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Home / Antivirus Software guides / Antivirus Renewal Prices: What You Really Pay in Year Two

Antivirus Renewal Prices: What You Really Pay in Year Two

First-year offers against renewal for every suite we tested, and how to avoid the jump.

Written by Team RankingRight
August 29, 2026 · 3 min read

First year vs renewal

  • Bitdefender Total Security: $49.99 → $99.99
  • Norton 360 Deluxe: $49.99 → $119.99
  • McAfee+ Premium: $49.99 → $149.99
  • Avast One: $49.99 → $99.99
  • ESET HOME Security Essential: $49.99 → $49.99
  • Malwarebytes Premium: $59.99 → $59.99
  • Microsoft Defender: free

How to avoid the jump

Turn off auto-renew when you buy. A month before expiry, buy a new first-year licence — from the vendor or a retailer — and enter the new key. Most vendors honour the promotional price for "new" purchases even from existing customers, and the ones that do not (ESET, Malwarebytes) never raised it in the first place.

» See the full rankings: Cheapest Antivirus That Still Protects, Best Antivirus Software of 2026 .