The most effective antivirus software will protect your devices from ransomware, malware, and phishing. It also prevents data hacks and spyware from damaging your personal data. But there are hundreds of programs available, many of them costing more than what you’d like to pay.

We’ve tested more than 300 of them in order to find the most effective protection against viruses for the money. We’ve scoured for strong and easy-to-use software that keeps you protected without affecting your computer or making you hesitate to use it. We’ve also ensured that the software updates regularly its malware database.

The top packages offer a full suite of anti-malware topantivirussoftware.org/all-benefits-of-data-room/ engines. They also include additional features such as a VPN as well as password managers and parental controls. Some companies provide a dark-web monitoring service to determine whether your email address, credit card information or any other personal information is in the wrong hand.

Norton 360 is our winner. It provides outstanding all-round security, with high malware detection rates, as well as incredible additional features, such as a password manager. It also offers live dark web monitoring and backups to the cloud.

It’s one of the few security software packages that are available for Macs (most other programs only cover Windows PCs). In tests conducted by the independent lab AV Comparatives, it performed well. It’s a bit expensive at just a couple of dollars per month for an annual subscription but there is a free trial available.