The new operating system has been launched a few months back. You are here because you need the best software for virus & malware protection. The new operating system needs new and more powerful antiviruses.
Microsoft has made lots of changes to Windows 11. They have almost completely changed the user interface and some other utilities. But they have put the same Windows Defender as of Windows 10 operating system.
That's why we need something that can protect your Windows 11 PC from all the viruses, malware, trojans, etc.
What Features Should Be Available in a Strong Antivirus for Windows 11
If you have just bought a new laptop with Windows 11 PC or you have upgraded your PC to Windows 11 operating system, then it is very essential to install an antivirus so that your important files, documents, images, videos, etc. couldn't get damaged. So first, we have to clarify what features are the most needed in antivirus to protect your system. Then we'll see the list of the best antiviruses for your Windows 11 PC.
1. Overall Lab Score: A few labs take antivirus tests and share the results with the audience. This result tells us how well some antiviruses perform against viruses and malware. The main factors reviewed in these tests are usability, performance, and protection. That's how the best antiviruses are ranked.
2. Efficiency: How much the antivirus is efficient is also a great way to test some antiviruses. It means how efficiently an antivirus is removing viruses and malware. How much an antivirus is utilizing your system's memory and CPU daily is also a great measure of an efficient antivirus.
3. Features: Some antivirus tools only scan your device, but others include more features. For example, some parents can set parental controls for monitoring your child's online activity, protecting you from getting hacked, webcam protection for securing you from getting eavesdropping.
4. Customer Support: The most important thing in any software company or any software is how decent is their customer service. One major condition for the best antivirus is that they offer excellent customer support so that in case you get any problem with the antivirus, customer support can resolve it as soon as possible. Customer support is even also required if you don't understand something, you should be able to get help, especially if you pay for the product.
The Best Antivirus for Windows 11
1. ESET Internet Security - Award-Winning Antivirus & Antimalware
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| Image: ESET |
As you have seen on the heading, ESET is an award-winning antivirus and antimalware software. It comes with a Home version, Business & Enterprise version. ESET internet security offers firewall, antispam, and parental control features. While most antivirus & security companies try to offer various protection plans for different pricing so that individuals and businesses can afford more than just a non-required feature.
Thus, ESET also brings top-level security for your webcam, online banking, and home network as well as protection for your macOS and Android devices. Five ESET licenses would cost $89.99 per year, while you pay $104.99 for five Norton licenses. A $149.99 yearly subscription covers every Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS device in your household.
At first look, ESET's main window looks more like a one-man army with all the essential features on the front. It includes Network Inspector, Banking & Payment Protection, and Security Report. The placement of each button is designed in that way, and every type of user can use it with ease. On the left sidebar, you see different options such as Computer Scan, Update, Tools, Setup, and Help & Support to work for different tasks.
In ESET, parental control & anti-theft functionality is not enabled by default as we actually don't need them sometimes. So, if you need those features enabled you can turn it on manually.
Key Features
- Antivirus and Antispyware
- Firewall
- Anti-Phishing
- Web Protection
- Exploit Blocker
- Banking and Payment Protection
- Webcam Protection
- Parental Control
- Anti-Theft
- Device Control
2. Norton 360
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| Image: Norton |
Norton 360 is one of the best and one of my personal favorite antiviruses. Though, it is not available for free but worth the price. The Norton 360 has an excellent viruses & malware detection algorithm, offers good real-time protection, and is one of the most rich-in features antiviruses on the market.
It basically costs around $19.99 per year for one device. It offers real-time threat protection, Norton Secure VPN, Smart Firewall, Norton Password Manager, PC cloud backup, Safecam for PC, parental control, dark web monitoring, and Norton crypto for safe mining in Windows 11.
Key Features
- Antivirus Protection
- Malware and Ransomware Protection
- Firewall Protection
- Secure VPN (Virtual Private Network)
- Password Manager
- SafeCam
- Dark Web Monitoring
- Cloud Backup
- Parental Controls
- PC SafeCam
- Secure Online Transaction
- Smart Firewall
- Identity Theft Protection
- Automatic Backup
- Multi-Device Protection
3. McAfee Total Protection
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| Image: McAfee |
McAfee Total Protection is one of the most renowned and favorite antiviruses for PC protection. It also offers smartphone protection. McAfee Total Protection antivirus suite is one of the most expensive antiviruses costs 3x more than ESET NOD 32 or Kaspersky Antivirus' three licenses.
The McAfee Total Protection Suite offers malware protection, phishing protection, Ransom Guard, a powerful firewall, vulnerability scan, web protection features, identity protection, network scanner feature, android protection, and many more features.
Key Features
- Antivirus Protection
- Malware Protection
- Ransomware Protection
- Firewall Protection
- Web Protection
- Email Protection
- Identity Theft Protection
- Safe Web Browsing
- Vulnerability Scanner
- Multi-Device Protection
- Password Manager
- Encrypted Storage
- Parental Controls
- Secure File Shredder
- Performance Optimization Tools
4. TotalAV Antivirus
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| Image: Total AV |
TotalAV antivirus is relatively newer than most of the other antiviruses. It is a UK-based malware protection suite. It has a free version but I would recommend you get a paid version because the free version doesn't offer a lot of features. The base version of the TotalAV malware suite paid version costs around $19 per year for 3 devices which is the cheapest antivirus with 3 devices support.
TotalAV antivirus features real-time virus protection, Ransomware protection, SafeBrowsing (VPN), Webshield extension, system optimization, password manager, browser cleaner and manager, etc. It supports iOS and Android devices. The main point is that it has excellent 24/7 customer support and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Key Features
- Antivirus Protection
- Real-Time Protection
- Malware Protection
- Ransomware Protection
- Phishing Protection
- Adware Protection
- Spyware Protection
- Firewall Protection
- Web Shield Extension
- Safe Browsing
- Email Protection
- System Optimization Tools
- Disk Cleaner
- Startup Manager
- Performance Boost
5. Bitdefender Antivirus
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| Image: BitDefender |
Bitdefender Antivirus has been there for more than a decade and has made its place among the best antivirus providers. Bitdefender antivirus offers support of Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android devices. The overall lab score of Bitdefender Antivirus shows its place among the greatest antiviruses. This malware protection suite offers advanced threat protection, Ransomware protection, Anti-spam functionalities, Safe Pay, Anti-tracker, Microphone and Webcam Protection, Bitdefender VPN, Password Manager, File Shredder, Parental Controls, etc.
It comes in five plans including the free version, antivirus plus, internet security, total security, and family pack that costs $0, $23.99, $32, $36, and $49.99 USD respectively.
Key Features
- Advanced Threat Defense
- Real-Time Data Protection
- Web Attack Prevention
- Anti-Phishing
- Anti-Fraud
- Anti-Ransomware
- Safe Files
- Secure Browsing
- Rescue Mode
- Bitdefender Autopilot
- Bitdefender Photon
- Vulnerability Assessment
- Wi-Fi Security Advisor
- Privacy Firewall
- Parental Control
6. Avira Antivirus
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| Image: Avira |
Avira is another one of the oldest antivirus providers. When we first started to use the internet, we countered with Avira antivirus which may be our first antivirus experience. It comes in both free and paid versions. The paid version costs $30.99 per year with more advanced features.
The paid version of Avira antivirus features an antivirus scanner, real-time protection, web protection, email protection, ransomware protection, software updater, firewall, phantom VPN, password manager, safe shopping, file shredder, privacy settings, driver updater, duplicate finder, etc.
It has three paid versions Avira antivirus pro, internet security, and Avira Prime with different price ranges starting from $30.99 USD. Avira antivirus also has one of the greatest customer support for beginners who are needy with the software.
Key Features
- Real-Time Protection
- Antivirus Protection
- Malware Protection
- Ransomware Protection
- Phishing Protection
- Web Protection
- Email Protection
- Firewall Protection
- Safe Browsing
- Identity Theft Protection
- Device Optimization Tools
- System Speedup
- Privacy Tools
- Password Manager
- Safe Shopping and Banking
7. AVG Antivirus
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| Image: AVG |
AVG was acquired by Avast in 2016 and both of these antivirus providers are one of the oldest antiviruses too. AVG antivirus has free and paid versions. In my opinion, the free version doesn't live up to my expectations. But the paid version is something you can't ignore.
The paid or premium version offers great malware protection, great phishing protection, ransomware protection, scans of your PC, AVG secure browser, AVG SafePrice browser extension, etc. It features different scanning types like a file or folder scan, boot-time scan, USB/DVD scan, performance scan, and scheduled scan. All these features make a stand on our list of the best antiviruses for Windows 11.
Key Features
- Antivirus Protection
- Malware Protection
- Ransomware Protection
- Phishing Protection
- Email Protection
- Web Protection
- Firewall Protection
- Identity Theft Protection
- Secure DNS
- Remote Management
- Performance Optimization
- PC Tune-up
- File Shredder
- Safe Downloads
- Wi-Fi Protection
Conclusion
In this article, we have seen lots of amazing & powerful antiviruses that surely can protect your Windows 11 or any other PC from viruses, malware, trojans, etc. Some of these are available for free and some need to be paid for. If you are looking for the most powerful antiviruses, we would recommend you to have McAfee Total Security antivirus or Norton Security antivirus. But if you are looking for an antivirus with a decent cost, you should consider TotalAV antivirus.
So, that's it. If you liked this article, give us a like, and remember to share it on Instagram.
FAQs
Which is the best lightweight antivirus for Windows 11?
1. Avast Free Antivirus2. Kaspersky Antivirus
3. Bitdefender
4. AVG Free Antivirus
5. Avira
Which is better AVG or McAfee?
Both AVG and McAfee are well-known antiviruses and provide a variety of packages with various features. Choosing between AVG and McAfee ultimately comes down to your personal requirements, taste, and the features that are most important to you. Here is a comparison to help you in making a wise choice:
|
Features |
AVG
Antivirus |
McAfee
Antivirus |
|
Real-time scanning |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Web protection |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Email Protection |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Firewall |
No |
Yes |
|
Vulnerability scanner |
No |
Yes |
|
Gaming mode |
Yes |
No |
|
System impact |
Lower system impact compared
to some other antivirus |
Higher system impact
compared to some other antivirus |
|
User-friendliness |
User-friendly interface |
User-friendly interface |
|
Pricing |
Free and paid versions are available |
Various plans with
individual and multi-device options |
|
Effectiveness |
Strong reputation for detecting and protecting against malware |
Strong reputation for detecting and protecting against malware |
Does Mcafee work on Windows 11?
McAfee is a well-known and established antivirus that supports Windows 11, and Windows 10.
Does Windows 11 have an antivirus?
Yes, Windows 11 has a built-in antivirus and antimalware program named "Windows Security." Real-time protection against viruses, malware, ransomware, and other harmful threats is provided by Windows Security. It has functions including firewall security, device health monitoring, antivirus scanning, and safe browsing.
Does Windows 11 need antivirus?
Although Windows 11 comes with Windows Security named in-built antivirus and malware protection. But sometimes users need additional features or personal preferences, which is why they need third-party antiviruses on Windows 11 based on various factors such as online behavior, data sensitivity, and comfort level with the built-in protection.
