App Review PCMatic Antivirus Home 2026

[Shadowra]

Content source

https://odysee.com/@Shadowra:f/PCMatic-Antivirus-Home-2026:9

PC Matic Antivirus is a U.S.-based security solution designed to proactively protect PCs from malware, ransomware, and zero-day threats. Its main strength lies in application whitelisting, which blocks unknown and untrusted programs before they can run.
Let's take a look!
A huge thank you to for @danb buying it! (Without him, we wouldn't have been able to test it.)



Interface :

The product interface is fairly clear and well organized. There are no settings available, which is good for novices but not suitable for power users who are crazy about configuration.
However, you will need to create an account after payment (PCMatic is not available in a trial version... why?) and log in with your account, otherwise the antivirus will not start.
It also has an anti-scam feature and an ad blocker extension (it's Ublock Origin...).

Web protection: 10/10
PCMatic blocks all malicious launches I attempt. One file is damaged (CobaltStrike) and therefore not counted.
Too bad, I didn't see the anti-malware engine… (except on Defender Control ^^ )

Fake crack : N/A
The sample is too old and the site that distributed it was down.
Skipped.

Malware Pack : It is impossible to know the rest. PC Matic does NOT analyze the archive!
So I had to manually launch the 130 samples in my pack.
Overall, it's pretty good. PCMatic blocks SuperShield as an anti-executable but lets MSI installations through.
A script was even able to launch Powershell undetected to install a Trojan horse, without any reaction.
The only two reactions from the “antivirus” were when I ran a RAT, and it offered to delete it. Otherwise, I never saw PCMatic's antimalware engine...

Final scan :
PCMatic : 0
NPE : 2
KVRT : 5

Spoiler: Overall - Image

Final opinion:

It's difficult to judge PCMatic.
In itself, the protection it provides is pretty good, especially thanks to SuperShield, which does a great job.
However, several gray areas cloud the picture:

- I don't really appreciate being forced to purchase before testing. It clearly smacks of “crapware,” and it's a practice I hate.
- The anti-malware engine never reacted, except twice when I launched a RAT. Otherwise, only SuperShield intervened.
- A quick scan that checks the network, then empties the temporary files, then checks for updates, etc. It would have been better to offer several scans rather than grouping everything together. Sure, it's better for a novice, but when you just want to do a quick antimalware scan, it should just offer that...

For me, PCMatic is not an antivirus, but rather a supplement.

@annaegorov request

 

[Jonny Quest]

@Shadowra I will watch the video, once I get past the amazing Spoiler graphic You're also amazing in how quickly and accurately you access each file individually. Great test, as always

 

[annaegorov]

PC Matic Antivirus is a U.S.-based security solution designed to proactively protect PCs from malware, ransomware, and zero-day threats. Its main strength lies in application whitelisting, which blocks unknown and untrusted programs before they can run.
Let's take a look!
A huge thank you to for @danb buying it! (Without him, we wouldn't have been able to test it.)



Interface :

The product interface is fairly clear and well organized. There are no settings available, which is good for novices but not suitable for power users who are crazy about configuration.
However, you will need to create an account after payment (PCMatic is not available in a trial version... why?) and log in with your account, otherwise the antivirus will not start.
It also has an anti-scam feature and an ad blocker extension (it's Ublock Origin...).

Web protection: 10/10
PCMatic blocks all malicious launches I attempt. One file is damaged (CobaltStrike) and therefore not counted.
Too bad, I didn't see the anti-malware engine… (except on Defender Control ^^ )

Fake crack : N/A
The sample is too old and the site that distributed it was down.
Skipped.

Malware Pack : It is impossible to know the rest. PC Matic does NOT analyze the archive!
So I had to manually launch the 130 samples in my pack.
Overall, it's pretty good. PCMatic blocks SuperShield as an anti-executable but lets MSI installations through.
A script was even able to launch Powershell undetected to install a Trojan horse, without any reaction.
The only two reactions from the “antivirus” were when I ran a RAT, and it offered to delete it. Otherwise, I never saw PCMatic's antimalware engine...

Final scan :
PCMatic : 0
NPE : 2
KVRT : 5

Spoiler: Overall - Image

View attachment 295316

Final opinion:

It's difficult to judge PCMatic.
In itself, the protection it provides is pretty good, especially thanks to SuperShield, which does a great job.
However, several gray areas cloud the picture:

- I don't really appreciate being forced to purchase before testing. It clearly smacks of “crapware,” and it's a practice I hate.
- The anti-malware engine never reacted, except twice when I launched a RAT. Otherwise, only SuperShield intervened.
- A quick scan that checks the network, then empties the temporary files, then checks for updates, etc. It would have been better to offer several scans rather than grouping everything together. Sure, it's better for a novice, but when you just want to do a quick antimalware scan, it should just offer that...

For me, PCMatic is not an antivirus, but rather a supplement.

@annaegorov request

TY for doing this. and what would you run with it to make it complete?

 

[Shadowra]

TY for doing this. and what would you run with it to make it complete?

Already a good anti-malware engine (because there, I saw that SuperShield...)

 

[annaegorov]

Already a good anti-malware engine (because there, I saw that SuperShield...)

Yes, thank you.

But you said "PCMatic is not an antivirus, but rather a supplement".

So, what would you run with PCMatic to make it complete, for a viable PC solution.

 

[stonjean633]

Not sure if PCMatic can be considered an Antivirus. It's not the same as the rest.
It's more likely an Anti-Exe running on Default-Deny. More like a whitelisting(allow listing) approach.

 

[bazang]

PC Matic is generally considered a mid‑tier antivirus: strong malware blocking thanks to its whitelist approach, but held back by high false positives, missing features, and inconsistent test results. Reviews place it well below top competitors like Norton, Bitdefender, and TotalAV, though it remains lightweight and inexpensive. SafetyDetectives SoftwareLab Cybernews

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Overall Quality Summary​

PC Matic’s quality depends heavily on what you value:

• Excellent at blocking unknown programs due to its strict whitelisting model.
• Lightweight and fast, with almost no system slowdown.
• Affordable, especially for multiple devices.
• BUT: It produces many false positives, lacks key features (firewall, password manager, parental controls), and some independent tests show poor real‑world protection.

If you want a simple, U.S.-based antivirus that emphasizes whitelisting, it’s fine.
If you want top-tier protection and features, better options exist.

---

What Reviews Say (2025–2026)​

1. SafetyDetectives Review (Score: 7.4/10)​

SafetyDetectives

• Good malware blocking via whitelisting
• Manual scanner underperforms
• Missing parental controls, webcam/mic protection, and web‑blocking features
• Decent value but not competitive with top antiviruses
• Ranked #32 out of 70 antiviruses

2. SoftwareLab Review (Rank: #15 of 28)​

SoftwareLab

• 95% malware detection in testing
• 100% speed performance (very lightweight)
• High false positives
• Lacks firewall, password manager, and VPN (unless purchased separately)
• Considered “not the best choice” compared to Norton or Bitdefender

3. Cybernews Review (Score: 3.6/5)​

Cybernews

• Strong independent lab results
• But Cybernews’ own testing found:
  • Scans failed to catch 8/10 threats
  • Real‑time protection blocked 0/10 threats
• Missing many modern security features
• Not recommended by Cybernews

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Quick Comparison Table​

Category	PC Matic	Top Competitors (Norton / Bitdefender / TotalAV)
Malware Detection	Good in labs, inconsistent in real tests	Excellent, consistent
False Positives	High	Low
Features	Basic (no firewall, no password manager)	Full suites with VPN, firewall, parental controls
System Impact	Very low	Low
Price	Affordable	Moderate
Ease of Use	Simple but rigid	More flexible
Best For	Non‑technical users, older PCs	Most users

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Should You Use PC Matic?​

Use PC Matic if you want:​

• A U.S.-based company
• A lightweight antivirus
• A whitelist‑based “zero trust” model
• Low cost for many devices

Avoid PC Matic if you want:​

• The highest malware protection
• Fewer false positives
• A full security suite (firewall, password manager, parental controls)
• Strong mobile protection

---

​

 

[Shadowra]

Yes, thank you.

But you said "PCMatic is not an antivirus, but rather a supplement".

So, what would you run with PCMatic to make it complete, for a viable PC solution.

Why not pair it with MS Defender or Avira

 

[LinuxFan58]

@Shadowra Avast (free in hardened mode and behavior+heuristics on high) and Defender (in Zero trust mode with ASR rules) can both run in whitelist mode, so .....

why bother with PC Matic at all?

 

[Moonhorse]

Would be nice if they offered anti-exe & firewall as single purchase. Thanks for testing this less known product and props for dan donating the video

 

[Behold Eck]

Thanks for taking the time to execute each and every file individually. Was the scan just taking too long? That was a terrible result with just 2 scan detection's.

Better off with Cyberlock imo.

Regards Eck

 

[annaegorov]

Thanks for taking the time to execute each and every file individually. Was the scan just taking too long? That was a terrible result with just 2 scan detection's.

Better off with Cyberlock imo.

Regards Eck

I sent PCMatic an email / troubleshoot, and informed them of the test done here at MWT... I hope they watched the video.

 

[Behold Eck]

I sent PCMatic an email / troubleshoot, and informed them of the test done here at MWT... I hope they watched the video.

Good luck with that but I think they are only interested in their own user base and not outsider opinions. They used to make outlandish claims when they were more focused on system cleanup utilities.

Regards Eck