The best antivirus software can assist you in keeping your devices safe from malware, ransomware and phishing. It also protects against spyware that tracks your browsing history and passwords, and can prevent data breaches from destroying your personal information. There are a variety of different programs available with many costing more than what you'd like to pay.

We've tested more than 300 of them to determine the most effective protection against viruses for the budget. We've looked for dependable and user-friendly software that keeps you protected without slowing down your PC or putting you off using it. We've also made sure that the software updates regularly its malware database.

The top-rated packages include the full suite of anti-malware engines. They also include additional features like a VPN, password managers and parental controls. Some companies offer a dark-web monitoring service to check whether your email address, credit card data or any other personal data has fallen into the wrong hand.

Norton 360 is our winner. It provides top-quality all-round security, with high rate of malware detection, and amazing additional features like a password manager. It also offers live monitoring which antivirus software is best for windows 10 of dark websites and backups to the cloud.

It's also one of the few packages that's available for Mac computers (most others only work with Windows PCs) and it has a good performance in tests by independent lab AV-Comparatives. It's a bit expensive at just a couple of dollars per month for an annual subscription however there's a no-cost trial version available.