The BEST Antivirus for Windows 11 | Tested TOP 3 Best Options! (so you don't have to)

Summary

Highlights

• Absolute 100% protection is impossible, but top antivirus providers continually advance their tools 🔐.
• Bitdefender and Norton excel in security metrics, with Bitdefender detecting 93 threats during testing 🚀.
• TotalAV offers unique features like a WebShield extension for safer browsing 🌐.
• Norton's smart firewall and PC cloud backup enhance its protection and utility features 🛡️.
• Bitdefender shines with its anti-theft and data protection capabilities 📱.
• Each antivirus offers different subscription plans, allowing users to choose based on their needs 🛍️.
• The video emphasizes checking operating system compatibility and ease of use when choosing an antivirus solution ⚙️.

Key Takeaways

• Perfect protection from malware is unattainable, but continuous advancements are made to combat new threats 🔒.
• Bitdefender and Norton scored perfectly in AV-TEST's protection, performance, and usability metrics 🌟.
• TotalAV detected 80 threats in tests, Bitdefender found 93, and Norton found 81, highlighting the importance of real-time scanning 🏆.
• TotalAV is noted for its WebShield extension, while Norton excels with a smart firewall and PC cloud backup protection 🌐.
• Bitdefender stands out with its anti-theft feature, allowing users to track and lock lost devices 🕵️‍♂️.
• All three antivirus solutions offer simple user interfaces with varying levels of complexity 🖥️.
• Subscription plans vary, with money-back guarantees allowing for risk-free trials 💰.

Overview

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Overview of Selected Antivirus Software The chapter discusses the impossibility of achieving absolute 100% protection against malware due to the continuous emergence of new threats. However, top antivirus software providers are constantly evolving their tools to effectively combat these challenges. The video will introduce the viewer to the top choices for PC antivirus software and explain the importance of investing in digital safety. The specific antivirus solutions covered in this chapter are TotalAV, Norton, and Bitdefender.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Independent Testing Results The chapter "Independent Testing Results" discusses the performance of various providers in independent security tests. It highlights that both Bitdefender and Norton achieved perfect scores in protection, performance, and usability according to AV-TEST, showcasing their exceptional antivirus capabilities. Additionally, TotalAV also performed well but had a minor slip in performance compared to the others.
• 01:00 - 02:00: Personal Testing and Performance Analysis In this chapter, the author discusses their personal testing and performance analysis of antivirus software. They highlight a specific score of 5.5 out of 6 that the software received in an initial test. To validate these results, the author conducted their own tests using 100 malware files of varying severity across three different PC antivirus software providers. They emphasize that the real-time protection was turned off and only full scans were run. During these tests, TotalAV detected 80 threats, but it was noted that the CPU usage was high, indicating potential performance issues.
• 02:30 - 03:30: Features of TotalAV The chapter 'Features of TotalAV' discusses features of TotalAV and compares it with other antivirus software, Bitdefender, and Norton. TotalAV shows varying detection rates between 80-90%, occasionally dropping to 50%, with a scan time of 11 minutes. Bitdefender detects 93 out of 100 malware files, using 18% to 66% of the CPU, with a scan duration of 3 hours over 600,000 files, showcasing impressive results. Norton is also mentioned with 81 detected threats.
• 03:30 - 05:00: Features of Norton This chapter discusses the features of Norton antivirus software. It reveals that Norton maintained a CPU usage between 20% and 30% during normal operation, with spikes up to 75% when detecting malware over a span of 11 minutes. Although Norton effectively removes threats, it does so at a slower pace compared to other providers. The overall performance of various antivirus providers is similar, except for Bitdefender, which detects more threats but requires more time to do so. The chapter suggests that if security is your primary concern, and you've made up your purchasing decision, there are discounts available. The testing of Norton concludes this section.
• 05:00 - 06:00: Features of Bitdefender This chapter discusses the features of Bitdefender, a PC antivirus software. These include real-time scanning for threats, instant threat removal, and ransomware protection to guard against data theft. Additionally, Bitdefender enhances online safety by preventing access to malicious websites with its WebShield extension and protecting user identity through a VPN connection.
• 06:00 - 08:00: Comparison and Usability of Antivirus Software This chapter discusses various features and areas for improvement in antivirus software, specifically focusing on TotalAV. It highlights System Tune-Up, which enhances device performance by cleaning junk and duplicate files, and the WebShield extension, which provides security while browsing by blocking harmful sites. It suggests the addition of a firewall as a potential improvement for TotalAV. Overall, TotalAV is presented as a solid option for those seeking extra virus protection for their PCs. The discussion then transitions to evaluating Norton antivirus software in the subsequent section.
• 08:00 - 09:30: Pricing and Subscription Plans The chapter 'Pricing and Subscription Plans' discusses the various security features offered by a specific antivirus provider, Norton. It highlights the comprehensive protection options available, including quick, full, and custom scans, as well as real-time protection and a Smart Firewall. It contrasts Norton with another provider, TotalAV, noting that while TotalAV monitors network traffic, it doesn't offer the Smart Firewall feature that Norton does. The chapter emphasizes the continuous protection against malware provided by Norton.
• 09:30 - 10:30: Final Advice on Choosing Antivirus Software The chapter provides final advice on selecting antivirus software, focusing on the features and benefits of Norton. It highlights the importance of protecting the network from intrusions and commends Norton for its outstanding malware detection rates. The chapter emphasizes Norton's quality of life features like PC cloud backup for saving storage space and acting as a safeguard against device malfunctions. Additionally, it praises Norton's Password Manager for securely storing all passwords in one location and its VPN protection for maintaining online privacy. The discussion concludes with a mention of Norton's parental control settings.

The BEST Antivirus for Windows 11 | Tested TOP 3 Best Options! (so you don't have to) Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 Absolute 100% protection from malware is not possible, as new threats are created every day. But the best PC antivirus software providers advance their tools continuously to combat these challenges successfully. But how do they manage to do this? After watching this video, you're going to know what my top choices are for an antivirus for PC, and why you should invest in your digital safety. Okay, so the line-up today is TotalAV, Norton, and Bitdefender.
• 00:30 - 01:00 Each of these providers is strong in security, so let's see how they perform compared to each other, starting with independent testing. According to AV-TEST, which is a reputable organisation, Bitdefender and Norton scored perfectly in protection, performance, and usability metrics, which is no small feat. In terms of antivirus capability, Norton and Bitdefender are equal. In TotalAV's case, the results are almost similar, except for a small slip up in performance,
• 01:00 - 01:30 where it received a score of 5.5 out of 6, which is still a great result. But just to double-check, I performed my tests as well with 100 malware files of varying severity, and ran all three PC antivirus software providers one by one to see what their performance looked like. It's also important to keep in mind that the real-time protection was turned off, and the full scan was run. Okay, as you can see, TotalAV detected 80 threats and CPU usage was high,
• 01:30 - 02:00 frequently ranging between 80-90%, with occasional drops to around 50%. The scan was pretty quick though, it took just 11 minutes. Next up is Bitdefender, which detected 93 out of the 100 malware files, while utilising 18% to 66% of the CPU. The results are pretty impressive, but the full scan did take 3 hours, and scanned more than double the amount of what TotalAV managed to, over 600,000 files. The last one is Norton, which found 81 threats.
• 02:00 - 02:30 CPU usage ranged between 20% and 30%, with spikes up to around 75%, when malware was detected over an 11 minutes of scanning time. However, threats were removed more slowly compared to other providers. Overall, the performance of the providers is quite similar, again, except for Bitdefender, which detected the most threats but took a lot of time. If you're mostly concerned about security, and you've already made up your mind, you can grab all of these with a discount right down below. I found all the discounts for you. All right, with the testing out of the way,
• 02:30 - 03:00 let's check what features the antivirus for PC has in store for us. TotalAV has standard antivirus features. It's real-time scanning, looks for threats 24/7, and removes them instantaneously if they occur, and its ransomware protection guards you from data stealing attempts. But that's not all. TotalAV works to keep you safe while surfing the web as well. Its WebShield extension stops you from visiting malicious websites, and the Safe Browsing feature secures your identity online, by concealing your real IP address under a VPN connection.
• 03:00 - 03:30 A nice addition on top, System Tune-Up. Boosts your device performance by removing junk and duplicate files from your system. With that said, there's an area of improvement for TotalAV. A firewall would definitely be nice to have, so that's something the developers could work on. My favourite feature is the WebShield extension, as it eases my mind, while I'm browsing the internet knowing that I'm safe from any misclicks on malicious websites. All in all, TotalAV is not a bad choice if you want additional virus protection for PC. All right, moving on with Norton in this best antivirus for PC review.
• 03:30 - 04:00 This provider develops plenty of features that not only guard you against malware, but make your digital life just easier, too. But let's start with the core of any antivirus provider. What options does it have to protect your device? Norton provides a variety of options such as quick, full, or custom scans. Of course, Norton has real-time protection, and a Smart Firewall as well, which is something that TotalAV doesn't have, with the latter monitoring your network traffic to see if there's any suspicious activity. This means that not only is your system protected against malware 24/7,
• 04:00 - 04:30 but the network is being guarded from any intruders as well. Now, what I like about Norton, besides great malware detection rates, what I like the most is that the quality of life features they have. For example, PC cloud backup saves storage on my device, and can act as a safeguard if my laptop ever malfunctions. Password Manager is handy as well, which helps me keep all my passwords secure, and just in one place, and Norton's added VPN protection protects my privacy online. Norton also has parental control settings
• 04:30 - 05:00 for those users who'd like to put extra rules in place on their device, such as a certain website gets blocked, or track users behaviour online. This can be helpful if kids use the same device as you do. Lastly, similar to TotalAV, Norton has a tool to clean your device from old, duplicated, or broken files, which can significantly boost the responsiveness of the device, especially if it's old, or overflowed with data. Finally, let's see what the industry-renowned Bitdefender has to show us. Like Norton, Bitdefender has a firewall as well,
• 05:00 - 05:30 and like any reputable antivirus, it's got real-time protection, coupled with multiple scanning options as well. Similar to Norton, Bitdefender offers a password manager to keep all your credentials secure, a VPN tool for even more identity protection, and an additional layer of data collection prevention, coupled with an anti-tracker feature. I like Bitdefender in general, but what I like about it in particular, is its anti-theft feature. If I lose my laptop, I can easily look it up to find its precise location, and go get it, or lock it,
• 05:30 - 06:00 so no one can access my private information, such as email and documents. Since we already covered the features of all three providers, it's time to see just how accessible they are. Firstly, all these providers are really quite simple to use, although the convenience could vary, relative to your experience using an antivirus on PC. For example, TotalAV's app is not overcrowded at all, as there are not a ton of options to choose from, and everything opens up in the same app. It's a good choice for beginners especially as the experience is smooth and easy.
• 06:00 - 06:30 Bitdefender's UI is simple as well, but a bit more complex than TotalAV, mainly because the provider has more settings and features, which you can mess with if you'd like. Bitdefender feels like a mix between Norton and TotalAV, since it offers more features, while staying easily accessible. Then there's Norton, which is a great product packed with features, but I'd recommend it for users who have used an antivirus beforehand, due to the UI pop-up design. Constantly opening new windows can impact the quality of life, using the antivirus daily for beginners.
• 06:30 - 07:00 But with that said, it's not an issue for many, as it's still one of the most popular providers out there, and Norton has recently improved on its UI as well. Personally, I enjoy TotalAV the most as it offers a good balance between robust security features and extra features, coupled with simple and modern, but not shallow, UI. Now, we already reviewed a lot today, but let's not forget another crucial part of choosing a provider, pricing. All three providers offer three different subscription plans and have a money-back guarantee, which means you can test either antivirus risk-free.
• 07:00 - 07:30 The refund eligibility period varies between the providers, though, and you can get your money back, within just 30 days of purchase from Bitdefender and TotalAV, while Norton offers a 60-day window. TotalAV is the cheapest of the bunch, offering protection for up to four devices with their Antivirus Pro subscription. There are two pricier packages, which include VPN, Adblocker, and Secure Password Vault, which is essentially a password manager, in other words. In my view, TotalAV is a good choice for those who are looking for a simple and cheap antivirus experience with many extra features.
• 07:30 - 08:00 Moving on, Bitdefender's Antivirus Plus subscription costs a tad more, covering one device. It offers a lot of features, such as phishing and ransomware protection, vulnerability assessment of your files, safe online banking, and more. Bitdefender nailed the balance between the price, extra features, and accessibility. It is good for beginners and intermediate users who want more than just a simple antivirus. If you'd like to get Bitdefender cheap, make sure you scan the QR code on the screen,
• 08:00 - 08:30 or click the link in the description. Lastly, Norton offers four subscription tiers tailored to different needs. Norton's cheapest plan is affordable but lacks features, so I'd recommend getting Norton's standard subscription. It offers 10 gigabytes of backup for your files, as well as unlimited VPN and password manager. In my opinion, Norton is the best option for advanced users, so getting the subscription plan with the extra features makes a lot of sense. Now, if it's still difficult for you to decide which the antivirus to choose,
• 08:30 - 09:00 let me give you some quick advice. Firstly, make sure that the provider that interests you supports all the operating systems that you're planning on using it on. Then it's important to research if the antivirus is known for flagging many false positives, as it impacts the reliability of the provider. Ease of use and CPU load are crucial aspects as well, as you want an easy-to-use and lightweight solution. Lastly, pay attention if the provider's price-to-value ratio is justified, and you're getting the best protection coupled with extra features for your buck. All right, if you have any questions,
• 09:00 - 09:30 make sure to leave them in the comment section below. Let's chat in the comments. I'll see you in the next one. Bye.