Updated on: November 8, 2024
Short on time? Here are the best trojan protection and removal tools in 2024:
- 🥇 Norton : Norton has a perfect malware scanner that can detect and remove any trojan hidden on your device. It also has great real-time protection, a fast and unlimited-data VPN, comprehensive dark web monitoring, and much more. All of its plans come with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Not too long ago, I realized I had a trojan on my computer — it was causing me some pretty severe trouble, and I got anxious about the possible risks, such as unauthorized access, data theft, and other harmful activities. I started looking for the best antivirus I could find to remove it and stop myself from getting another one.
While there are hundreds of antiviruses claiming to remove trojans, they’re not all built the same. Many of them won’t do a good enough job, and some may even be trojans themselves! Remember, a trojan is a form of malware that disguises itself as a legitimate program to infiltrate and exploit your system, so sometimes it can be really hard to detect. It’s important that you run thorough checks if you suspect you have a trojan and protect yourself against getting them in the future.
Having tested heaps of antiviruses, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite ones for removing trojans. While I recommend Norton as the best overall security suite out there, all of the options on this list will improve on your device’s native security with great malware scanners, real-time protection, VPN protection, and much more.
Quick Summary of the Best Trojan Protection & Removal Tools in 2024
🥇1. Norton — Best Overall Trojan Protection and Removal Tool
Norton offers top-notch protection against trojans and other malware threats. It uses advanced scanning technology that combines a massive malware database and complex machine learning to ensure that your devices are well-protected against trojans, viruses, ransomware, and other forms of malware. In fact, it’s our overall #1 antivirus in 2024.
In my tests, Norton consistently detected and removed 100% of my malware samples. Its full-system scan took about 40 minutes to complete, and there wasn’t any slowdown. If you’re short on time, you can also choose a quick scan that only takes a couple of minutes to complete (but it isn’t as comprehensive as the full scan), and you can run a custom scan that lets you choose individual files and folders to scan. Finally, you can schedule scans for the future, so you can check your system for malware when you’re not using your computer.
Norton comes with some cool additional features too. For example, its dark web monitoring is among the best on the market — if your personal information (including email addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers, and more) is found on the dark web, you’ll be alerted and advised on what to do. Norton 360 with LifeLock (one of Norton’s higher-end plans) also monitors for your date of birth and social security number (but it’s only available in the US).
I really like Norton’s VPN, too, which comes with unlimited data on all its 360 plans. It ensures that your data is encrypted and your IP address isn’t visible — protecting you from cybercriminals who may attempt to access your information through unsecured networks.
Norton’s plans start at $54.99 / year*, but the best-value plan, Norton 360 Deluxe, contains all of Norton’s features, including the scanner, VPN, and dark web monitoring — as well as a good password manager, parental controls, and a smart firewall. It also provides you with 5 device licenses, and it costs $49.99 / year*. All plans come backed by a risk-free 60-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Norton is my favorite antivirus for trojan protection and removal. Its anti-malware scanner consistently beat every trojan (and other malware) I tested it against. On top of that, its real-time protection, firewall, and VPN also provide extra layers of defense. Norton’s plans are affordable for the value they provide, and all come backed by a 60-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out for yourself.
🥈 2. Bitdefender — Great Cloud-Based Scanner With Tons of Extra Features
Bitdefender has outstanding trojan protection and removal capabilities. It includes a flawless cloud-based malware scanner that scored a 100% malware detection rate in my tests (which is just as good as Norton). Since it’s cloud-based, the scans have almost no impact on your performance either, meaning low-end devices can take advantage of this comprehensive security suite.
Real-time protection is essential for effective trojan defense, and Bitdefender’s is great. Setting it up was very easy, and once I turned it on, It consistently blocked every test trojan before it could even reach my computer or phone. Detecting, quarantining, and removing threats was very efficient, too; it got rid of each sample immediately.
In addition to strong trojan protection, Bitdefender offers various additional features. Ransomware protection safeguards your valuable data from being encrypted and held for ransom by cybercriminals. It also has a really good system optimizer to help get your device running like new, which can be especially helpful if prior trojans have caused damage.
Bitdefender also includes a VPN, but it only offers unlimited data on the most expensive plan. The VPN is limited to 200 MB per day on Bitdefender’s regular plans, so it’s more restrictive than the VPN Norton provides. That said, it’s very fast and highly secure and, as part of a full cybersecurity toolkit, provides an additional layer of defense by encrypting your data. The mobile versions are particularly good for privacy-conscious users as they support multi-hop connections.
Bitdefender has several plans to choose from. The lowest-cost premium plan, Antivirus Plus, costs $24.99 / year. It includes most of Bitdefender’s features but doesn’t have the parental controls, device optimizer, and webcam protection. It’s also only available for Windows. There are a few other plans, but I think the best value plan is Bitdefender Total Security, which covers 5 devices, is compatible with Windows, iOS, Android, and Mac devices, and costs $40.99 / year. All of Bitdefender’s plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Bitdefender is a great choice for comprehensive trojan protection and removal. It has an impressive malware detection rate, real-time protection, rapid scanning capabilities, and additional security features like a good VPN, parental controls, a device optimizer, anti-phishing protection, and more. While I’d like to see its unlimited VPN included in more plans, Bitdefender is a strong contender in the antivirus market.
Read the full Bitdefender review
🥉 3. McAfee — Good Trojan Removal Tool With Amazing Real-Time Protection
McAfee is another excellent choice for protecting yourself against trojans. After installing it, I ran some tests and found that it consistently scored a 100% malware detection rate — which puts it on par with Norton and Bitdefender.
I really like how McAfee shields you from trojans using a combination of security features, including excellent web protection that keeps you safe online, real-time protection to prevent trojans from infecting your device, and anti-phishing capabilities to block malicious links in emails. It also has Wi-Fi protection to stop malicious intruders from accessing your network.
McAfee also comes with excellent parental controls (some of the best antivirus-bundled parental controls in 2024). Its advanced location tracking works much better than Google and Apple’s tracking tools and lets you monitor your child’s device at all times. It also enables you to block unwanted apps and filter web content to ensure your children aren’t accidentally downloading trojans onto their devices — whether it’s the family computer or their mobile phone.
While McAfee is pretty good, it does have a couple of drawbacks. For example, it can cause some slowdown on your device while you run scans, especially on older devices. I prefer Bitdefender’s cloud-based scanner since it doesn’t strain your machine as much.
That said, McAfee has some great plans, starting at $39.99 / year with the Essential plan. This plan offers coverage for up to 5 devices and provides you with most of McAfee’s features, including web protection and a firewall, but not the parental controls. The best value plan is the Advanced plan, which gives you coverage for unlimited devices and includes parental controls, identity theft protection, and some other anti-theft protections like credit monitoring and lost wallet protection. All of McAfee’s plans come backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
McAfee is a great antivirus that found and removed 100% of trojans during my tests. It has perfect malware detection rates and features like real-time protection, anti-phishing protection, and Wi-Fi protection. Its extra features are pretty good, too — it has well-designed parental controls and a VPN with unlimited data so long as you have auto-renewal turned on. The biggest drawback is that it can cause some slowdown during scans.
4. TotalAV — Very Accessible and Easy to Use
TotalAV provides an excellent malware scanner. It uses the same excellent scanning engine as Avira, and it caught over 99% of the malware samples (including trojans) that I scanned — only missing very few that my top picks Norton and Bitdefender caught.
After testing its scanner, I tried TotalAV’s real-time protection, and I was satisfied with the results. It blocked most of the trojan samples I tried downloading. On top of that, it comes with other good security features, like a smart firewall for blocking network-based attacks and monitoring your traffic, and a VPN for encrypting your data and keeping your IP address invisible to the public.
What makes TotalAV stand out from its competitors is its ease of use and accessibility. Its layout is very intuitive, and none of its features are hidden behind complex menus or hard to use. If you’re a total beginner, it’s a great starting point.
I particularly like TotalAV’s System Tune-Up feature. It helps to optimize your PC’s performance through various features, including a Startup Manager, Application Uninstaller, Browser Cleanup tool, Junk Cleaner, and Duplicate File Finder. In my tests, it outperformed McAfee’s optimization tools in terms of options and functionality.
TotalAV has several affordable plans that start at $19.00 / year. Plans can cover up to 8 devices and come backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
TotalAV is a reliable antivirus that caught 99% of malware during my tests. It earns its spot on my list because of its beginner-friendly features and intuitive layout, which it offers while still providing great protection against trojans. Its plans are pretty affordable and come backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. Avira — Strong Malware Scanner With the Best Device Optimizer
Avira is a reliable antivirus with effective trojan protection and removal abilities. During my tests, Avira’s powerful malware scanner caught every trojan and all other malware samples, like viruses, ransomware, adware, and more. Avira’s scanner is so good it’s licensed out to several competitors, including one of my other top picks, TotalAV.
Avira has really great system tuneup tools. While most antiviruses come with a system booster, Avira’s is pretty advanced — it includes a game booster, a junk cleaner, and a startup optimizer, all of which worked great when I tried them. I have a pretty low-end laptop, but after running the tools, it worked noticeably better. My startup time was a whole 2 minutes faster.
It’s also packed with other useful features, like solid real-time protection and a good VPN that encrypts your data. Admittedly, the VPNs included in Norton and Bitdefender’s plans are faster, but it’s still a great extra layer of security.
Avira’s free antivirus is also my favorite among free anti-malware solutions — it even includes a free version of its VPN. That said, the premium version is significantly better and offers a device optimizer, a better VPN, parental controls, and more. Plans start at $26.99 / year and come backed by a generous 60-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Avira has an anti-malware engine that’s so good it’s been licensed to competitors. It was the last antivirus I tested that maintained 100% trojan detection and removal and also has a slew of useful extra features that make it a good antivirus suite. It has a great free version too, but the premium version offers a lot more security tools. Avira comes backed by an impressive 60-day money-back guarantee.
Bonus. Kaspersky — Reliable Antivirus Engine With Good Anti-Phishing Protection
Kaspersky is a good antivirus with effective trojan protection and removal capabilities. Like the above options on this list, it consistently caught and removed 100% of my malware samples.
Kaspersky offers various extra features, too, such as ransomware protection, a built-in firewall, and parental controls. It also includes a pretty cool Safe Money feature, which launches a safe browser so you can make online payments with an extra layer of security, and there’s an unlimited-data VPN that lets you browse the internet securely without much slowdown.
That said, some of Kaspersky’s features aren’t as good as other options on this list. For example, Bitdefender’s web protections detected more malicious links than Kaspersky did — and while there wasn’t much slowdown with the VPN, Bitdefender’s is much faster.
Overall, however, Kaspersky is a reliable choice for users seeking trojan protection and removal. It has several plans that start at $27.99 / year, but the best-value plan is Kaspersky Premium. It comes with Kaspersky’s real-time protection, an excellent malware scanner, a safe browser, and a quality VPN, and covers up to 20 devices. Kaspersky’s plans all come backed by a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee. At the moment, US customers unfortunately can’t purchase Kaspersky due to regulatory limitations.
Bottom Line:
Kaspersky has a 100% malware detection rate and performed really well in my tests. On top of that, it features real-time protection, a great VPN, a Safe Browsing feature, and a lot more that make it a really good and comprehensive security suite that you can rely on to remove trojans. Its plans are relatively affordable and come backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Read the full Kaspersky review
Quick Comparison Table
How to Choose the Best Antivirus for Trojan Protection and Removal in 2024
- Go for great detection rates. In choosing an antivirus, give priority to those that display outstanding malware detection rates, ideally surpassing 99%, particularly for trojans. Norton, as an example, regularly reaches a 100% detection and eradication rate, providing exceptional defense against trojans and various other forms of malware.
- Pay attention to scan speed. A fast antivirus like Bitdefender, known for its rapid cloud-based scans, is ideal. It detects and eliminates trojans without significantly hampering your system’s performance, even on older devices.
- It’s crucial for your antivirus to offer real-time protection. This is essential to block emerging threats, such as trojans, from accessing your device.
- Assess the extra features on offer. Consider the additional features an antivirus offers — these can include ransomware protection, a firewall, parental controls, and much more. Norton, for example, has all of these features, and they all work well.
- Check for a good VPN. Pick an antivirus that includes a VPN, which can help protect your online privacy and prevent trojans from accessing your data through unsecured networks.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- Panda Dome. While I like Panda Dome’s easy-to-use interface and intuitive menus, its antimalware engine isn’t as powerful as others on this list (meaning it won’t catch as many trojans as Norton, Bitdefender, or others). When I ran some tests, it only caught about 90% of the trojans on my device.
- Trend Micro. Trend Micro is another well-known antivirus solution that is pretty good. But, despite its solid performance, Trend Micro still needs to catch up to the top contenders on my list. The minor differences in detection rates and overall performance make it a good, but not great, option for protecting your devices.
- MacKeeper. MacKeeper is a good antivirus suite that was specifically designed for Mac users. While MacKeeper is a strong contender in the Mac antivirus market, it’s slightly less powerful than our top picks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do trojans do?
Trojans are a type of malicious software that appears harmless but carries malware. Named after the Trojan horse from the famous Greek story, this type of malware uses several malicious means to infect your computer without you knowing.
Trojans are designed to deceive users into downloading or installing them, usually by masquerading as legitimate files or software. Once activated, trojans can steal sensitive information, provide unauthorized access to your system, and facilitate further cyber attacks.
If you have a trojan on your PC, you must remove it immediately — otherwise, you risk losing personal data, payment information, or worse. Trojan removal tools, like the malware scanners provided by Norton or Bitdefender, can help remove them from your device and prevent further trojan infiltrations.
How can I tell if I have a trojan?
Detecting a trojan can be challenging due to its stealthy nature, but some common signs include slower system performance, unexpected pop-up ads, and unusual system crashes. However, these symptoms can also be caused by other issues, so it’s crucial to use reliable antivirus software for accurate detection.
My top antivirus for trojan removal is Norton: it can reliably identify and eliminate trojans, and it offers a range of other useful internet security features too.
How do I remove a trojan from my system?
To remove a trojan from your system, you should use a reliable antivirus. While you can try to combat it yourself manually, this definitely isn’t recommended.
Instead, you should use a reputable product like Norton or Bitdefender, which is designed to detect, quarantine, and eliminate trojans (and other forms of malware) in minutes. After removing the trojan, an antivirus will continue providing you with real-time protection, automatically blocking further trojans before they can infect your device.
Can Mac devices get trojans?
Macs are considered more secure than other devices, but they’re not 100% immune to trojans and other malware. Cybercriminals continuously develop new ways to target devices, including those running on macOS.
It’s essential to remain vigilant and proactive in protecting your devices. A premium antivirus solution for Mac, with features like real-time scanning and frequent updates, can help keep your Mac safe from trojans and other threats.
