Most modern families need a good antivirus software to keep everyone and their devices safe. When the kids are downloading games or music, these antivirus software choices are here to keep malware and other troublesome viruses out of your computers and away from personal info.
Top 9 Family Antivirus Software
- Avira- Best free family antivirus software for Chrome
- McAfee- Best full feature family antivirus software
- Kaspersky- Best paid family antivirus software
- Avast- Best free family antivirus software
- Bitdefender– Best family plan antivirus software
- Norton 360 Deluxe- Best family antivirus software for VPN
- Microsoft Defender- Best free family antivirus software for Microsoft
- Webroot SecureAnywhere- Best family antivirus software for malware
- ESET NOD32 Antivirus- Best family antivirus software for tech-savvy families
1. Avira – Best Free Family Antivirus Software for Chrome
Pricing: Free to use; paid products starting at $5.99 per month.
Avira is a great option for families who either can’t or don’t want to pay extensively for their antivirus software. This option allows you to protect your devices for free, with the option to pay for upgrades. However, Avira only protects Chrome and Firefox browsers for free, so Microsoft Edge users are out of luck with this option.
Key Features:
- Multiple scan options
- Activity tracker
- Status page
- Schedule scans
Reasons to Use:
- Free
- Decent at blocking malware
- Works on Mac, Android and iOS
- Doesn’t require a lot of storage space
Reasons to Avoid:
- Only compatible with Chrome and Firefox
- Not so great for antiphishing
- Occasional struggle in identifying malware
- Slow scanning
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2. McAfee – Best Full Feature Family Antivirus Software
Pricing: Basic one-year plan starts at $84.99
McAfee is a name that is well-known and a popular choice amongst families. Because this software allows you to protect up to 10 devices at a time, McAfee can cover your children’s computers as well your own.
Key Features:
- One- and two-year plans available
- Up to ten devices for Premium plans
- Parental controls
- Firewall protection
- Password manager
- Identity monitoring
Reasons to Buy:
- Up to ten devices can be protected
- 2-year coverage is more affordable than 1-year plans
- All plans receive many of McAfee’s features
- Plans come with a Secure VPN
- Works on all devices
Reasons to Avoid:
- Cheaper to pay for Premium plans
- Only Premium plans have Parental Controls
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3. Kaspersky – Best Paid Family Antivirus Software
Pricing: Starts at $40 per year
Kaspersky is a top-rated choice for many technology and computer-based magazines and websites because of how many features the software provides for the price point they offer. For families, this option is the best because it caters to both adults and your kids, while protecting multiple devices, longer than competitors.
Key Features:
- Hacking blocker
- Malware protection
Reasons to Buy:
- Three plans available
- Total Security plan comes with a built-in child GPS locator
- Two plans come with adult content blockers
Reasons to Avoid:
- Expensive, depending on the features you want
- Only the Total security plan covers all device types
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4. Avast – Best Free Family Antivirus Software
Pricing: Free, with optional features for purchase
Avast is a surprisingly great free antivirus program that provides more features than other free competing software. Although some features you do have to pay for, they’re optional and you get the bulk of their features included in the free version.
Key Features:
- Malware scanning
- Phishing protection
- Security scanner
- Browser protector
- URL scanning and protection
Reasons to Use:
- Provides more features for free than competitors
- Superior malware protection
- Tested by independent labs with high ratings
- Offers multiple types of scans
Reasons to Avoid:
- Slow start-up time
- A few features require payment
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5. Bitdefender – Best Family Plan Antivirus Software
Pricing: Plans start at $19.99 per year, free 30-day trial available
Bitdefender is 2021’s top pick for antivirus software, and works for all types of computer protection needs. This option features a plan specific for families, which features protection for up to 15 devices of all types. You can also try Bitdefender for 30 days before you purchase one of their plans!
Key Features:
- Various plans for different needs
- Family plan
- Doesn’t affect your devices’ performance
- Anti-fraud protection
- Protects against all threats and attacks
Reasons to Buy:
- Free trial
- Works on all devices
- Family plan protects up to 15 devices
- Layered ransomware protection
- Secure VPN
- 24/7 support
- Plans come in one-, two-, and three-year lengths
Reasons to Avoid:
- Expensive
- Not all types of devices will be protected the same
- Windows has the most features, while iOS has the fewest features
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6. Norton 360 Deluxe – Best family Antivirus Software for VPN
Pricing: Plans start at $19.99; Norton 360 Deluxe plan is $104.99 per year
Norton is well-known for their anti-theft and antivirus software, and for their partnership with Life Lock. Norton 360 Deluxe is only one of the many plans they offer, but is the one best suited for the family, as it includes parental controls and highly rated security protocols.
Key Features:
- Parental control system
- Unlimited VPN
- Security for all platforms
- Powerful firewall
- Online backups
Reasons to Buy:
- Rated highly for its protection against dangerous websites
- Has streamlined mobile apps
- VPN with no limits for 5 devices
Reasons to Avoid:
- Expensive
- Back up service is only for Windows
- The parental controls are not available for Mac
- The security protection is iOS device exclusive
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7. Microsoft Defender – Best Free Family Antivirus Software for Windows
Pricing: Free to download and use
If you primarily use Windows device in your household and you’re looking for a free antivirus program, Microsoft Defender might be the software for you. This free software comes with parental controls built-in and is easy to download, straight from the Microsoft Store. This software is also easy to use with its’ simple interface.
Key Features:
- Parental controls
- Built-in and easy to download to Windows devices
- Schedule scans
Reasons to Use:
- Great for Windows-centered households or devices
- Decent detection rates
- No complex setup or installation
- Simple dashboard interface
Reasons to Avoid:
- Basic features only
- Only protects Windows devices
- Not a lot of configuration options
- Reports of difficulties with recent Windows 11 update
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8. Webroot SecureAnywhere – Best Family Antivirus Software for Malware
Pricing: Starts at $39.99 per year
The pricing for Webroot may seem comparable to competitors, yet Webroot charges a modest fee for their software. This software is best suited for families who want to protect their devices from malware, which can be found in almost anything you or your kids download.
Key Features:
- Malware protection
- Fast scans
- Can fix and repair damage due to ransomware
- Phishing protection
Reasons to Buy:
- Blocks suspicious URLs
- Rates websites
- Works on both Mac and PC
- Small file size
- Can transfer licenses
Reasons to Avoid:
- Firewall does not always operate
- Does not have a scan for vulnerability
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9. ESET NOD32 Antivirus – Best Family Antivirus Software for Tech-Savvy Families
Pricing: Starts at $27.99 per year
ESET NOD32 Antivirus is a good antivirus software for families with older kids, as this option doesn’t offer extensive protective measures, but it get’s the job done. This is a program that is tough on viruses and does share a lot of features similar to Norton’s antivirus software.
Key Features:
- Scans for malware
- Built-in exploit blockage
- Straightforward interface
Reasons to Buy:
- Comparable to Norton AntiVirus Plus
- Configuration options
- Good lab testing scores
- Decent scan rate
Reasons to Avoid:
- Not great for protecting against malware
- Doesn’t have overly protective ransomware protection
- No scan option for vulnerability
- No firewall
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References
- https://www.techradar.com/uk/best/best-antivirus
- https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/best-antivirus-software/
- https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-antivirus-protection?test_uuid=06r4MYCu5PZzCkufjQSV3po&test_variant=b
- https://www.avira.com/en/free-antivirus-windows?x-c-channel=partnerize&x-a-medium=1101l25453&utm_source=partnerize&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_content=0&utm_term=pcmag&x-clickref=1100ljdZ4Kua
- https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/avira-antivirus
- https://www.mcafee.com/consumer/en-us/landing-page/direct/aff/mtp-family/desktop/abt/2022/mtpu/mcafee-total-protection-ctl.html?tm_local_lp_ab_test_variant=en-us_aff_mtp_ult_control&adobe_mc_sdid=SDID%3D0BF21774B9E411D2-10473E2A54CFFA4D%7CMCORGID%3DA729776A5245B1590A490D44%40AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1651587801&irclickid=QcpxOdWXExyLTUzwUx0Mo37FUkGSFyVFWwQZQo0&clickid=QcpxOdWXExyLTUzwUx0Mo37FUkGSFyVFWwQZQo0&csrc=LQ&csrcl2=3256132&sharedid=&adid=862953&cctype=desktop&ccstype=partnerlinks&ccoe=direct&ccoel2=am&affid=1079&prgt=lc
- https://usa.kaspersky.com/antivirus
- https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/avast-free-antivirus
- https://www.bitdefender.com/solutions/family-pack.html
- https://buy-static.norton.com/norton/ps/affbundles/norton_360_aw_v3.html?SID=03DAOmQoXQxG6bhZXFJ1QzY&cjid=5226272&clickid=93890bd6cb1311ec83d822980a82b82a&af_sub4=aff&af_sub5=CJ&c=CJ&cjevent=93890bd6cb1311ec83d822980a82b82a
- https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/norton-360-deluxe
- https://www.techradar.com/reviews/windows-defender
- https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/webroot-secureanywhere-antivirus
- https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/eset-nod32-antivirus
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