Poll Paid vs Free Antivirus in 2026: What are you using, and is it worth paying for?

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In 2026, what’s your main antivirus setup: paid or free?

  • Paid security suite (AV + web protection + ransomware layers + firewall, etc.)

  • Paid antivirus only (light AV, minimal extras)

  • Free third-party antivirus (Avast Free, etc.)

  • Microsoft Defender only (built-in, no third-party AV)

  • macOS/Linux/Android built-in protections only (no third-party AV)

  • Other (comment what you use)

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stonjean633 said:
Good choice! I love Trend Micro.
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If you’re an OG of MalwareTips, you’d know I’ve been that user who has been using it since the old PC-Cillin days.
Was very active back in the day in the MalwareHub section.
nickstar1 said:
I really like Trend Micro—don’t get me wrong—but based on my own testing over the years and my familiarity with the product, it appears that detection quality may be slipping. I want Trend Micro to succeed, and it does have some genuinely unique strengths.

For example, during full system scans, the product remembers previously verified safe files and skips them in subsequent scans. This results in extremely fast full scans, a feature very few security products offer, and it’s a significant positive.

That said, my main concerns are the lack of meaningful GUI updates and the phishing and web protection, which no longer feel as strong as they once were.
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It’s like with all AV’s, they are changing the way they detect and the way it interacts (UI) with the user.

For a standard non tech user Trend works great, but if you’re more advanced (like most of us are, being on MalwareTips), you know how to avoid getting infected.
 
I use trendmicro right now too and i must say i still really like it although most of the heavy lifting is done via the cloud , the software acts very light on my system and even though they use the same gui for some years now i dont mind i still think its eye candy and one of the better looking ones out there. that being said why pay for software that may be better than trend but its loaded with unnessecary bloat and cost a fortune , yiu can find cheap three year keys for trend maximum security for just 6 or 7 euro's. if you dont go crazy online and download cracks , wares and stuff from other dubious sites , trend is sufficient enough.
 
On my linux laptop NO antivirus, on the my wife's laptop Standard User + SAC + HardConfigurator (used Avast profile as baseline) + Windows Defender

I installed HardConfigurator (allowing executables, but blocking scripts in user space and LoLbins for standard users, With Configure Defender on Max) on her previous laptop (I think it was 6 or 7 years ago and this setup has never caused problems). Her new laptop has same setup (only with updated Defender, Firewall and Office hardening settings) with SAC enabled. We bought our laptops nearly 1.5 years ago and this setup with SAC also has given zero errors.

@Andy Ful thanks for offering those free tools for home-admins (y)
 
McLovin said:
If you’re an OG of MalwareTips, you’d know I’ve been that user who has been using it since the old PC-Cillin days.
Was very active back in the day in the MalwareHub section.


It’s like with all AV’s, they are changing the way they detect and the way it interacts (UI) with the user.

For a standard non tech user Trend works great, but if you’re more advanced (like most of us are, being on MalwareTips), you know how to avoid getting infected.
Click to expand...
You may not remember me, but I’ve known of you since around 2008. I remember McLovin, and yes—you’re truly an original, just like Jack and me. I followed your YouTube videos back then and still remember your accent and your strong appreciation for Trend Micro. I was also a member of Remove-Malware and a few other communities you were part of as well. Those were genuinely great times, and we were fortunate to have such good childhoods.
 
Totally agree with what was said @rashmi : Defender + hardening feels like having a stealth ninja guarding the PC.On top of that I throw in NextDNS and uBlock in the browser, because I like watching shady domains and ads crash into a digital brick wall — kind of like hiring a grumpy bouncer for the Internet bar.And once everything’s set up the way I like it, I always make a backup. Not out of paranoia, but because I’m lazy: I’d rather restore in minutes than waste hours reinstalling and pretending to be frustrated tech support. 😏
 
Which one would you use on an Android phone (Samsung A56)?
Eset Mobile Security-uses about 250 MB of RAM
Bitdefender Mobile Security-uses about 500 MB of RAM,but sometimes 750-950 MB
McAfee LiveSafe-uses about 250 MB of RAM
My default browser is Chrome.I use NextDNS with filters inside:OISD,Hagezi Multi Pro.
 
TIBCSI66 said:
Which one would you use on an Android phone (Samsung A56)?
Eset Mobile Security-uses about 250 MB of RAM
Bitdefender Mobile Security-uses about 500 MB of RAM,but sometimes 750-950 MB
McAfee LiveSafe-uses about 250 MB of RAM
My default browser is Chrome.I use NextDNS with filters inside:OISD,Hagezi Multi Pro.
Click to expand...
On your list, I would go for Eset.
But if your main concern is RAM, you can try Bitdefender Antivirus Free.
Consumes only 50-70MB on my Android.
 

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