Best cheap antivirus in 2025

If you’ve made up your mind that your device needs antivirus protection, the next decision is which antivirus to use. There are dozens of legitimate antivirus providers to choose from, many of which appear to offer a high level of protection and performance, as well as an abundance of features. This makes it more difficult to narrow down the options. Filtering by price helps somewhat, but a cheap antivirus isn’t necessarily a good antivirus.

Fortunately for you, we’ve had hours upon hours of hands-on experience with most major antivirus programs. In testing their ability to detect and block malware and measuring performance during scans, we’re able to build an accurate picture of what each has to offer. It’s with this unique perspective that we can couple our testing results with each antivirus’ pricing information and determine which providers offer the best value for money.

Not got time to read the whole article? Start here with our best low-cost AV short list. Read on for more detailed reviews of each and answers to some commonly asked antivirus questions.

Best cheap antivirus: our shortlist

1. TotalAV Best cheap antivirus and our best antivirus overall, TotalAV prices start from just $29 for the first year. Beginner-friendly apps and packed with valuable extras.
2. Norton 360 Impressive protection and performance scores in testing. Costs as little as $29.99 for the first year. Easy-to-use apps and excellent support available 24/7.
3. Surfshark Antivirus Lightweight and user-friendly antivirus which includes one of the best VPNs on the market. Costs just $67.23 for a two-year subscription ($2.80 a month).
4. McAfee Total Protection Antivirus provider that scored well for protection in testing and makes it relatively easy to turn off auto-renewal. First year subscription costs just $39.99.
5. Intego Antivirus A Mac-first antivirus starting from $39.99 for year one. Better still, renewal rates aren’t steep. This is a user-friendly option with quality 24/7 support.
6. VIPRE Antivirus Protection available from just $14.99 for year one. Very easy to get set up, provides US-based customer support, and has an impressive protection score.
7. Bitdefender Internet Security Not quite as cheap at $59.99 for a year but there’s a free trial with no credit card required. Very easy to use and performed well in testing.

Criteria for the best low-cost antivirus

The best cheap antivirus should not be confused with the cheapest antivirus. We’re not simply looking to find an antivirus at the lowest possible price. Instead, we want to find the best possible protection, performance, and usability at the best possible price. Here’s what we looked for during our extensive antivirus testing:

• Protection: Real-time protection and the ability to detect and remove a wide range of malware, ransomware included.
• Performance: Lightweight enough that it doesn’t slow down your device even during full scans, so you can use it as normal.
• Usability: An antivirus with a simple setup process and apps that make it quick and easy to scan and identify when issues arise.
• Transparency: Clearly shows the subscription cost upon renewal and makes it simple to turn off auto-renewal to avoid any unwanted surprises.
• Customer support: Live assistance should you run into issues, be it via live chat, email, or phone. Preferably available 24/7.
• Affordability: It goes without saying that we’re seeking cheap antivirus programs, just not to the detriment of overall quality.

This is just an overview, but you can read about our AV criteria in more detail in the methodology section below. First, let’s take a closer look at the budget-friendly providers that made our list.

Best cheap antivirus in 2025

Here’s our list of the best cheap antivirus programs:

1. TotalAV

Sep 2025

TotalAV is the best antivirus we’ve tested, so it’s all the more impressive that it’s also the best cheap antivirus on the market. Despite being such a strong all-rounder in terms of protection, performance, and usability, plans are available from just $29 for the first year. Aside from real-time protection, TotalAV is packed with extra features, including an ad blocker, VPN, and password manager, albeit the latter comes with the top-tier Total Security plan only.

Although TotalAV subscriptions renew at a much higher rate (from $99 a year), we received discounts of 70 percent and then 80 percent when attempting to cancel the auto-renewal. As such, it’s possible to get this top-rated antivirus at a highly affordable rate for at least two years. TotalAV is easy to use thanks to the beginner-friendly apps and availability of 24/7 support. Scans are quick, and even full scans have minimal impact on system resources.

You’ll find TotalAV apps for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

BEST CHEAP ANTIVIRUS:TotalAV costs as little as $29 for the first year (Premium plan), and you might just be offered a second-year discount when canceling auto-renewal. It’s a strong all-rounder with numerous extras, user-friendly apps, and 24/7 support. Try it out for yourself risk-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full TotalAV review.

2. Norton 360

Norton 360 offers top-tier protection and equally impressive performance. Our in-house testing backed up the results from independent testing labs. Norton 360 remains affordable, albeit only for the first year of subscription. The Antivirus Plus plan costs just $29.99 for the first year before renewing at $59.99. The higher the tier, the more features you’ll have access to, such as dark web monitoring and parental controls.

We found Norton 360’s app to be very user-friendly, with a clean interface that clearly indicates when action is required. Still, 24/7 support is there if you need it via live chat, email, and even phone. Norton’s real-time protection blocked everything we threw its way in testing, where it achieved a near-perfect protection score. Depending on the plan you select, you can secure anything from a single device to 10 different personal devices.

Norton 360 has apps for all of the following: Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

IMPRESSIVE ALL-ROUNDER:Norton 360 protects against a wide range of malware and doesn’t slow down your device while doing so. The many extra features make Norton’s low first-year prices even more competitive. It has excellent 24/7 support too. Includes a generous 60-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Norton Antivirus review.

3. Surfshark Antivirus

Surfshark Antivirus differs from most antivirus providers in that it offers a two-year plan in addition to the typical one-month and one-year subscriptions. Whereas its Surfshark One plan costs $50.85 ($3.39/month) for a year, it’s just $67.23 ($3.39/month) for two years. As such, it’s a great chance to get an excellent antivirus at an extremely low price. Yet it’s important to note that Surfshark’s renewal prices are very high, six or seven times more expensive in some cases.

This is one of the most lightweight antivirus programs, allowing for full scans without sacrificing performance. First-time antivirus users will appreciate the clean and uncluttered app interface, as well as Surfshark’s excellent 24/7 live chat support. What particularly makes Surfshark stand out from much of the competition is its VPN, which is one of the best on the market. It has also introduced an Alternative ID feature for protecting your real personal data.

Surfshark provides apps for desktop (Windows and Mac) and mobile (Android). Its antivirus isn’t compatible with iOS, but its VPN is.

LIGHTWEIGHT ANTIVIRUS:Surfshark Antivirus combines impressive antivSurfshark Antivirusirus protection with one of the best VPNs available. You can expect a lightweight app along with 24/7 support. One and two-year subscriptions come with steep discounts. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Surfshark Antivirus review.

4. McAfee Total Protection

McAfee Total Protection gives you the option to secure five devices from malware for just $39.99 for the first year. In fact, adding protection to an unlimited number of devices costs just a little more at $49.99. Plans renew at a higher rate, but turning off auto-renewal is relatively easy. You may receive a discounted rate for the second year as you attempt to cancel, allowing you to save significantly on your antivirus for two years.

With a McAfee subscription, you’ll have access to many extra features even if you’re on a lower-tier plan. For example, all Total Protection plans include identity monitoring and alerts, a VPN, and a password manager. McAfee successfully protects against malware, and you’ll be able to use your device during full scans without too much slowdown. Where McAfee does let itself down is the absence of email and live chat support – phone support may not be ideal for everyone.

McAfee Total Protection apps can be found for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

LONG-STANDING PROVIDER:McAfee Total Protection has been around since 1987 and continues to have a strong reputation in the antivirus industry. It has been recognized for its protection by independent testing labs and offers intriguing extras. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full McAfee Antivirus review.

5. Intego Antivirus

Intego Antivirus differs from the other best cheap antivirus programs listed because it’s a Mac-first provider. What’s more, it provides one and two-year subscriptions for you to choose from. A one-year subscription starts from $39.99, and a two-year plan from $74.99. Although prices rise on renewal, the increase isn’t anywhere near as severe as that of many rival antivirus providers. Every plan includes real-time protection and two-way firewall protection.

Our hands-on testing of Intego Antivirus saw it score well for protection and performance, and it also scored full marks for not producing any false positives. Although Intego Antivirus is easy to use, 24/7 live chat support is offered. There’s flexibility as to how many devices you can protect with each tier, letting you choose between one, three, and five Macs. We found Intego quick and easy to set up, but there’s no way to turn off auto-renewal during signup.

Intego is primarily a Mac antivirus, but it does also offer a standalone antivirus product for Windows.

ANTIVIRUS FOR MAC:Intego is an excellent option if you need antivirus protection for your MacBook. It offers attractive initial prices, and renewal rates aren’t extortionate either. Quality customer support and an easy install process. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Intego Antivirus review.

6. VIPRE Antivirus

VIPRE Antivirus sells three different subscription tiers: Antivirus Plus, Advanced Security, and Ultimate Security. These are priced at $14.99, $19.99, and $39.99 for the first year, respectively. Renewal rates are more than double, but you can always cancel auto-renewal if you don’t want to get caught out by these increased prices. Though not as well known as Norton and McAfee, VIPRE has steadily built a reputation for strong protection, as we found in testing.

With a 99.83 protection score and 94 for performance, VIPRE clearly provides a high level of protection without sacrificing performance. Setup is extremely straightforward, and once that’s done, you’ll find a user-friendly app that doesn’t overcomplicate things. Where VIPRE Antivirus could improve is in its feature offering. There’s not much included, and even features like the VPN and dark web scanner are only available in the highest tier (and only for Windows, too).

VIPRE Antivirus can be downloaded and installed on Windows and Mac.

US-BASED SUPPORT:VIPRE Antivirus is extremely cheap for the first year and offers great protection for the price. It’s a good option for first-time antivirus users thanks to the smooth setup process and beginner-friendly app. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full VIPRE Antivirus review.

7. Bitdefender

Bitdefender has so many plans to choose from that it’s almost overwhelming. Between Total Security, Premium Security, and Ultimate Security, you’ve got seven different tiers available. Some of these are for individual users while others cover families for a higher device limit. Total Security is the cheapest at $59.99 for a year. If you don’t want to have to pay the higher renewal subscription price, then know that Bitdefender makes it easy to turn off auto-renewal.

One way in which Bitdefender sets itself apart from other antivirus providers is that it offers a free trial with no credit card required. Our in-house testing found Bitdefender to be very much a strong all-rounder, though it particularly impressed with its protection and for so rarely providing false positives. However, there are not quite as many features on offer as with some rivals, and the VPN allows just 200 MB of data a day for the Total Security tier.

Bitdefender has apps for Windows, Android, Mac, and iOS.

FREE TRIAL AVAILABLE:Bitdefender is confident enough in it's product that it offers a free trial with no credit card required. It blocks most types of malware and won’t slow down your device in doing so. Easy to use and with 24/7 support. 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read our full Bitdefender Antivirus review.

Antivirus testing methodology: How we found the best cheap antivirus

Although there are many competitively priced antivirus programs available, not all made our list. Some were found lacking in terms of their ability to detect and remove malware, or because they were too complicated for the average user. Below, we explore our process for finding the best cheap antivirus:

• Malware detection and removal: If an antivirus is unable to detect and completely rid a device of different types of malware, it’s immediately discarded. Just because an antivirus is cheap, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t do its primary job well. As part of our testing, we download live malware samples to make sure they’re blocked as they should.
• System impact: Nowadays, most major antivirus programs are lightweight enough that they shouldn’t slow down your device. Scanning is often done via the cloud, allowing you to use your device as normal, even during more intensive scans. We’re able to verify this by measuring CPU and memory usage of an antivirus before and during scans.
• Ease of use: We want to recommend antivirus tools that are accessible to the average reader. An antivirus is of little use if it’s too complicated to set up a scan or to take the necessary action if a threat is detected. Our hands-on testing of each antivirus helps us recommend those with a straightforward setup process as well as user-friendly apps.
• Customer support: Even with the most accessible antivirus programs, there may be occasions when you need assistance. Whether that’s to cancel auto-renewal or to report a bug, it shouldn’t have to be hard work. The best cheap antivirus programs typically have 24/7 support, often via live chat and email. Some even provide phone support.
• Available features: Protection and performance come first, but extra features can help swing the momentum in a particular antivirus’s favor. A VPN or password manager can add value. We take the available features into account when looking at each antivirus tool’s subscription pricing.
• Value for money: The best cheap antivirus tools offer great value for money. You can expect very low first-year subscription rates and, in some cases, can get a very good second-year price if you attempt to turn off auto-renewal. The fact that they all offer money-back guarantees, too, means you can try them out for free before committing.

Want to know more about how we test antivirus programs? Our full antivirus software testing methodology goes into greater detail about how we analyze antivirus tools, from studying their effectiveness at detecting and removing malware to measuring system impact during scans.

How to use a budget-freindly antivirus

Regardless of the best cheap antivirus you ultimately opt for, the signup and setup process will be largely the same. We’ve provided the step-by-step process below to make things even quicker and easier.

Here’s how to protect your device using the best cheap antivirus:

1. Start by signing up with one of the best cheap antivirus providers listed in this post. We particularly recommend TotalAV.
2. Next, download the antivirus on the desktop or mobile device you’re looking to protect.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation process.
4. Log in to the antivirus app. Note that you may be prompted to grant the antivirus app certain permissions in order to activate specific features such as real-time protection.
5. Run a full scan of your device to make sure there aren’t any existing threats on your system. Be sure to enable automatic updates to ensure you stay protected.

Affordable antivirus: FAQs