Best cheap antivirus in 2025

Using a reputable antivirus is necessary to ensure safe browsing, real-time protection from malicious threats, and prevent data theft. However, antivirus services can become costly, especially depending on the features you want to get.

I took the time to research 25 antivirus programs to identify those that offer the most value for your money. Keep reading to find my list of the best cheap antivirus software.

The best cheap antivirus programs: shortlist

1. TotalAV – best cheap antivirus in 2025

2. Surfshark Antivirus – robust and cheap antivirus with a VPN

3. Bitdefender – affordable antivirus with a free plan

4. Norton – feature-rich antivirus at a cheap price

5. McAfee – reliable and cheap antivirus

 

Best cheap antivirus software in 2025

I tested 25 reputable antivirus software to find out which ones are the cheapest while still offering the necessary security features and exceptional malware blocking results. Let’s take a look at my results in-depth.

1. TotalAV – best cheap antivirus overall

TotalAV

1

9.7

/10

Visit TotalAV

Pros & cons

• Free version available
• Real-time protection
• 100% zero-day threat blocks
• Comes with a password manager
• Includes a VPN in more expensive plans

• Real-time protection only on paid plans

TotalAV is the best cheap antivirus because its prices start just from $29.00/year and you get exceptional malware blocking capabilities and great features in one package. For example, with a premium plan, you can enable real-time protection, advanced ransomware protection, and Total WebShield for blocking malicious websites while browsing.

With TotalAV, you can get a password manager to store all of your credentials in one secure place. Plus, it has a VPN with servers in 35 countries, ensuring your browsing activities are encrypted. Other security features include a data breach scanner and Total Cleaner for optimizing your device’s performance.

TotalAV always gets the highest protection, performance, and usability scores during independent lab tests. In 2025, TotalAV already blocked 100% of zero-day threats during AV-TEST evaluations.

You can try out TotalAV using its free plan. While it’s limited in features and advertises the premium version, you can try it out and run a few scans.

Read more in our TotalAV review.

2. Surfshark Antivirus – powerful and cheap antivirus with a VPN

Surfshark Antivirus

1

9.5

/10

Visit Surfshark Antivirus

Pros & cons

• Comes with a high-quality VPN
• Allows up to 5 devices, no matter the plan
• Exceptional malware blocking results
• Real-time protection

• No firewall

Surfshark Antivirus is a cheap solution for those looking to get an antivirus + VPN bundle. Its plan prices start from $2.49/month only, and you get all the necessary essentials. This includes real-time protection, malware and ad blocking, and email breach alerts.

The reason Surfshark Antivirus stood out to me was the advanced privacy features. Aside from getting a VPN with 3,200+ servers in 100 countries, you also get to use an ad-free search engine called Surfshark Search. You can even get an Alternative ID to get fake personal data to use on suspicious websites.

In terms of protection, Surfshark blocked 100% of zero-day threats in the 2025 AV-TEST evaluations. It received a 5.5/6 score for performance and usability, which is slightly lower than TotalAV’s perfect score, but still above average.

Surfshark comes with a free 7-day trial, which you can use to try the antivirus out before committing long term. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee available.

3. Bitdefender – budget-friendly antivirus with a free plan

Bitdefender

1

9.6

/10

Visit Bitdefender

Pros & cons

• Excellent lab test results
• Feature-loaded
• Real-time protection

• Only 200MB/day on the VPN (except for Premium Security)

Bitdefender is a budget-friendly antivirus that offers robust protection starting from $34.99/year. It has all the essentials covered, from a firewall and ransomware protection to a VPN, anti-tracker, and more.

Bitdefender offers a firewall so you could monitor all connections on your device. It also comes with an anti-tracker to secure you from online trackers and a VPN with servers in 100 countries. You can also make use of a password manager to protect your account credentials in one place.

I also checked Bitdefender’s AV-TEST results, and they didn’t disappoint. Just like TotalAV, it shows perfect 6/6 scores for protection, performance, and usability. And it’s not a one-time occurrence – this antivirus received a Top product award 7 times in a row now.

You can try Bitdefender with its free plan, but don’t expect to test many features. If you decide to opt for the premium version, you can make use of the 30-day money-back guarantee.

Find out more in our Bitdefender review.

4. Norton – feature-loaded antivirus at a cheap price

Norton

1

9.5

/10

Visit NordVPN

Pros & cons

• 100% independent lab test results
• Cloud backup included
• Comes with a VPN

• No free plan

I found that Norton is a cheap antivirus that comes loaded with features and starts from $29.99/year, making it a great value for your money. Aside from regular antivirus features like malware and ransomware protection, you get useful functionalities for overall device security.

Norton antivirus offers dark web monitoring, cloud backup to protect sensitive files, and SafeCam to prevent unauthorized webcam and microphone access. There’s also optimization features, like Optimize Disk, which cleans your device from duplicate or broken files. You also get a VPN with servers in 65 countries and password manager tools.

Like TotalAV and Bitdefender, Norton continuously shows exceptional protection results on independent lab tests. It scored 6/6 points in all categories (protection, performance, and usability) on AV-TEST 4 times in a row now.

Norton doesn’t have a free version. However, you can claim a free 14-day trial. Then, there’s also a 60-day money-back guarantee included.

To learn more, read our Norton antivirus review.

5. McAfee – cheap antivirus that’s reliable

McAfee

1

9.4

/10

Visit McAfee

Pros & cons

• Blocks 100% zero-day threats
• VPN included with some plans
• Has a password manager

• No free desktop version
• The cheapest plan is limited in features

McAfee is a great antivirus that comes at a cheap price starting from $39.99/year. It’s a simple solution that only comes with a malware scanner and a scam detector, but provides exceptional threat detection rates.

With the cheapest plan, you can install McAfee on 5 devices. If you decide to get a plan with more features, you’ll get to install it on unlimited devices. I liked that McAfee offers a scam detector even with the cheapest plan, so you don’t have to guess what’s real and what’s a phishing attempt.

AV-TEST regularly tests McAfee threat protection capabilities, and it doesn’t disappoint. During 2025 tests, it managed to block 100% of zero-day threats and get perfect scores for performance and usability.

McAfee has a free plan but only for Android and iOS devices. You can try any of the plans using a 30-day money-back guarantee.

How we selected and tested the best cheap antivirus software

I reviewed and tested dozens of antivirus programs to find out the best cheap ones available. I went beyond considering the price and evaluated what exactly you get for your money’s worth. Here’s my full testing process in detail:

• Malware protection tests (30%). I reviewed multiple most recent independent laboratory tests available and noted each antivirus program’s results. I checked AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs and only included the ones with robust protection scores.
• Price (30%). Price was one of the main things I looked into when choosing antivirus programs for this list. However, I couldn’t just rely on price because I can only recommend services that come with excellent malware detection capabilities, so I took into account the overall value for your money.
• Security features (25%). I checked which antivirus programs have the most features available for the lowest price. This includes regular features like ransomware protection or parental controls, and extra security suite tools like a password manager or a VPN.
• Free plan (15%). I made sure that each of the antivirus programs on this list comes with a free plan or a free trial to ensure you can try it out before committing long term.

Best cheap antivirus compared

Finding a cheap antivirus goes beyond grabbing the cheapest price – you need to take into account such things as features and protection test results to understand if it’s worth it. Let’s take a look at the table below where I compared the best cheap antivirus.

Winner:

TotalAV

Try TotalAV

Why use a cheap antivirus?

Using a cheap antivirus can help protect your device from cyberthreats, so it’s better than using no protection whatsoever. Some antivirus programs offer similar features and malware detection rates in completely different price ranges.

With a cheap antivirus, you can save money on other security tools. Alternatively, you can get a cheaper antivirus that already comes with protection services like a VPN and a password manager. For example, TotalAV offers a plan together with a VPN for $39/year, which is just $3.25/month. And if you want to add a password manager on top of it, it will cost $49/year, or $4.08/month.

Final thoughts

An antivirus is an essential tool for maintaining security and privacy on your device. It prevents malicious downloads, blocks viruses and other threats, and ensures a safe browsing experience. However, some antiviruses cost more than others for similar features, which results in some users overpaying for security.

During my tests, I found that TotalAV is the best cheap antivirus in 2025 because its prices start from $29.00/year and it even has a free plan. With this antivirus, you’re unlikely to miss important threats because it blocks 100% of zero-day threats.