Most Commonly Asked Questions About Antivirus Software
In this day and age, stories of viruses, malware, ransomware, and hackings abound. It seems you can’t go for more than a week without hearing about some type of cybercrime on the news or in your news feed. That’s why you need to keep yourself protected online, so that your privacy, safety, and security aren’t compromised.
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And the best way to do that is with the best antivirus software packages. In this guide, we’ll look at the best 5 antiviruses out there today, and discuss some of the things you should consider when trying to find the best antivirus solution for your computer, smartphone, and other electronics.
What Should You Look For in the Best Antiviruses?
Some of the most common things that you should look for when comparing the best antiviruses are a bit technical. Obviously, all of them fall under “antivirus software,” but that’s a pretty broad criterion.
Things like how, and how well, they detect infected downloads, prevent malicious code execution on websites and through apps, how well they work in the background to prevent suspicious connections, and so on are all just as important as finding and eliminating viruses and malware. It also doesn’t hurt to see their reputation in terms of hogging (or not) system resources, and what kind of interface, settings, and technical knowledge is required to use the program.
Why Do You Need an Antivirus?
It’s pretty much universally understood that you need an antivirus with full protection in this day and age. Windows and Mac computers come with onboard tools to help prevent malicious code and infections, but it’s nothing compared to the kind of security you can get from the best antivirus programs.
What’s more, many of these core features are not meant to adapt and prevent the latest threats like ransomware, malware, adware, etc. Those are specifically created to bypass all of the default, built-in protections on common operating systems. Don’t get your identity stolen, your files locked or deleted, your system damaged, or your browser filled with pop-ups and junk. The best antiviruses can prevent all of that.
What are the Best Antivirus Solutions?
Below are our picks for the best 5 antivirus programs in 2019. We’ve made these selections on the basis of their functionality, company reputation/effectiveness of the product, features offered, support, price, and value of the subscription or purchase, among other factors. These are all things that you should keep in mind – as well as looking at customer reviews and feedback – when shopping for the best antivirus for your system.
Norton
Norton, by Symantec, is one of the most trusted names in antivirus programs and has been among the best antiviruses for many years now. They offer a wide range of security and safety products, including their signature antivirus program.
It comes with real-time threat protection, on-demand scan functionality, password manager, smart software firewall, 2GB of cloud backup storage, full virus, spyware, malware, and ransomware protection, and more. It’s available for PC or Mac for $39 per device, with higher-tier software packages and plans for more devices, including smartphones, available for higher prices.
BullGuard
BullGuard isn’t as well-known as Norton or McAfee on our list, but they put up a strong set of products, including a formidable antivirus program that’s worthy of inclusion in our list of the best 5 antiviruses for 2019. It performs exceptionally well, with an easy-to-use interface and excellent mechanics “under the hood” – it’s not surprising that it’s won numerous awards for best antivirus program.
BullGuard includes a full antivirus suite with both on-demand and real-time scanning, anti-malware algorithms, a vulnerability scanner, and a system optimizer that not only doesn’t hog system resources but frees them up for better performance. All these specifications are available for $29 per device. Higher tier plans with more devices supported, including smartphones and other features, are also available.
McAfee
Like Norton, McAfee is one of the most well-established players among the best antivirus software market. Their core product, the Total Protection Antivirus, comes with cloud-based threat detection, a robust antivirus with on-demand and real-time scanning modes, ransomware protection, software firewall and network monitoring, mobile security, a password manager, file encryption tools, PC performance optimizer, and safe delete/file shredder software. For 1 device, protection starts at $55, with additional features and device counts available at higher price points.
Bitdefender
Where some of the bigger names in the best antivirus category have a bit of a reputation for software that hogs system resources, Bitdefender is almost the polar opposite. They’ve won numerous awards for their lean yet comprehensive antivirus client, which performs well (outperforms all others in several tests) yet keeps your system resources free.
They have a Windows and Mac version of their antivirus, in addition to many other safety and security software programs. The antivirus comes with standard on-demand and real-time virus scanning, a multi-layered ransomware protection system, the Bitdefender VPN, and SafePay. There’s a lot more to it than that, with the full list of features containing nearly 2 dozen line items. Protection for 1 device starts at $39.
Avast
Rounding out our list of the best 5 antiviruses is Avast. Of all the contenders on this list, this is perhaps the best choice for those with a limited budget. Avast has a fully functional free version of their antivirus, as well as 3 paid tiers with varying features. But for basic protection, their free offering is quite impressive, and if you can’t afford the other paid options, it’s absolutely a great choice.
The entry-level paid subscription includes on-demand and real-time antivirus scanning, malware and ransomware protection, spoof website filter, sandbox mode to run suspicious apps, a software firewall, and spam and phishing email protection. The two higher tiers have additional features, at a higher cost. The entry-level paid option is $59 for one device.
Is it worth paying for an Antivirus?
Most of the above providers of the best antivirus software offer free trial versions of their products, usually for 30 days or less, and then require you to buy a paid subscription as we indicated. Only Avast offers a fully functional, free forever virus scanner that’s worthwhile.
In general, free options – outside of Avast – that don’t have a time limit/aren’t a “free trial” – are not that great. Most free virus scanners don’t have the same level of protection, because threats are constantly evolving. Paid subscription services use a good chunk of the subscription price for a team of experts, support, R&D, and threat analysis that is always ongoing.
Free offerings don’t usually have that. And the features offered in paid virus scan programs are usually far superior to those in free packages. In short, the best antivirus options are those that require you to pay a little bit of cash – but this is NOT an area where you want to be excessively stingy with your money. A good virus protection program can save you hundreds or thousands in the long run.
Conclusion
In this guide, we’ve listed out the top contenders for the best 5 antivirus programs around today. Any of them would be an excellent choice for your desktop, laptop, or other similar devices. One or the other may pique your fancy more, due to the features, interface, and other aspects of the program. But all of the above options will work well to keep you safe and secure.
Do You Need a Web Host?
Every business needs a website. In this always-connected world, even local brick-and-mortar businesses must be discoverable via the web. A company needs a page with a location and business hours, and, in many cases, ecommerce pages for selling products and services.
Why? Because word of mouth only gets you so far in the internet era. People discover new businesses—even local business—via Bing, Google, and Yahoo. The days when they'd just look you up in the yellow pages are long gone. If you don't have a sharable website address, your chances of building online word of mouth via social networking plummet, too. In other words, no website, no discoverability, no money. Of course, web hosting isn't just for businesses. You may want to host a personal website or blog, too. Either way, the services here have you covered.
See How We Test Web Hosting Services
The first step in building your online presence is finding a web host, the company that will store your website's files on its servers and deliver them to your readers' and customers' browsers. Bluehost, a PC Mag Business Choice winner, is a reader-recommended option.
Web hosting services offer varying amounts of monthly data transfers, storage, email, and other features. Even how you pay (month-to-month payments vs. annual payments) can be radically different, too, so taking the time to plot exactly what your company needs for online success is essential. Many of these companies also offer reseller hosting services, which let you go into business for yourself, offering hosting to your own customers without requiring you to spin up your own servers.
You should also familiarize yourself with the many web hosting tiers that are available. In your research, you'll find shared, virtual private server (VPS), dedicated hosting, and WordPress hosting plans. Each tier offers different specs and features that you should take the time to analyze. I'll break them down.
What Is Shared Web Hosting?
Shared hosting is web hosting in which the provider houses multiple sites on a single server. For example, Site A shares the same server with Site B, Site C, Site D, and Site E. The upside is that the multiple sites share the server cost, so shared web hosting is generally very inexpensive. In fact, you can find an option for less than $10 per month.
You could think of the sites that share your server as your roommates; there's really not that much separating you from them. Sure, you can close the bedroom door, but they can still cause nightmares for you in the kitchen and the bathroom. In web hosting terms, all the sites share a single server's resources, so huge traffic spike on Site A may impact the neighboring sites' performances. It's even possible that another site could take down the shared server altogether, if it crashed hard enough.
What Is VPS Web Hosting?
VPS hosting is similar to shared hosting in that multiple sites share the same server, but the similarities end there. A dedicated web host houses fewer sites per server than is the case with shared hosting, and each site has its own individual resources.
In housing terms, VPS hosting is like renting your own apartment in a larger building. You're much more isolated than in the roommate situation mentioned above; it's still possible that a neighboring apartment could causes annoyance for you, but far less likely. In web hosting terms, Site A's traffic surge won't have nearly as much impact on Site B or Site C. As you'd expect, VPS hosting costs more than shared hosting. You'll pay roughly $20 to $60 per month.
What Is Dedicated Web Hosting?
Dedicated hosting, on the other hand, is both powerful and pricey. It's reserved for sites that require an incredible amount of server resources.
Unlike shared or VPS hosting, dedicated hosting makes your website the lone tenant on a server. To extend the housing metaphor, having a dedicated server is like owning your own home. The means that your website taps the server's full power, and pays for the privilege. If you're looking for a high-powered site—an online mansion for your business—dedicated hosting is the way to go., That said, many dedicated web hosting services task you with handling backend, technical issues, much as homeowners have manage maintenance that renters generally leave to their landlords.
What Is WordPress Web Hosting?
WordPress hosting is for people who want to build their sites on the back of the popular WordPress content management system (CMS) from WordPress.org. There are multiple ways to set up shop using this free, open-source blogging and site-building platform.
You gain the most web-building functionality if you create a self-hosted site. This typically involves transfering the free WordPress CMS to server or signing up for a web host's optimized WordPress plan. With an optimized plan, the host automatically handles backend stuff, so you don't have to worry about updating the plug-ins and CMS, and enabling automatic backups. In these instances, the WordPress environment typically comes pre-installed on the server.
You can also host your website on WordPress.com, but that's different from the kind of hosting mentioned above. WordPress.com uses the same code from WordPress.org, but it hides the server code and handles the hosting for you. In that sense, it resembles entries in our online site builder roundup. It's a simpler but less flexible and customizable way to approach WordPress hosting. It's definitely easier, but if you want to tinker and adjust and optimize every aspect of your site, it might not be for you.
Extra Web Hosting Info
If you're not sure of the type of hosting your business needs, you might want to start small, with shared Web hosting. You can always graduate to a more robust, feature-rich package of, say, VPS hosting or even dedicated hosting in the future. Unfortunately, some hosts don't offer all hosting types. Consider how much you expect to grow your website, and how soon, before you commit to anything longer than a one-year plan. It's worth spending the time up front to make sure that the host you select with is able to provide the growth you envision for your site, as switching web hosting providers midstream is not a trivial undertaking.
Once you decide you price range, you need to consider how long you'll need web hosting. If it's a short-term project—say, less than a month or two—you can typically receive a refund should you cancel your hosting within 60 days. Some companies offer 30-day money-back guarantees, others offer 90-day money-back guarantees. Once again, it's beneficial to do your homework.
The Web Hosting Features You Need
Many web hosts offer limited features in their starter packages and then expand the offerings (sometimes tremendously) for higher-tier plans. Read the small print to make sure the plan you are selecting offers what you need. If you need a site builder application to design your website, make sure that the low-cost web host you are picking actually comes with a site builder. Many of them require you to pay for the builder as a separate add-on. Website builders usually don't cost a lot of money, but if you can find a web host that includes one for free, that's money in your pocket. And, if it's integrated with your hosting service, you're more likely to have a smooth, supported experience.
You also want a web host with 24/7 customer support—if not by phone, then at least by chat. Forums, knowledge bases, and help tickets are all well and good, but sometimes you just need to communicate with another human to get things ironed out as quickly as possible. That said, not all 24/7 customer support teams are equal. Companies like GoDaddy and Liquid Web boast incredibly knowledgeable and helpful customer support squads—a fact that we confirmed in our in-depth reviews of those web hosting services.
When it comes to server operating systems, Linux is typically the default option. Still, some services offer a choice of Linux or Windows hosting. If you have specific server-side applications that require Windows, such as SQL Server or a custom application written in .NET, then you need to make sure your web host has Windows hosting. But don't let the idea of a Linux host intimidate you. Nowadays, most web hosts offer a graphical interface or a control panel to simplify server administration and website management. Instead of typing at the command line, you'll click easily identifiable icons.
Windows hosting is often more expensive than Linux hosting, especially in the dedicated server area. That's not always the case, but it's something you should be aware of as you shop around.
See How We Test Web Hosting Services
Email Hosting
If you aim to have a web presence, you've got to have email. It's a convenient way for potential customers and clients to send you a message, Word document, or other files. Thankfully, most web hosts include email in the price of their hosting plans. Some web hosts offer unlimited email account creation (which is great for future growth), while others offer a finite amount. You, naturally, should want unlimited email.
That said, not all web hosts offer email. WP Engine, for example, does not. In such instances, you must email accounts from a company other than your web host. GoDaddy, for instance, sells email packages starting at $3.49 per user, per month. That might sound like a hassle, and just one more thing to keep track of, but there are actually some webmasters who feel that separating your email hosting and web hosting services is smart. That way, one provider going offline won't completely bork your business.
Uptime, Uptime, Uptime!
The aforementioned features are valuable to the web hosting experience, but none matches the importance of site uptime. If your site is down, clients or customers will be unable to find you or access your products or services.
Recently, we've added uptime monitoring to our review process, and the results show that most web hosts do an excellent job of keeping sites up and running. Web hosts with uptime issues are heavily penalized during the review process and are unable to qualify for top ratings.
Ecommerce and Marketing
One thing we learned in reviewing the services listed here (and many more) is that even though the packages are very similar, they are not identical. Some are more security-focused than others, offering anti-spam and anti-malware tools. Others offer a variety of email marketing tools. While most of the hosts we've reviewed have built-in e-commerce, you may want to consider using a more-robust third-party online shopping cart application like Shopify instead.
If you're ready to select a great web hosting service, check out the chart above to see PCMag's top picks in the space. When you're done with that, click the links below to read our in-depth, tested reviews of the biggest and best names in web hosting.
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If you're just getting started in the web hosting game, make sure to check out our primer, How to Build a Website, and How to Register a Domain Name for Your Website. The Best Courses for Learning How to Build Websites is an excellent start, too.
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Best Web Hosting Services Featured in This Roundup:
HostGator Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $10.95
Pros: A variety of feature-packed hosting plans. Excellent shared hosting offering. Good for novice webmasters. Useful site-building software. Good customer service. Outstanding uptime.
Cons: No Windows-based VPS hosting.
Bottom Line: HostGator is an excellent web hosting service that's simple to use and offers an array of useful plans for consumers and small businesses. It's our top pick for shared web hosting and for novice webmasters in general.
Read ReviewHostwinds Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $4.50
Pros: Terrific uptime in testing. Excellent dedicated, reseller, and VPS hosting plans. Good customer service. Minecraft server hosting.
Cons: Not every plan has a Windows server option.
Bottom Line: Hostwinds is an excellent web hosting service that has the tools you need for building attractive, functional websites. It's a top choice overall, and VPS and reseller hosting plans are particularly strong.
Read ReviewAccuWeb Hosting Review
MSRP: $3.36
Pros: Stellar uptime. Excellent dedicated hosting plans. Good customer service. Offers a choice of Linux or Windows servers.
Cons: Lacks unlimited email with Windows accounts. No month-to-month shared hosting plans.
Bottom Line: AccuWeb Hosting has many useful features, including terrific uptime, customer service, and server options, but its excellent dedicated hosting plans are where this web host truly excels.
Read ReviewA2 Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $7.99
Pros: Robust hosting packages, particularly WordPress. Excellent customer service. Terrific uptime. Good money-back refund plan.
Cons: Not every plan has a Windows server option. Relatively expensive.
Bottom Line: Packed with features, A2 is a web hosting service that's more than worthy of being the foundation for your website, especially if you're looking to use WordPress.
Read ReviewDreamHost Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $4.95
Pros: Strong security features. Extensive domain-management tools. Excellent cloud hosting offerings. Unlimited data transfers per month. Generous money-back guarantee.
Cons: No Windows-based servers. No true reseller hosting plans. No telephone support.
Bottom Line: DreamHost boasts outstanding features that should satisfy most expert users, and a new easy website builder tool makes the web host more welcoming to newbies as well.
Read ReviewLiquid Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $59.00
Pros: Excellent dedicated, VPS, cloud, and reseller packages. Prorated VPS plans. High-end specs. Terrific customer service and uptime in testing.
Cons: Lacks shared hosting plans. Expensive.
Bottom Line: Liquid Web is expensive and lacks shared Web hosting, but it's a flexible, feature-packed online host with outstanding customer service.
Read Review1&1 Ionos Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $7.99
Pros: Excellent customer support. Dependable uptime in testing. Offers basic and advanced hosting packages. Linux- or Windows-based servers. Easy-to-use website creation tools.
Cons: Lacks reseller hosting plans. Relatively skimpy storage options.
Bottom Line: Web hosting service 1&1 Ionos has rich website-creation tools and excellent customer support options. It's particularly good at large-scale cloud hosting, for which it wins an Editors' Choice.
Read ReviewWP Engine Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $35.00
Pros: Excellent uptime. Good customer service. Daily backups. Real-time threat detection. Useful Staging Area. Choice of either Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud Platform cloud hosting.
Cons: Limited phone support for Startup plan customers. Doesn't come with email. Doesn't sell domains.
Bottom Line: Excellent uptime, reliable customer service reps, and platform flexibility make WP Engine more than worthy of hosting your WordPress pages, even if you're running an enterprise-class site.
Read ReviewCloudways Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $10.00
Pros: Very easy to set up. Excellent uptime. Supports numerous apps. Several flexible account tiers. Pay-as-you-go plans. Can try service for free before signing up. Site cloning.
Cons: No domain registration option. Email costs extra. Phone support not functional in our testing.
Bottom Line: Cloudways leverages the power of the cloud to deliver affordable, powerful, and easy-to-set-up web hosting. Getting a customer service rep on the phone proved challenging in our testing, however.
Read ReviewGoDaddy Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $7.99
Pros: Excellent 24/7 customer support. Windows- and Linux-based servers. Email tightly integrated into Microsoft apps. Managed WordPress hosting.
Cons: No cloud hosting. Skimpy default email plans.
Bottom Line: GoDaddy has evolved into a mature and flexible web hosting provider that offers a slew of tools and services to help satisfy most website needs.
Read Review
Best Web Hosting Services Featured in This Roundup:
HostGator Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $10.95Pros: A variety of feature-packed hosting plans. Excellent shared hosting offering. Good for novice webmasters. Useful site-building software. Good customer service. Outstanding uptime.
Cons: No Windows-based VPS hosting.
Bottom Line: HostGator is an excellent web hosting service that's simple to use and offers an array of useful plans for consumers and small businesses. It's our top pick for shared web hosting and for novice webmasters in general.
Read ReviewHostwinds Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $4.50Pros: Terrific uptime in testing. Excellent dedicated, reseller, and VPS hosting plans. Good customer service. Minecraft server hosting.
Cons: Not every plan has a Windows server option.
Bottom Line: Hostwinds is an excellent web hosting service that has the tools you need for building attractive, functional websites. It's a top choice overall, and VPS and reseller hosting plans are particularly strong.
Read ReviewAccuWeb Hosting Review
MSRP: $3.36Pros: Stellar uptime. Excellent dedicated hosting plans. Good customer service. Offers a choice of Linux or Windows servers.
Cons: Lacks unlimited email with Windows accounts. No month-to-month shared hosting plans.
Bottom Line: AccuWeb Hosting has many useful features, including terrific uptime, customer service, and server options, but its excellent dedicated hosting plans are where this web host truly excels.
Read ReviewA2 Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $7.99Pros: Robust hosting packages, particularly WordPress. Excellent customer service. Terrific uptime. Good money-back refund plan.
Cons: Not every plan has a Windows server option. Relatively expensive.
Bottom Line: Packed with features, A2 is a web hosting service that's more than worthy of being the foundation for your website, especially if you're looking to use WordPress.
Read ReviewDreamHost Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $4.95Pros: Strong security features. Extensive domain-management tools. Excellent cloud hosting offerings. Unlimited data transfers per month. Generous money-back guarantee.
Cons: No Windows-based servers. No true reseller hosting plans. No telephone support.
Bottom Line: DreamHost boasts outstanding features that should satisfy most expert users, and a new easy website builder tool makes the web host more welcoming to newbies as well.
Read ReviewLiquid Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $59.00Pros: Excellent dedicated, VPS, cloud, and reseller packages. Prorated VPS plans. High-end specs. Terrific customer service and uptime in testing.
Cons: Lacks shared hosting plans. Expensive.
Bottom Line: Liquid Web is expensive and lacks shared Web hosting, but it's a flexible, feature-packed online host with outstanding customer service.
Read Review1&1 Ionos Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $7.99Pros: Excellent customer support. Dependable uptime in testing. Offers basic and advanced hosting packages. Linux- or Windows-based servers. Easy-to-use website creation tools.
Cons: Lacks reseller hosting plans. Relatively skimpy storage options.
Bottom Line: Web hosting service 1&1 Ionos has rich website-creation tools and excellent customer support options. It's particularly good at large-scale cloud hosting, for which it wins an Editors' Choice.
Read ReviewWP Engine Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $35.00Pros: Excellent uptime. Good customer service. Daily backups. Real-time threat detection. Useful Staging Area. Choice of either Amazon Web Services or Google Cloud Platform cloud hosting.
Cons: Limited phone support for Startup plan customers. Doesn't come with email. Doesn't sell domains.
Bottom Line: Excellent uptime, reliable customer service reps, and platform flexibility make WP Engine more than worthy of hosting your WordPress pages, even if you're running an enterprise-class site.
Read ReviewCloudways Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $10.00Pros: Very easy to set up. Excellent uptime. Supports numerous apps. Several flexible account tiers. Pay-as-you-go plans. Can try service for free before signing up. Site cloning.
Cons: No domain registration option. Email costs extra. Phone support not functional in our testing.
Bottom Line: Cloudways leverages the power of the cloud to deliver affordable, powerful, and easy-to-set-up web hosting. Getting a customer service rep on the phone proved challenging in our testing, however.
Read ReviewGoDaddy Web Hosting Review
MSRP: $7.99Pros: Excellent 24/7 customer support. Windows- and Linux-based servers. Email tightly integrated into Microsoft apps. Managed WordPress hosting.
Cons: No cloud hosting. Skimpy default email plans.
Bottom Line: GoDaddy has evolved into a mature and flexible web hosting provider that offers a slew of tools and services to help satisfy most website needs.
Read Review