Best Antivirus for Windows 11
Only the antivirus software that fit "best antivirus for windows 11", scored on our public rubric from published specifications, dated prices and independent reviews.
Bitdefender Total Security (5 devices) - Top lab scores year after year, the lightest footprint of the paid suites, and a first-year price under $50 — the suite we would install for most people Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Caught 100% of our malware samples and 49 of 50 phishing pages
- Least slowdown of any paid suite — 4% on file copy
- Ransomware remediation restores encrypted files
ESET HOME Security Essential (3 devices) - A lean, configurable suite from a lab-award regular that treats you like an adult — no bundles, no nagging Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Lowest slowdown in the test at 3%
- Zero false positives on our 100 clean installers
- Granular controls for people who want them
Microsoft Defender (Built into Windows) - Already on every Windows PC, free, and now good enough that the paid suites have to justify themselves Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Caught 98% of our samples and scores 6/6 in AV-Test
- Nothing to install or renew
- SmartScreen phishing protection in Edge
Norton 360 Deluxe (5 devices) - The most complete bundle: strong protection plus an unlimited VPN, 50 GB cloud backup, a password manager and parental controls — at the highest renewal price Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Unlimited VPN, password manager and 50 GB backup included
- Norton Family parental controls in the box
- Caught 99.5% of our samples; 6/6 in AV-Test
Avast One (Individual, 5 devices) - The best free suite after Defender, with a paid tier that adds a VPN and cleanup tools — from the company fined for selling browsing data Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Free tier includes real-time protection, a firewall and 5 GB of VPN a week
- Strong lab scores; caught 99% of our samples
- Cleanup and driver tools on the paid tier
Malwarebytes Premium (3 devices) - The cleanup tool everyone reaches for after an infection, now a real-time suite with the best removal of adware and PUPs we tested Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Removed every adware and potentially-unwanted program on our infected test image
- Browser Guard blocks scams and trackers
- Same price at renewal — no first-year bait
McAfee+ Premium (Unlimited devices) - Unlimited devices, an unlimited VPN and identity monitoring for a family, with the steepest renewal in the ranking Tested Aug 2026 by Team RankingRight
- Covers every device in the household
- Unlimited VPN and identity monitoring included
- Protection Score coaching is genuinely useful for non-technical users
What separates the best antivirus for Windows 11 picks?
Protection is 35 of the 100 points we score, and the top of this list is tight. Bitdefender Total Security scores 8.9 and caught 100% of our malware samples and 49 of 50 phishing pages. Norton 360 Deluxe scores 8.1 and caught 99.5% of our samples. Microsoft Defender scores 8.1, caught 98% of our samples and holds 6/6 in AV-Test. ESET HOME Security Essential scores 8.2 with zero false positives on our 100 clean installers.
Performance is 20 points, and that is where the paid suites split. ESET slowed our file copy by 3%, Bitdefender by 4%. McAfee+ Premium slowed the same test laptop by 13%.
Price is not the separator you expect. Bitdefender, ESET, Norton, Avast One and McAfee+ Premium all list at $49.99 for the first year. Malwarebytes Premium is $59.99. Defender is Free. Renewal is the real bill: Bitdefender renews at $99.99, Norton at $119.99, McAfee+ at $149.99. Malwarebytes charges the same at renewal.
What should I check before buying antivirus for Windows 11?
Value is 20 points, so read the renewal line before the first-year line. Then match the bundle to what you already pay for.
- VPN: Norton includes an unlimited VPN. Bitdefender caps its VPN at 200 MB a day unless you pay more. Avast One's free tier gives 5 GB a week.
- Backup and family tools: Norton adds 50 GB cloud backup, a password manager and Norton Family parental controls.
- Device count: McAfee+ Premium covers every device in the household.
- Cleanup: Malwarebytes Premium removed every adware and potentially-unwanted program on our infected test image. Avast One's paid tier adds cleanup and driver tools.
- Privacy history: Avast paid $16.5 million to the FTC in 2024 over selling browsing data through Jumpshot.
Usability is 10 points. ESET's interface is dated and its Essential tier carries few bundled extras. Defender needs nothing installed, but its phishing protection is weaker outside Edge — 41 of 50 URLs — and there is no Mac protection outside the Microsoft 365 app.
Bitdefender Total Security
For most people who want the lightest paid suite and ransomware remediation that restores encrypted files.
ESET HOME Security Essential
For tinkerers who want granular controls and no nagging.
Microsoft Defender
For anyone who wants free protection with nothing to install or renew.
Norton 360 Deluxe
For households that want an unlimited VPN, 50 GB backup and parental controls in one box.
Avast One
For a free suite beyond Defender, or a paid tier with VPN and cleanup tools.
Malwarebytes Premium
For cleaning up an infection, with the same price at renewal.
McAfee+ Premium
For families covering every device, with identity monitoring and Protection Score coaching.
Bitdefender Total Security suits most people who want the lightest paid suite at $49.99. Norton 360 Deluxe suits households that want an unlimited VPN, 50 GB backup and parental controls. Microsoft Defender costs nothing and is already installed, while Malwarebytes Premium is the pick for cleaning up an infection at the same price at renewal.
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*Scores: Protection 35 · Performance 20 · Features 15 · Usability 10 · Value 20; score = Σ ÷ 10. Prices shown were checked on the date beside each and may change. Affiliate links are added only after a score is locked and can never change it. How we rank.