F-Secure vs ESET: price and which to choose
Quick verdict
F-Secure Total is one product with an unlimited VPN, sold for 1, 3 or 5 devices at one yearly price. ESET sells three tiers for 1 to 25 devices: Essential with the basics, Premium adding unlimited VPN traffic and file encryption, and Ultimate with a router VPN and identity protection. ESET also saves 15% on two-year plans.
Option A
Option B
We compare plans with a similar purpose, whose features may differ; prices before sales tax; prices for other plans and periods are in the reviews.
Feature comparison
| Criterion | F-Secure | ESET HOME Security |
|---|---|---|
| Plans | Total (1, 3, 5 devices) | Essential, Premium, Ultimate |
| VPN | Unlimited | From Premium; router VPN on Ultimate |
| Devices | Up to 5 | Up to 25 |
| Identity monitoring | Breach alerts | Ultimate: credit and SSN |
| Multi-year | Yearly | 2 years saves 15% |
Independent lab tests
These numbers come from lab tests. The scales differ between tests, so we don’t merge them into one score.
| Test | F-Secure | ESET HOME Security |
|---|---|---|
Real-world protection AV-Comparatives: Real-World Protection Test February-May 2026 · published June 15, 2026 | Blocked 395 of 400 attacks — 98.8% false positives: 11 Tested version: F-Secure Internet Security | Blocked 394 of 400 attacks — 98.5% false positives: 2 Tested version: ESET HOME Security Essential |
Malware protection AV-Comparatives: Malware Protection Test March 2026 · published April 15, 2026 | Online — 99.98%, offline detection — 98.6% false positives: 19 Tested version: F-Secure Internet Security | Online — 99.93%, offline detection — 96.4% false positives: 16 Tested version: ESET HOME Security Essential |
Impact on computer speed AV-Comparatives: Performance Test April 2026 · published April 22, 2026 | Impact score 18.3 (lower is better) Tested version: F-Secure Internet Security | Impact score 4.2 (lower is better) Tested version: ESET HOME Security Essential |
AV-TEST scores AV-TEST: Windows 11 - June 2026 · tested 2026-05–2026-06 | Protection 6/6, performance 6/6, usability 6/6 Tested version: F-Secure Total | Protection 6/6, performance 6/6, usability 6/6 Tested version: ESET Security Ultimate |
Two security companies with US storefronts. F-Secure, based in Finland, sells one feature set; ESET sells three tiers.
If you don’t want to read further
One product with VPN included and a steady yearly price — F-Secure Total. More than five devices, file encryption, a router VPN or identity protection — ESET.
What really sets them apart
In each row, the last sentence matters most — what the difference means for you.
VPN?
F-Secure
Unlimited, in every Total plan.
ESET HOME Security
Unlimited VPN traffic from Premium; a VPN for your router on Ultimate.
Cheapest way to an unlimited VPN — compare F-Secure Total with ESET Premium.
Devices?
F-Secure
1, 3 or 5.
ESET HOME Security
1 to 25.
More than five devices — ESET.
Identity protection?
F-Secure
Password vault and alerts when a service you use is hacked.
ESET HOME Security
Ultimate: dark web scanning, credit and SSN monitoring and identity recovery insurance.
For credit and SSN monitoring, ESET Ultimate.
Prepay?
F-Secure
One yearly price.
ESET HOME Security
Yearly; two years saves 15% on Essential and Premium, paid up front.
For a multi-year discount, ESET.
Extras?
F-Secure
Banking and shopping protection, ad blocking on Windows, Mac and iOS.
ESET HOME Security
Encryption for sensitive files on Premium; ransomware remediation on Ultimate.
Pick by the extra you’d actually use.
Where they don’t differ, even though it seems they should
This part is often more useful than the list of differences — it saves money for anyone who was about to pay for an imaginary advantage.
PC, Mac and mobile
Both cover Windows, Mac and phones under one subscription.
Scam and payment protection
F-Secure’s banking protection and ESET’s safe payments and anti-phishing.
Features differ by platform
Both note that some features work only on some systems.
Which one fits whom
| Your situation | What to choose | On what condition |
|---|---|---|
| You want VPN included in the base product | F-Secure Total | Unlimited VPN. |
| A household with many devices | ESET | Up to 25 devices. |
| You want SSN and credit monitoring | ESET Ultimate | Identity protection with recovery insurance. |
| You only need the basics | ESET Essential | Antivirus, safe payments, anti-phishing, Wi-Fi protection. |
- F-Secure’s free trial renews automatically for a full year after 30 days unless you cancel.
- ESET’s unlimited VPN starts at Premium.
- ESET’s two-year saving is paid up front.
- On both, some features depend on your operating system.
Where the facts come from
Sources: f-secure.com and eset.com for the US. Prices are in the price blocks on each service’s page.
Facts in the text checked: .
FAQ: F-Secure or ESET HOME Security
Other comparisons
The same products against other competitors, and other comparisons in the “Antivirus software” category.
Where their scores differ
Only criteria we’ve checked for both services and where the scores differ. Equal criteria and criteria without data aren’t shown here, because they add nothing to the decision.
If what matters most is — protection offline: F-Secure Total (1 device)
F-Secure Total (1 device): 98,6 % (5,0/5) · ESET Home Security Essential: 96,4 % (4,0/5)
The scores and their weights are the same as in the reviews of both services. How we calculate
Comparison text updated: