Paid security softs won't necessarily provide better protection. How risky your computing behaviors are a primary factor.
That being said, a safe user can stay infection-free just using Windows Defender and Firewall.
Paying for a bunch of good security softs and using them together is no guarantee of system protection; "Hey... I paid for it so now I can do anything I want without thought and stay safe." Errr...ehhmmmm... No !
In my experience, some security softs are worth their price - for the right user: AppGuard, Emsisoft, HitmanPro & Alert, ReHIPS, Sandboxie, Shadow Defender, Windows Firewall Control, and Webroot.
Lifetime licenses - Sandboxie\Shadow Defender\Windows Firewall Control... no brainer.
A lot depends upon whether you actually want, need and will use all the additional features that come with a paid product - like mobile device protection and cloud backup\storage.
Also, it depends upon whether or not a particular soft will work on your specific system without problems.
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Bottom line is that paid protection is not always better protection. There are too many factors. Is paid security suite better than Windows Defender\Firewall ? Of course it is... but do you actually need it ?