8 Best Antiviruses With 100% FREE Trials in 2024

Hazel Shaw
Hazel Shaw Managing Cybersecurity Editor
Updated on: October 1, 2024
Fact-checked by Katarina Glamoslija
Hazel Shaw Hazel Shaw
Updated on: October 1, 2024 Managing Cybersecurity Editor
Fact-checked by Katarina Glamoslija

Short on time? Here’s the best antivirus with a free trial in 2024:

  • 🥇 Norton : Combines 100% malware detection with a wide range of industry-best security tools, including anti-phishing protection, a VPN, parental controls, and much more. All Norton plans are available with a generous 60-day money-back guarantee.

Most top antiviruses offer free trials, but there’s usually a catch. They often limit the tools and protections available until you commit to a plan, so you won’t know if you’ve found the right antivirus until you’ve paid. And then you might discover the antivirus doesn’t fit your needs or offer enough protection.

To save you the trouble of signing up for countless antiviruses, I’ve tested dozens of programs that offer a free trial or risk-free money-back guarantee. I installed each one on my Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices and tested every feature and tool, including malware protection, web protection, and extras like built-in VPNs, password managers, parental controls, and much more. I also tested how easy it was to transition to the free or paid version of each antivirus after each trial expires.

While many performed poorly in my tests, I did manage to find some really good brands that you can try 100% risk-free. My #1 pick is Norton 360. It packs a wide range of tools and features into a simple, easy-to-use interface, with different price plans to fit every budget. It also comes with a generous 60-day money-back guarantee, which gives you 2 months to try it and see if it works for you.

Try Norton (60 Days Risk-Free)

Quick Summary of the Best Antiviruses With Free Trials

Editor’s Choice
Quick Summary of the Best Antiviruses With Free Trials
Best overall antivirus in 2024 (60-day money-back guarantee + often offers free trials).
Most of our readers choose Norton
Quick Summary of the Best Antiviruses With Free Trials
Feature-rich internet security suite with perfect malware detection + a 30-day free trial.
Quick Summary of the Best Antiviruses With Free Trials
Easy-to-use antivirus with a decent free plan + a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Quick Summary of the Best Antiviruses With Free Trials
Powerful antivirus with great web protections + a generous 30-day free trial.
Quick Summary of the Best Antiviruses With Free Trials
Best macOS antivirus with excellent parental controls + a 14-day free trial.

Editors' Note: Intego and this site are in the same ownership group.

🥇 1. Norton — Best Overall Antivirus With an Extended Money-Back Guarantee

Approved by our experts
Norton
Approved by our experts
Most readers pick Norton
Malware detection rate
100%
Key Features
AI-based scanner & VPN
Number of devices
Up to 10
OS compatibility
Money-back guarantee
60 Days
norton.com

Norton is my top-rated antivirus for 2024 — it had perfect malware detection rates during my trial, it comes with a ton of useful features, and provides intuitive apps for all major platforms. It regularly offers free trials (usually week-long trials), and it has a generous 60-day money-back guarantee, which gives you 2 months to use it risk-free — that’s twice as long as most antiviruses offer!

Norton’s malware scanner is able to identify, block, and remove all types of malware, from simple viruses to advanced threats like ransomware. The scanner, which uses a comprehensive malware database along with machine learning, is pretty fast, taking around 1 hour to scan an entire system. It causes zero or minimal slowdown during full system scans (so you can continue using your device normally while running scans).

Norton also comes with:

  • Firewall.
  • Web protection.
  • VPN with unlimited data.
  • Password manager.
  • Privacy protection.
  • Parental controls.
  • Secure browser.
  • Dark web monitoring.
  • Cloud storage.

I really like Norton’s Smart Firewall — it doesn’t just offer significant improvements over Windows or macOS’s built-in firewalls, but it also lets you set rules for how every program on your device is protected, depending on its importance or type. While leaving the settings on default works for most people, advanced users will enjoy the opportunity to tweak them.

🥇 1. Norton — Best Overall Antivirus With an Extended Money-Back Guarantee

Norton’s dark web monitoring is among the best on the market. Its agents scan the dark web to ensure that none of your sensitive information (like your home address, credit card details, phone number, and more) is leaked online, including on forums that buy and sell private stolen data.

The built-in password manager is another highlight. It’s not as comprehensive as dedicated password managers like 1Password, but it’s by far the best on this list. Norton’s password manager makes it easy to generate, save, and auto-fill passwords, and unlike many antivirus-bundled password managers, it lets you monitor the strength of your passwords and automatically update weak passwords across compatible sites from within its app. What’s more, it’s completely free, so you can continue using it beyond your free trial of the antivirus.

🥇 1. Norton — Best Overall Antivirus With an Extended Money-Back Guarantee

Norton has several plans to choose from. After your trial expires, you’ll be automatically charged for the plan you were testing (unless you cancel, of course). In my opinion, Norton 360 Deluxe is the best-value plan for most users. It includes all of Norton’s features and covers up to 5 devices for $49.99 / year*. US users can also get the Norton 360 LifeLock plans, which start at $99.99 / year* and add excellent identity theft protection tools.

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Bottom Line:

Norton is my favorite antivirus in 2024. It had perfect malware detection rates during my free trial, and I could access a ton of features, including a highly customizable firewall, a VPN with unlimited data, a full-featured password manager, and excellent dark web monitoring. It often offers free trials, and there’s a 60-day money-back guarantee which gives you plenty of time to decide if Norton is right for you.

Read the full Norton review >

🥈2. Bitdefender — Tons of Features + 30-Day Free Trial

Malware detection rate
100%
Key Features
Cloud-based scanner
Number of devices
Up to 10
OS compatibility
Money-back guarantee
30 Days
bitdefender.com

Bitdefender is one of the most comprehensive internet security packages on the market — and it comes with a 30-day free trial period AND a 30-day money-back guarantee on all of its plans, which is more than enough time to thoroughly test all of its features.

You don’t need to provide your credit card information to use the free trial. All you need to do is register for a Bitdefender account, and for that, you just need to provide your name, email address, and a password. Once you have an account, pick the free trial of the Bitdefender product you’re interested in and download the program onto your device. Best of all — the free-trial version is exactly the same as the paid product.

During the last week of the trial, Bitdefender will send you an email reminding you that you’re about to lose your protection. Oftentimes, this email will also include an offer to subscribe to Bitdefender at a discounted rate. If you choose not to subscribe, the software will automatically transition to the free version once the trial has expired.

Like Norton, Bitdefender also uses a massive malware directory and machine learning to detect both known and zero-day threats. However, Bitdefender’s malware scanner also operates in the cloud, so you’ll barely notice it’s running. During my tests, Bitdefender caught all my malware samples, and I could stream video and play a game without any issues during a full PC scan.

🥈2. Bitdefender — Tons of Features + 30-Day Free Trial

Bitdefender also has multi-layered ransomware protection, which adds numerous layers of defense to your devices and files and stops hackers from encrypting them and locking you out of them during a ransomware attack. I tested Bitdefender against a series of ransomware simulations, and its real-time protection blocked each simulated attack before it could encrypt any files on my device.

I also like Bitdefender’s Safepay browser, built specifically for online banking and shopping. Safepay prevents hackers from remotely accessing your device through your browser, blocks spyware from taking screenshots, and filters spammy and unsecured websites to protect you from phishing.

Bitdefender also has:

  • Firewall with stealth mode.
  • VPN (200 MB/day/device; unlimited only on Premium Security).
  • Password manager.
  • System cleanup and optimizer.
  • Parental controls.
  • Webcam and microphone protection.
  • Anti-theft protection (Windows and Android).

Bitdefender’s VPN is one of the best antivirus-bundled VPNs around, with speeds that are comparable to the top standalone VPNs. During my tests, it maintained lightning-fast speeds on nearby servers and decent ones on distant servers. Bitdefender’s VPN also works with popular streaming services. However, you have to get the most expensive Premium Security plan to get the VPN with unlimited data. Bitdefender’s other plans limit you to 200 MB/day, which is only enough for a couple of hours of browsing. In comparison, all of Norton’s 360 plans provide a VPN with unlimited data.

🥈2. Bitdefender — Tons of Features + 30-Day Free Trial

Bitdefender’s Antivirus Plus plan covers up to 3 Windows devices for $24.99 / year, whereas the Total Security plan adds coverage for up to 5 devices for $40.99 / year. Each of these plans also includes a 90-day free trial of Bitdefender’s password manager. However, after 90 days, you have to pay an extra fee to continue using the password manager, and I think you’re better off with a dedicated password manager like 1Password or Dashlane. Upgrading to Bitdefender Premium Security, which costs $69.99 / year, gets you a VPN with unlimited data, the full-featured password manager, and coverage for 10 Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS devices.

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Bottom Line:

Bitdefender is one of the most comprehensive antiviruses on the market, and it comes with a 30-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee. It has a cloud-based scanner that is able to identify all types of malware without slowing down your device. It also offers multi-layered ransomware protection, a secure browser for online banking and shopping, and one of the fastest antivirus-bundled VPNs on the market. There are several plans to choose from, but my favorite is Premium Security, which includes all of Bitdefender’s features without any limitations for up to 10 devices.

Read the full Bitdefender review >

🥉 3. TotalAV — Easy-to-Use Antivirus With a Decent Free Plan

Malware detection rate
99.60%
Key Features
Beginner-friendly apps
Number of devices
Up to 8
OS compatibility
Money-back guarantee
30 Days
totalav.com

TotalAV is one of the most intuitive (if not the most intuitive) antiviruses I’ve ever tested. Its dashboard is super easy to navigate, and all of the features are easy to find and use, so I’m confident that even beginner or non-tech-savvy users will have no issues running scans and accessing and tweaking all of its additional protections.

TotalAV offers a 7-day free trial of most of its premium features, after which you’ll still be able to use its limited free version (which is actually one of the best free antiviruses for Windows). That said, attempting to avail yourself of some premium features will just trigger upsell requests, which is pretty annoying.

Like Bitdefender, TotalAV’s malware scanner is also cloud-based, but TotalAV missed a couple of malware samples during testing that Bitdefender caught, scoring a 99.6% detection rate (this is still excellent and way better than most antiviruses).

🥉 3. TotalAV — Easy-to-Use Antivirus With a Decent Free Plan

TotalAV’s real-time protection is excellent. I tried to download a bunch of malicious programs and files during my trial period, including roughly 500 different virus samples, and TotalAV identified all of the threats before they could do any damage to my test device.

TotalAV also comes with:

  • Anti-phishing tools.
  • VPN with unlimited data.
  • Windows and Mac system cleaner.
  • Password manager.
  • Identity theft protection (US only).

TotalAV has the best antivirus and VPN bundle in 2024. I tested its speeds by connecting to random servers around the world, and my connection only slowed down slightly, so websites and videos continued to load without much delay. It also works with every major streaming service, including Netflix and Disney+, and it supports torrenting on all servers (unlike Norton’s VPN, which allows torrenting on a small number of servers).

🥉 3. TotalAV — Easy-to-Use Antivirus With a Decent Free Plan

The password manager, Total Password, fulfills all the basic functions most users need, including generating complex passwords, saving them all in a private virtual vault, and auto-filling them on appropriate websites. It also offers 2FA and a cool remote logout function called Secure Me. However, it doesn’t quite compare with the best standalone password managers.

TotalAV has a Free Antivirus plan that only includes the antivirus scanner (but no real-time protection) and some anti-phishing tools for 1 device. This is the version TotalAV will revert to once your free trial has expired. Its paid plans start with the Antivirus Pro package, which adds real-time protection and coverage for 5 devices for $19.00 / year. Its Internet Security package costs a little extra, $39.00 / year, but it covers 6 devices and includes the VPN with unlimited data. Finally, the Total Security package adds the password manager, ad blocker, and coverage for 8 devices for $49.00 / year.

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Bottom Line:

TotalAV is an easy-to-use antivirus with a decent free plan and a 30-day money-back guarantee on paid plans. It performed near perfectly in my malware tests, it has the best antivirus-bundled VPN on the market, and it comes with other extras like a password manager and system optimization tools.

Read the full TotalAV review >

4. McAfee — Full-Featured Antivirus With a 30-Day Free Trial

Malware detection rate
100%
Key Features
Great web protection
Number of devices
Unlimited
OS compatibility
Money-back guarantee
30 Days
mcafee.com

McAfee is a powerful antivirus with a wide range of advanced features — on top of excellent malware protection, it offers anti-phishing protection, an unlimited-data VPN, a tracker remover, identity monitoring, a password manager, parental controls, and more.

You can try McAfee with a 30-day free trial, and there’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee on all of its plans. I really like that the free trial comes with all of the premium features for up to 5 devices — it even includes advanced features like identity monitoring. However, unlike Bitdefender’s no-strings-attached trial, you’ll need to set up an account with McAfee and provide your payment information when signing up.

McAfee detected 100% of malware in my tests, including viruses, spyware, trojans, rootkits, and more. Unfortunately, it slowed down my PC during full system scans, but you can always schedule your scans to happen when you don’t need your computer (although it’s worth noting that Norton and Bitdefender didn’t slow down my device at all).

McAfee’s web protection is also excellent. Its WebAdvisor tool (available for Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Explorer, and Safari) blocks phishing sites, analyzes every website you visit for potential exploit attacks, and flags suspicious links both in search results and on social media sites. In my tests, it successfully blocked every single phishing site and exploit attack. And since it’s free, you can continue using it even if you don’t subscribe to McAfee after your trial.

4. McAfee — Full-Featured Antivirus With a 30-Day Free Trial

McAfee’s Safe Connect VPN is good — it’s powered by TunnelBear and uses its server network, offering servers in 45+ countries, relatively fast connection speeds, a strict no-logs policy, military-grade encryption, and a kill switch. It’s pretty good overall, but it doesn’t reliably work with all streaming services (it works with Netflix, but not with Disney+ or Hulu). Plus, you’ll need to turn on auto-renewal on your subscription to get unlimited data. I’d not turned on auto-renewal, so I had to settle with just 500 MB/month, which was barely enough to stream a 30-minute show in HD.

I like McAfee’s password manager too, although it’s a little basic. It uses AES-256 encryption and zero-knowledge architecture to protect your passwords, and you can also store credit cards and other documents. It’s easy to use and performs basic password management and auto-fill functions very well, but it’s missing some of the advanced features that you’d get with the top standalone password managers in 2024.

McAfee’s Total Protection plans offer a great value. The Essential plan covers 5 devices and comes with antivirus protection, web protection, a password manager, and the VPN for $39.99 / year. The Premium family plan adds parental controls, identity theft monitoring, and coverage for unlimited devices for $49.99 / year, while the Advanced plan offers credit monitoring, anti-theft protection, and up to $1 million in identity theft coverage for $89.99 / year.

Bottom Line:

McAfee offers robust antivirus protection and a variety of advanced features, all of which you can test with a 30-day free trial. During my free trial, it had perfect malware detection rates in line with its top competitors, but the scanner can slow down your PC’s performance. That said, McAfee offers some great extra features like a fast VPN, a user-friendly password manager, and parental controls. McAfee’s Total Protection plans cater to individual and family needs, are reasonably priced, and are covered by a 30-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Read the full McAfee review >

5. Intego — Best Antivirus for Mac Users With a 14-Day Free Trial

Malware detection rate
100%
Key Features
Mac system cleaner
Number of devices
Up to 5
OS compatibility
Money-back guarantee
30 Days
intego.com
Editors' Note: Intego and this site are in the same ownership group.

Intego is easily the best antivirus for macOS on the market. It was built from the ground up to improve Apple’s native security features and includes the best range of features for Mac of any antivirus out there. Like Norton and Bitdefender, it scored a 100% perfect malware detection rate in all my tests.

The 14-day free trial lets you try out most of its features before committing to a paid plan, and there’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee on all subscriptions. I really appreciate the number of products you can test on a free-trial basis: Mac Internet Security X9, Mac Washing Machine Secure X9, ContentBarrier Secure X9, and Mac Premium Bundle X9. I recommend downloading Mac Premium Bundle X9 since it gives you the opportunity to test most of Intego’s features. There is also a 7-day free trial of Intego for Windows.

Intego comes with a purpose-built Mac firewall (NetBarrier) that builds upon Apple’s built-in version. It’s surprisingly simple to navigate and has tons of customization options. I like how it automatically detects what kind of network you’re using (e.g., home, work) and changes its security settings accordingly.

Intego also provides:

  • Parental controls.
  • Advanced Mac backup options.
  • Washing Machine system optimizer.
  • And more…

Intego’s parental controls are a massive improvement on Apple’s built-in controls and include features you won’t find on other antiviruses on this list. You get highly customizable website blocks and filtering, scheduling tools, and activity reports, alongside unique tools like screenshot recordings, keystroke tracking, and “anti-predator alerts” — Intego will monitor chats and alert you to any suspicious messages sent to your children via messaging apps, email, and chat rooms.

5. Intego — Best Antivirus for Mac Users With a 14-Day Free Trial

The Washing Machine system optimizer tools are great additions to make sure your macOS devices are running as efficiently as possible. And the Personal Backup cloud storage feature provides more personalized options to back up your files.

While Intego may be the best antivirus for Mac, it does have a few issues. Its VPN is only available on a separate subscription, and there’s no password manager. There’s also no standalone iOS app – but you can plug your iPhone or iPad into your MacBook to scan for viruses and malware.

There are 3 Intego packages to choose from. The Mac Internet Security plan covers 1 device (can be increased up to 5) and includes real-time protection and a firewall for $19.99 / year. Mac Security and Performance ($26.99 / year) offers the same features, plus the system-optimization tools. However, I think the Mac Premium Bundle X9 offers a much better value, as it includes all of Intego’s features and coverage for up to 5 devices for just $34.99 / year.

Bottom Line:

Intego is the best macOS antivirus out there, with excellent features that build on Apple’s native security, and it’s available with a 14-day (for macOS) or 7-day (for Windows) free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee. Its scanner detects 100% of malware, and it also comes with an advanced firewall and excellent optimization tools to improve your device’s performance. Intego covers up to 5 devices, and while it’s not available on mobile, you can connect your iOS device to your Mac and scan them via its VirusBarrier tools.

Read the full Intego review >

Editors' Note: Intego and this site are in the same ownership group.

6. Panda Dome — Flexible Plans With Unique Features

Malware detection rate
95%
Key Features
PC Rescue Kit & game mode
Number of devices
Unlimited
OS compatibility
Money-back guarantee
30 Days
pandasecurity.com

Panda offers a good malware scanner, plus extras like cleanup tools and a VPN. Its flexible pricing — including a 100% free plan — makes it a great budget option, and the 30-day trial allows you to thoroughly test all of its features before purchasing a subscription (which comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee). Strangely, Panda Dome’s trials are available both with and without providing your credit card info — it just depends on what button you click on the website. I’m not sure why Panda Dome offers both options.

Panda’s antivirus scanner detected 95% of malware on my test devices. This is a pretty good result, but brands like Norton and Bitdefender had perfect 100% detection rates in my tests. In addition, while Panda’s quick scan only took about 5 minutes to complete, which is on par with top competitors, its full system scan took up to 8 hours! Norton, on the other hand, takes roughly 1 hour for a similarly comprehensive full scan.

6. Panda Dome — Flexible Plans With Unique Features

Panda also offers a cloud-based scanner for Windows called Cloud Cleaner, which is much quicker (the scan took less than an hour during testing) and is available as a separate free download. However, while I appreciate that Panda offers a separate cloud-based scanner, I’d like to see it included within its main antivirus engine.

Panda also offers:

  • Parental controls.
  • Anti-theft tools.
  • Password generator.
  • Dark web scanner.
  • System optimization tools (CleanUp).

Panda offers a VPN, too, but I’m not a big fan. The Premium plan (the most expensive option) is the only one that offers unlimited data. On every other plan, you only get 150 MB/day – barely enough to browse, let alone stream or download anything. Worse still, the VPN lacks some really basic security features, like a kill switch, and it doesn’t let you pick your server.

My favorite Panda plan is the Complete package, which gives you access to the Windows firewall, real-time protection on Mac and Android, parental control on Windows, anti-theft protection, and cleanup tools for $36.00 / year.

Bottom Line:

Panda offers highly customizable plans that range from a simple free malware scanner to a full-featured antivirus package that includes a ton of extras, including a VPN, password generator, and parental controls. It also has a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 30-day free trial.

Read the full Panda review >

7. Avira — Good Antivirus With a Fully-Free Plan

Malware detection rate
100%
Key Features
Device optimization tools
Number of devices
Up to 5
OS compatibility
Money-back guarantee
60 Days
avira.com

Avira offers a 30-day free trial of all of its home solutions — no credit card required. All you need to do is pick the package you want to test, enter your email address, and Avira will send you the installation link that you can use to protect up to 5 devices. Once the trial has expired, you don’t need to do anything to cancel your subscription. If you want to buy the product, the premium packages are all covered by a generous 60-day money-back guarantee.

Throughout my tests, Avira’s cloud-based scanner picked up on 100% of my malware samples. In fact, Avira’s scanner is so good that it licenses the software to many competitors, including TotalAV. It also goes further than just scanning for viruses and similar issues. The Smart Scan feature scans your devices for out-of-date software, privacy settings that might be exposing you, performance issues, and much more.

Avira’s also has a free plan that comes with:

  • Password manager (limited).
  • VPN (limited to 500 MB per month).
  • Device optimization tools (limited).

7. Avira — Good Antivirus With a Fully-Free Plan

A highlight in my tests was Avira’s password manager. It’s one of the best antivirus and password manager bundles, only beaten by Norton and Bitdefender. It’s easy to use, syncs across multiple devices, and includes essential tools like a password generator, two-factor authentication, and biometric mobile login. Upgrading to the premium version of the password manager brings password security auditing and data breach monitoring.

During my free trial, I also got to test Avira’s Phantom VPN, and I can say that it worked pretty well in terms of security and privacy (I experienced no DNS leaks, and the one time the VPN got disconnected, the kill switch instantly severed my connection to the internet). On the other hand, it only provides limited access to streaming platforms.

Avira’s free plan is pretty good, but upgrading to Avira Prime gets you all of Avira’s features, including advanced device optimization and a premium VPN with unlimited data. Avira Prime covers up to 5 devices across all operating systems and costs $59.99 / year.

Bottom Line:

Avira has a really good free plan, 30-day trials of its premium products, and a generous 60-day money-back guarantee. The free plan comes with real-time malware protection and limited versions of Avira’s password manager, VPN, and device optimization tools. Upgrading to Avira Prime unlocks all of Avira’s features and provides coverage for up to 5 devices.

Read the full Avira review >

8. Kaspersky — Good Parental Controls + 30-Day Free Trial

Malware detection rate
100%
Key Features
Great parental controls
Number of devices
Up to 20
OS compatibility
Money-back guarantee
30 Days
kaspersky.com

Kaspersky is an excellent choice for families: it has perfect malware detection rates, some of the best parental controls on the market, and provides coverage on up to 20 devices. It also offers 30-day free trials of all of its paid plans and a 30-day money-back guarantee. All you need to do to use the free trial is create a Kaspersky account. The trials will give you full access to all features available on the specific plan, which is great.

Kaspersky’s Safe Kids parental controls include all industry-standard tools such as usage limits, website and app filtering, location tracking, and activity reports, as well as extras like YouTube and social media monitoring. The parental controls can’t be bypassed with a VPN, and they come with uninstall protection, so there’s no way for your child to delete the app from their devices.

8. Kaspersky — Good Parental Controls + 30-Day Free Trial

Kaspersky’s other top features include:

  • System cleanup tools.
  • Secure browser.
  • Password manager.
  • VPN.
  • And much more…

Some of Kaspersky’s other features are a bit lackluster. For example, Backup and Restore lets you backup files to Dropbox or another cloud service. But as Dropbox only offers 2 GB of free storage, this feature doesn’t add much value. In contrast, Norton offers up to 500 GB on certain plans, and you don’t need to subscribe to another service.

After your trial, you can continue using the free version of Kaspersky or buy one of the 3 plans (Standard, Plus, or Premium). To continue using Kaspersky Free, just follow the Kaspersky Free Migration Wizard. To pick a paid plan, click the Renew license button. You can try any of the 3 plans on a 30-day free trial, but if you need to protect multiple devices with different operating systems and want to keep your kids safe online, I recommend Kaspersky Premium. It offers all the above features on up to 20 devices, comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, and costs $38.99 / year.

Note that, due to regulatory restrictions, Kaspersky cannot be sold in the US.

Bottom Line:

Kaspersky offers excellent malware detection and robust parental controls. It’s compatible with all major operating systems and covers up to 20 devices. I like that it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 30-day free trial period, so you’ve got plenty of time to try out all of its features before committing to a subscription.

Read the full Kaspersky review >

Quick Comparison Table

Antivirus Free Trial Length Starting Price VPN Platforms Available on the Free Trial Credit Card Needed for Trial Money-Back Guarantee
1. 🥇Norton 60-day money-back guarantee $54.99 / year* ✅ Unlimited data (with all 360 plans) Windows, macOS, iOS, Android 60-day
2. 🥈 Bitdefender 30-day $24.99 / year ✅ Unlimited data (with Bitdefender Premium Security) Windows, macOS, iOS, Android 30-day
3. 🥉TotalAV 30-day money-back guarantee $19.00 / year ✅Unlimited data (with Internet Security and Total Security plans) Windows, macOS, iOS, Android 30-day
4. McAfee 30-day $39.99 / year ✅Unlimited data (with auto-renewal subscriptions) Windows, macOS, iOS, Android 30-day
5. Intego 14-day (Mac), 7-day (Windows) $19.99 / year ❌ (separate purchase) macOS, Windows 30-day
6. Panda 30-day $20.00 / year ✅ Unlimited data (with Panda Dome Premium) Windows, macOS, iOS, Android 30-day
7. Avira 30-day $26.99 / year ✅Unlimited data (with Avira Prime) Windows, macOS, iOS, Android 60-day
8. Kaspersky 30-day $27.99 / year ✅ Unlimited data (with Kaspersky Plus and Premium) Windows, macOS, iOS, Android 30-day

Editors' Note: Intego and this site are in the same ownership group.

Testing Methodology: Comparison & Ranking Criteria

To help you get the best out of free antivirus trials, I used our testing methodology. In particular:

  • I looked for a generous free trial period, risk-free money-back guarantee, and/or free plans. I only included antiviruses that let you test them out without committing to a long-term plan. Most offer a 30-day trial, they all include money-back guarantee periods, and a couple of them have free plans, such as Avira and TotalAV.Testing Methodology: Comparison & Ranking Criteria
  • I looked for a free trial that has minimal or no restrictions. The antiviruses on my list provide complete access to their malware protection functions, but the superior ones (like Bitdefender and McAfee) give full access to all of their features.
  • I selected products with web protection. Without web protection, your antivirus won’t protect you from malicious websites that contain phishing scams or other malware. Look for extra features like Bitdefender’s Safepay browser, which can significantly enhance your security during online shopping or banking.
  • I assessed the extra features. The best antiviruses don’t just offer malware detection and anti-phishing tools. They keep you safe by providing a suite of additional security and privacy features, including VPNs, password managers, parental controls, dark web monitoring, and much more.
  • I checked compatibility. Check that the antivirus you select is compatible with all your devices (Android, iOS, Windows, etc.) and can protect multiple devices under one plan. Certain antiviruses, like McAfee, offer protection for an unlimited number of devices.Testing Methodology: Comparison & Ranking Criteria

Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut

  • Malwarebytes. Malwarebytes has a 14-day free trial and a 60-day money-back guarantee, but its malware detection rate is lower than the brands on this list and it also lacks many security and privacy features I consider essential to any antivirus, such as a firewall, parental controls, or a password manager. Also, the free trial is only available on Windows devices.
  • PC Matic. PC Matic offers decent antivirus protection and a 30-day money-back guarantee, but it’s missing quite a few extra features I want to see in a premium antivirus, like a VPN or password manager.
  • MacKeeper. MacKeeper is a decent antivirus for Macs, but it’s not nearly as good as Intego. What’s more, it doesn’t offer a free trial, its money-back guarantee period lasts for just 2 weeks, and the free version is extremely limited.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in antivirus free trials?

Most antivirus free trials include all of the features of the full premium version. With the best antivirus free trials, like Bitdefender’s, you get access to everything from its malware scanner and anti-phishing features to its VPN, password manager, system optimization tools, and more. This allows you to really test all of its features and make sure it works for you before committing.

Which antivirus has free trials without credit card?

There are several great antiviruses that you can use on a free-trial basis without providing your credit card details. For example, Bitdefender, Panda Dome, Avira, and Kaspersky will all give you a chance to test their products for an extended period (30 or 60 days), while only requiring your email address to send you the installation link. This is convenient because you don’t have to worry about forgetting to cancel your trial and getting charged if you don’t want to continue using the product.

Why pick a premium antivirus over a free one?

Premium antiviruses, like Norton or Bitdefender, offer considerably more tools and features for detecting threats, keeping your data safe, and cleaning up your devices.

A free antivirus might still give you decent security, and the best free plans from premium providers offer some useful features. But there are always some shortcomings. For example, free antiviruses can often have annoying limitations, lack standard features, and constantly prompt you to pay to unlock more.

For those reasons, I’d recommend trying a premium antivirus that offers a free trial or money-back guarantee, like Norton or Bitdefender.

Will an antivirus with a free trial remove existing viruses?

Yes! If you are already dealing with viruses on your device, you can use a free trial period to remove these viruses and keep your device healthy.

A full system scan like the one offered by Norton will scan through all the files, apps, and software on your device and look for viruses. I’d recommend regularly scanning your devices, even after you’ve removed any malware.

Quick Overview of My Top Recommendations:

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9.8
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9.6
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3
9.4
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9.4
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5
9.4
save 60%
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About the Author
Hazel Shaw
Hazel Shaw
Managing Cybersecurity Editor
Updated on: October 1, 2024

About the Author

Hazel Shaw is a Managing Cybersecurity Editor at SafetyDetectives. She has 8+ years of experience in writing, editing, and fact-checking content for both print and digital media. Prior to joining the SafetyDetectives team, she trained writers and editors on cybersecurity tools like VPNs, password managers, and antiviruses. Hazel has also worked as a communications consultant for a number of companies, advising on SEO, content strategies, web design, and internal communications. When she’s not working, you can find her cooking, reading, visiting art galleries, or taking her dog on hikes around Portugal.

Leave a Comment

2 Comments
Jan
Jan
November 10, 2024
November 10, 2024
Can you still get the free 30 day McAfee trial?
Reply
1
Jerro Caribinexi
Jerro Caribinexi
August 15, 2024
August 15, 2024
It's very important to know the ongoing renewal cost. The discounted trial + 1st year is not enough. Unless the renewal is deactivated an unknown charge could be applied. Such future costs are very vague. McAffee does display the cost and this can be very expensive.
Reply
1