldn't even get online itself. Not so smart.

The bad news continued with our final unblocking tests, with Privacy VPN failing to get us into BBC iPlayer, US Netflix, Amazon, or Disney+.

Final verdict

Adding a VPN with great speeds for just $15 more seems like a great deal, but poor unblocking results and assorted technical troubles make it difficult to recommend Privacy VPN instead of a specialist VPN provider. For under $40 a year, you can get a lot more with the best-value long-term contracts.

We've also highlighted the best antivirus

Norton has long had the reputation of a strong antivirus software provider, and it keeps packing in the security industry, even into its most basic packages. All its antivirus tiers are dedicated to keeping your digital and physical identity protected, while secure online cloud storage and password management complement the already robust offering.

Among its great extras is Norton Secure VPN, which is available with all of Norton’s higher-tiered programs. As for the other aspects of its antivirus service, Norton works on all devices and does a solid job of stopping malware, making it an excellent Mac antivirus and Android antivirus.

Norton 360 subscriptions are equipped with dark web monitoring that keeps an eye out for your email addresses, passwords, and other information that may be compromised. If it finds any, you’ll get an immediate alert.

Combining a Norton 360 subscription with LifeLock identity theft protection brings another layer of digital safety. Additional tools include parental controls and privacy monitoring. If you auto-renew, you’re covered by the company’s 100% Virus Protection Promise, a guarantee that it will keep your system clean and its support team will work to clear it up if it ever does become infected.

• You can sign up for Norton antivirus solutions here

Plans and pricing

Norton AntiVirus Plus starts at $29.99 for the first year, after which it jumps to $59.99 for every subsequent year. This covers only one device, but you do get access to 2GB of cloud backup and Norton’s password manager.

With Norton 360, you get its Secure VPN and dark web monitoring. This package protects a maximum of three devices and starts at $39.99 for the first year for one device, after which it increases to $94.99, depending on the package.

Norton 360 Deluxe protects up to five different devices for $49.99 during the initial year and then rises to $119.99 per year. The package builds on the offering of its Standard program by protecting against unauthorized access to your webcam, alongside parental controls and 50GB of cloud backup.

Signing up to Norton 360 Select Plus with LifeLock for $99.99 in the first year, and then at $189.99 a year, provides the ultimate security for your devices and identity. LifeLock is a full identity theft protection service that also helps restore your identity in case of any wrongdoings. It also increases your cloud backup access to 250GB and covers up to 10 devices.

Not sure which subscription to get? No worries, you don’t have to make up your mind just yet. Norton’s antivirus solutions are available to try for free for 7 days. There’s also a 60-day money-back guarantee.

Compare Norton Subscriptions

Norton AntiVirus Plus

Setup

Installing Norton AntiVirus Plus is very straightforward, even for users who aren’t very tech-savvy. The platform takes up just 805 MB of storage. It also won’t affect your device’s performance a lot. Notably, in AV-Comparatives’ September 2024 Performance Test, Norton was rated as ‘very fast’ in all of the observed categories, scoring an outstanding 90 points in AV-C performance and receiving the ‘Advanced +’ award.

Antivirus

Immediately after opening, you’re greeted by a sleek window from where you can instantly run the Smart Scan. The left-hand side lists the major categories: Home, Security, Performance, Search, and Settings.

On the right, there’s a control panel from where you can run highly flexible scans - Smart, Quick, Full, Targeted, or Startup. This is also where you manage your Cloud Backup and update the software and malware data.

Heading over to the Security tab, you’ll see all the options from above, as well as get access to Advanced Security features, Security History, Quarantine, Browser Extensions, and Password Manager.

The Advanced Security options provide an overview of your security status in terms of the physical device (Antivirus, Exploit Prevention, Ransomware Protection, and Sandbox), network (Smart Firewall, Intrusion Prevention, Wi-Fi Security, and Automatic Program Control), and online activities (Safe Web and Download Intelligence).

As for the Performance tab, it features the platform’s Software Updater, File Cleanup, Startup Manager, and the useful Optimize Disk option.

Finally, the Settings tab brings together all of the above options and other settings.

Protection

Norton’s results at a recent AV-Comparatives' Malware Protection Test is a comprehensive benchmark were impressive, earning a 99.96% overall protection score. The only place it seemed to struggle was false positives, earning it the ‘Standard’ award.

Moreover, the latest AV-Test’s Windows 11 Home User gave it outstanding marks across the board for malware detection. With the overall industry standard of 100% detection, Norton clearly made sure to keep up.

Browsing protection

Norton AntiVirus Plus deploys multiple layers of protection to help you stay safe online. These include the Norton Safe Search powered by Ask in the form of a browser extension, and the Norton Home Page. The former shows you a website’s safety rating before you visit, while the latter starts each browsing session on a secure page.

That said, when we tried downloading the browser extension for Chrome using the links provided on the website and inside the desktop app, we kept landing on a page that said it didn’t even exist. We didn’t get any results when manually searching the web store either. There were no such issues with the Firefox or Microsoft Edge Safe Web apps.

Smart Firewall

An intelligent firewall lets you know if untrusted programs are trying to make an internet connection and asks if they should be allowed. It also gives plenty of information to help you decide. You can allow or block the connection in a couple of clicks, or choose to have the firewall remember your decision.

If you’re a tech pro Norton AntiVirus Smart Firewall lets you get your hands dirty with under-the-hood low-level technical details - all the way down to the rules governing each protocol and traffic type.

Backup

Norton AntiVirus Plus offers 2GB of online backup space, while you can also create a local backup on an external or local drive. That said, it doesn’t really offer much in the way of features like encryption, archiving, or versioning.

It’s easy to use, backing up your documents, pictures, music, contacts, internet favorites, and more, by default. If this totals less than 2GB, you can back up your data to the cloud. If it's more, you can exclude individual files and folders, or choose a local drive as the destination.

Backups can be launched on demand, or scheduled to run automatically every day.

Performance

Norton’s Optimize Disk can run automatically on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, or you can just fire it up once.

The Software Updater keeps your installed apps up to date for increased security. Running the tool identifies the applications in need of updating, and offers the option to update or ignore them.

As a junk file finder and removal tool, Norton’s File Cleanup is pretty straightforward, informing you about the type, amount, and size of the files it deems unnecessary, deleting them with a single click. It cleans up browser history, cache, and temporary files.

Finally, the Startup Manager displays the apps set up to launch alongside Windows, informing you of their resource usage and how commonly they’re found across Norton’s customer community. It lets you delay the app’s start or disable it entirely.

Final verdict

There’s a lot to like about Norton AntiVirus Plus. It has a powerful platform and boasts more features than even some of the high-end suites. Overall, it’s a quality antivirus app and security package that’s well worth its price, at least for the first year.

Norton 360 Standard

Norton 360 Standard, the baseline plan of the Norton 360 range, is essentially Norton AntiVirus Plus with webcam protection, dark web monitoring, and unlimited use of its Norton Secure VPN on a single device.

Prices start at $39.99 for a one-device, one-year license, rising to $94.99 on renewal. The first-year price is a good deal, especially if you’ll use the VPN, as most VPN providers would certainly charge more.

VPN

The VPN can automatically run when connecting to compromised or unsecured networks or P2P, while split tunneling allows you to decide which apps use the VPN and which don’t. There’s also a kill switch that blocks all internet access if the VPN drops.

Extras include automatic reconnecting after device restart, VPN access to local devices on private networks, and the use of Norton VPN even if another VPN is active. Ad and tracker blocking help preserve your web privacy, providing you with records of blocked stuff in the last month.

Norton Secure VPN’s performance is good, connecting in a couple of seconds and achieving solid speeds upon testing, albeit expectedly slowing down the internet connection. Altogether, it’s an okay service that doesn’t really compete with the best of the specialist VPN providers.

Webcam protection

Norton’s SafeCam feature alerts you to any untrusted apps trying to access your camera and gives you the option to allow or block them. By default, it allows known good apps to access it.

If it asks permission for something, you can choose to ‘always allow’ or ‘always block.’ You can also turn off the ‘automatically allow good apps’ option to be prompted for everything, or even shut down the SafeCam entirely.

Mobile apps

Norton 360 Mobile Security for Android packs a punch with all the key tools from the desktop edition and a pile of mobile-friendly extras. They include automatic and on-demand scanning that catches malware before it can launch, while Safe Web keeps you away from hazardous links.

Testing shows Norton’s engine is very accurate, with AV-Test’s Android security reports rating it a maximum 6/6 (‘outstanding’) protection in all six tests over the majority of the past year (November 2023 - November 2024).

The app includes Norton’s Secure VPN, SMS spam and phishing filtering, and the ability to detect if you’re connecting to an unsecure or suspicious network. It also shows key app details from within Google Play before download, like privacy risks, intrusive ads, excessive battery and data use, and more.

Norton Mobile Security for iOS is simpler, featuring excellent web protection, SMS filtering, and a Wi-Fi security layer to alert you to dangerous networks.

Dark Web Monitoring

Meanwhile, Norton's Dark Web Monitoring, one of the features of its LifeLock Identity Theft Protection service, is available in certain countries alongside the 360 suite.

There's no manual searching required. Just set it up and LifeLock will monitor dark web sites where stolen data is regularly traded, and raise an alert if your email address shows up.

Final verdict

Norton 360 Standard is all about its Secure VPN. If you’ll use it, it’s a very good buy. But if you don’t need it, then there isn’t much here to justify choosing the suite. Either pick a higher Norton 360 plan with full identity theft protection or consider other solutions.

Norton 360 Deluxe

Upgrading to Norton 360 Deluxe is mostly about the numbers. You can forget the measly single-device license - it covers up to five PCs, Macs, phones, or tablets. You can install and use the VPN on all those devices, too. Moreover, your online backup space leaps to a generous 50GB.

Then there’s Norton’s Parental Control system that goes beyond the usual. It adds detailed content filtering, mobile GPS tracking, and in-depth monitoring, allowing you to see anything from your kids’ search queries to the websites they visit and videos they watch.

If there's a slightest chance that you’ll benefit from covering more than a single device and staying on top of your family’s internet activities, then Norton 360 Deluxe looks like the best general-purpose option in the range.

Norton 360 with LifeLock

Upgrading to Norton 360 with LifeLock Select Plus gets US users full-featured identity theft protection and other welcome benefits.

The baseline Norton 360 with LifeLock Select Plus plan covers 10 devices, 250GB cloud backup, and identity theft basics - credit monitoring, SSN and credit alerts, stolen wallet protection, up to a million dollars compensation for lost funds and expenses, and identity theft restoration specialists.

Additional features in Norton 360 with LifeLock Advantage plan include the ‘buy now pay later’ alerts, identity lock, and bank and credit card activity locks. It also increases the compensation for ID theft expenses and losses.

Finally, the top-of-the-range Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus supports unlimited devices, 500GB of backup, increases the compensation even more, and adds credit reports from three bureaus, and 401(k) and investment activity alerts.

We've also highlighted the best antivirus

Microsoft Defender Antivirus doesn’t get much respect when it comes to security, but it’s been around defending our Windows devices for a long time. Originally released as Windows Defender in 2016 and later rebranded to Microsoft Defender, it’s been part of every Windows release since Vista, and now is a regular built-in free security tool.

There isn’t a need to download anything and most tools, especially malware protections, are already enabled. There is some setup necessary for optimizing particular tools to be at their highest strength, but even if you don’t touch anything, you’ll be protected from threats, including ransomware.

Indeed, some of Microsoft Defender’s features include on-demand and real-time malware protection, automatic detection and blocking of known URLs and files, a simple firewall to keep hackers and snoops from sneaking onto your device and swiping files or important information saved there, which can also be customized to strengthen its protections or to only watch certain files.

Then, there are some unexpectedly sophisticated low-level exploit protection options, adding another tier of difficulty for malware to attack your system. These include the webcam monitor to ensure you’re the only one that can access it and no apps can use your webcam without your explicit permission.

The platform’s basic parental controls are more intelligent than before as well, with features such as content filtering for the Microsoft Edge browser, the ability to control how much time your kids spend on their devices, as well as the capability to monitor all your family’s devices from one spot. Time controls are a blanket shield that locks down your child’s PC account so they can’t get on the computer at all rather than shutting down the internet but still allowing them to play locally saved games.

As for the web protections, they only work on Microsoft Edge and not on other popular browsers (say, Firefox, Chrome, or Opera). When these web protections are enabled in Edge, it sends information to Defender about online files and possible threats for it to look at before allowing them to download.

Notably, Microsoft Defender has only recently started to earn high enough scores to be mentioned as a legitimate antivirus solution and be part of the same list as Bitdefender or Avast. It still lags behind and doesn’t score as high in malware detection and blocking tests, but it doesn’t mean it lacks some good protection tools. It’s also found itself a nice spot on our list of the best free antivirus apps.

Since Microsoft Defender is included as part of the Windows operating system, it doesn’t create any lag on your computer either. It doesn’t take up additional space and only uses the resources Microsoft has allocated to it.

Considering it comes pre-installed and ready to go, running with your Windows operating system, it’s great for those who don’t want to bother with downloads. On top of that, it gives you tools to filter content and set time limits for your kids without paying extra for them, as other free tools out there might require.

On the other hand, Defender lets more threats through than our top picks, so adding Bitdefender or Avast will plug up those holes. Additionally, its web protections only work with Edge whereas, say Bitdefender’s extensions work with Chrome, Firefox, and other browsers.

Ultimately, it’s not the best for stopping malware threats, especially in browsers other than Edge, but it does come with useful advanced options like webcam protection and very basic parental controls.

• Want to try Microsoft Defender? Check out the website here

Interface

One of the major benefits of Microsoft Defender Antivirus is that it comes built-in with Windows - no installation required, no hassles, and very little chance that it’ll conflict with anything else: it simply works quietly and seamlessly with your system. It’s simple and unobtrusive.

In fact, most users will never even see its interface, other than the occasional alerts. Sensible default settings protect you out-of-the-box, automatic scanning upon download and its execution keep you safe from most threats, while idle and scheduled scans aim to detect everything else.

Like with many other security apps, the main dashboard displays your security status, while the sidebar provides access to various functions: antivirus, account protection (how you log in), firewall and network protection, malicious URL and app blocking, parental controls, and more.

However, this isn’t always intuitive. For instance, while many antivirus apps have a Scan button on the dashboard, the Defender’s are two clicks away and located at the bottom of the Scan Options panel.

That said, these initial hassles don’t cause too much trouble and it doesn’t take long to figure out where everything is. Overall, Microsoft Defender Antivirus isn’t difficult to use.

Antivirus

Microsoft Defender has a full range of scanning options, and more - a quick scan, a full system scan, a custom scan to check the specific files and folders you pick, and even a boot scan that runs before Windows fully loads to remove the most stubborn threats.

Quick scans take around a minute on our test PC, whereas a full scan expectedly takes longer, but its completion times may vary significantly, anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes to scan roughly about 100GB of files and folders.

AV-Comparatives’ September 2024 Performance Test has placed Microsoft Defender at 13th place among 17 competitors, with an impact score of 18.9, which is a solid performance for a free security tool that already comes pre-installed with your system, especially considering the fact that it did better than Bitdefender, F-Secure, and Total Defense in this matter.

In particular, it did great in areas such as file copying, installing and launching apps, downloading files, and browsing websites, while only performing slowly in terms of archiving/unarchiving. As such, AV-Comparatives gave it two stars and an ‘Advanced’ performance award.

In the meantime, AV-Test’s January-February 2025 analysis reveals that Microsoft Defender performs well within the industry average (if not better) when it comes to performance as it slows the device down 22% when launching popular websites on a standard PC (the industry average is 23%),

Where the launch of standard software applications on a standard PC is concerned, the recorded impact is 11% (with the industry average also being 11%), and Microsoft Defender delivers the same results for installing frequently-used applications on a standard PC, doing a bit better in case of high-end PC performance.

As it happens, AV-Test’s Windows analyses have highlighted speed issues in the past, but now they’re mostly gone, and Defender nowadays typically scores a best-possible 6/6 for speed in most AV-Test reports.

Protection

In terms of that which really matters where any antivirus is concerned - protection - Microsoft Defender has had mixed results from independent labs in the past. However, it seems to have improved in recent years and now outperforms many commercial competitors.

Specifically, AV-Comparatives’ Real-World Protection Test July-October 2024 ranked it equal fifth (alongside Total Defense) out of 17, with a protection rating of 98.3%. Although that’s not leading-edge - Avira, F-Secure, McAfee, and Norton all blocked 99.8% of threats - we can’t really complain about an antivirus that ‘only’ does as well as Total Defense, and better than Trend Micro, Panda, and Quick Heal, especially for free.

AV-Test’s Window Consumer reports awarded Defender a maximum of 6/6 points for protection, performance, and usability in its January - February 2025 Product Review and Certification Report. The platform had no false flags for legitimate websites in either month, whereas in January it only had one false detection of legitimate software as malware during a system scan - a great score considering that the industry average is three false flags here.

At the same time, SE-Labs’ 2024 Q4 Home Anti-Malware Protection report tells a similar story, in which Microsoft Defender ranks seventh out of nine in its Total Accuracy rating of 98%. Here, it performed better than Webroot Antivirus, albeit not as well as Avast Free Antivirus, Kaspersky Premium, McAfee Total Protection, Norton LifeLock Norton360, Sophos Home Premium (all boasting 100%), and Panda Dome (at 99%).

Other features

Microsoft Defender doesn’t just provide antivirus, as there are a few other useful features to explore.

At the top of the list has to be the firewall. It does a fair job of protecting you from incoming network attacks, but it’s less interested in controlling outbound access. In other words, if an app manages to run as an administrator, it will also be able to customize the firewall by adding its own rules.

Microsoft Defender also has capable ransomware protection, although it isn’t exactly sophisticated. Controlled Folders simply blocks everything it doesn’t recognize, including legitimate programs that refuse to run until manually added to the Exceptions list. Admittedly, it does its core job, which is keeping you safe from a threat that the antivirus engine has missed.

Moreover, Windows’ OneDrive integration helps a bit as well. The standard 5GB of free online storage space isn’t that much, but it’s free and it’s 5GB more than you’ll get with most security apps, helping you protect your most important data from attacks.

Additionally, Defender’s reputation-based SmartScreen protection allows it to block access to malicious websites, files, and apps. That said, its URL filtering is less accurate and only works with Microsoft Edge. SmartScreen’s file and download checks work system-wide though, and they’re a handy extra layer of protection.

Digging deeper, Windows reveals a bunch of extremely low-level exploit defense and device security features, largely focused on how the operating system handles memory. They’re important, but they’re best left alone, even by expert users, as playing around with CFG, DEP, ASLR, and Memory Integrity settings can, in some situations, break your PC to the point it won’t even boot.

Device performance and health is something that many paid antivirus platforms have, and Windows has its own version bundled in the Windows Security app, allowing you to monitor and maintain the device’s storage, battery life, apps and software, and Windows Time service for any issues.

Here, you can also do a ‘Fresh start’ (reset your PC) with a clean and up-to-date installation of Windows to potentially improve your device’s startup and shutdown speeds, memory usage, Store apps, performance, browsing experience, and battery life - if all else fails, that is.

Finally, there’s the Family Options page, a collection of parental control features. Its positives include quite a few options, including the ability to filter websites by content, control when your kids can use their devices and which apps they can buy, as well as getting regular reports on their activities.

On the other hand, these system settings are mostly very basic and the Windows browser options are Edge-only, so bypassing them is as easy as downloading Google Chrome or any other browser, like Firefox or Opera, and accessing them from there.

As an alternative, you can install a free Microsoft Family Safety app on Android and iOS to help control screen time, as well as web and app use across the platforms. It only covers the very basics, but it’s nonetheless a welcome addition to the package, and if you’re looking for parental controls, then it’s certainly worth checking out.

Final verdict

All things considered, Microsoft Defender isn’t really as feature-packed as the top antivirus competition, but it’s more accurate than some big-name commercial products and is much less likely to cause issues with your other applications. If simplicity (or price) is at the top of your priority list, then it’s a reasonable choice.

We've also highlighted the best antivirus or, you can take a look at the best free antivirus apps before you fully commit! 

• Our Microsoft discount codes can help you save on your next purchase.