Antivirus software: plans and prices compared 2026
Antivirus in the US is sold as a yearly subscription, and most providers advertise a discounted first year. The number that matters is the renewal price — plus how many devices you cover, what’s included beyond antivirus, and how long you have to change your mind.
We compare terms from the providers’ US websites. Prices are in the price block on each product’s page; first-year discounts aren’t the same as the renewal price.
Quick picks
If you want no first-year trick
F-Secure calls its pricing “honest pricing” — the same price every year.
If you want the longest refund window
Norton gives a 60-day money-back guarantee; Bitdefender, Avast and F-Secure 30 days.
If you protect a whole family
Bitdefender Family covers 5 accounts and 25 devices; Norton’s top plans cover up to 10 devices.
If you want to try before paying
Avast Premium Security has a 30-day free trial with no credit card; F-Secure’s trial renews automatically after 30 days.
If you want identity insurance
ESET Ultimate includes identity recovery and $1M insurance.
$59.99/yr
ESET Home Security Essential
What should you choose?
The service is picked by our score, the plan is the cheapest one that fits the situation. Prices are checked.
Services in this category
from $77.99/yrFree trial — 30 days
Price checked
from $109.99/yrPlus sales tax where applicableFree trial — 30 days
Price checked
from $69.99/yr
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from $94.99/yr
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from $59.99/yr
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from $149.99/yr
Price checked
Related comparisons
How to choose
- 1
Look at the renewal price
Norton, Avast and Bitdefender show a first-year price and a higher renewal price; plan for the second year.
- 2
Count your devices
Plans range from 1 device to 25; Avast’s base plan covers one Windows PC plus one mobile device.
- 3
Check what “VPN included” means
Bitdefender’s included VPN is limited to 200 MB a day per device; Norton includes a VPN on all plans listed; ESET includes unlimited VPN traffic from Premium.
- 4
Decide if you need the extras
Password managers, dark web monitoring, cloud backup and identity protection appear in higher tiers.
- 5
Know how renewal works
Guarantees such as Norton’s Virus Protection Promise and Avast’s Stay Safe guarantee require automatic renewal to stay on.
Types of antivirus plans
US antivirus products come in four levels.
Free antivirus
Avast Free Antivirus — real-time protection against everyday viruses and spyware.
Antivirus suites
ESET Essential, Avast Premium Security, F-Secure Total, Bitdefender Total Security — malware protection plus browsing and device tools.
Security bundles
Norton 360, Bitdefender Premium Security, ESET Premium and Ultimate, F-Secure Total — add VPN, password manager or identity tools.
Identity protection tiers
ESET Ultimate (identity recovery and $1M insurance) and Norton plans with credit features.
What to check before you subscribe
Questions the first-year price doesn’t answer.
| Question | What to look at |
|---|---|
| What does the second year cost? | What to look atNorton, Avast and Bitdefender advertise a first-year discount against the renewal price; F-Secure lists one yearly price. |
| How many devices? | What to look atNorton 3, 5 or 10; Bitdefender Total 5, Family 25; F-Secure 1, 3 or 5; Avast 1 PC + 1 mobile, or 10; ESET 1 to 25. |
| Which systems? | What to look atBitdefender — Windows, macOS, Android, iOS; Norton — PCs, Macs, tablets and phones; Avast — Windows, Mac, Android. |
| How long is the money-back guarantee? | What to look atNorton 60 days; Bitdefender, Avast and F-Secure 30 days. |
| Is there a free trial? | What to look atAvast Premium Security — 30 days, no credit card. Bitdefender — 30 days. F-Secure — 30 days, then renews automatically for a year. |
| Is a VPN included? | What to look atNorton — on all plans listed. F-Secure Total — unlimited. Bitdefender — 200 MB a day per device (unlimited on Premium Security). ESET — unlimited from Premium; a VPN for your router on Ultimate. |
| Is there a password manager? | What to look atNorton — on all plans listed; Bitdefender Premium Security — yes. |
| Is cloud backup included? | What to look atNorton — yes, on Windows only. |
| Is sales tax added? | What to look atBitdefender lists prices plus applicable sales tax; tax depends on your state. |
When it pays off and when it doesn’t
Pays off
- If one plan covers every computer and phone in the household.
- If the bundle replaces a VPN or password manager you’d pay for anyway.
- If you want identity theft help or insurance.
Doesn’t pay off
- Renewing at full price without comparing — check the renewal amount before the date.
- A bundle when you already pay for a VPN and a password manager.
- More devices than you actually own.
FAQ
In short
Choosing antivirus in the US comes down to the renewal price, device count, extras you actually need and the money-back window. This page collects those terms from the providers’ own pages.
Alt-subs is independent of the services on this page. Trademarks belong to their owners and are used only to identify the service. Prices come from the providers’ own websites and are shown with dates.
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