Best antivirus software in 2026

Detection rates from our own malware sample runs, plus what each one costs once the introductory year ends.

Last updated 20 July 2026 · 3 options compared

Cinderblock Security

Best Overall

9.2/10

Blocked every sample in our set without a single false positive on clean software.

Features

Real-time scanning
Phishing protection
Ransomware rollback

Works on

Windows
macOS
Android

Price: $29/yr
Money-back guarantee: 60 days
Free trial: 30 days
Country: Estonia

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Veilstream Shield

Light on resources

8.4/10

Light on resources, strong on phishing, thinner on extras.

Works on

Windows

Price: $19/yr
Money-back guarantee: 30 days

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Basic Guard

The one already on the machine

7.2/10

Windows ships with this and it is better than it used to be. It caught most of our set and missed the newest samples, which is the trade you are making.

Features

Real-time scanning
Bundled with Windows

Price: Free

See pricing

Already installed on Windows

Common questions

Is the built-in protection enough?

For a careful user on an up-to-date system, often yes. Paid suites earn their place mainly on phishing blocking and on covering several devices at once.

How do you measure detection?

We run the same sample set against each product on a clean machine, then repeat it a month later with samples that did not exist the first time. A product that scores well only on old malware is not much use.

Does a paid suite slow a machine down?

Less than it used to, but the difference is measurable. We time a cold boot and a large file copy with each one installed, and publish both numbers rather than a verdict.