Comparison: Which is the best antivirus for Windows devices, in 2018?

Antivirus products and security solutions in general, come in various forms, shapes, and sizes, and most of them include more than a few distinct protection layers. The number and variety of security solutions that are sold to Windows users is quite large, and it is difficult to classify them. We checked the best security products that are found on the market for Windows users, we reviewed them one by one, and now we want to compare them using a long list of criteria that are relevant when deciding which security product is best for you. If you want to know how each antivirus product compares against its competitors, read this analysis:

How we compared each security suite for Windows

In our Security for Everyone series, we have reviewed all the major security suites that are available for Windows home users. We took a careful look at every feature each of them has to offer. The things that we were primarily interested in are the criteria that we shared in this article: 9 important criteria to use when choosing your antivirus software.

In our opinion, the most critical questions you should answer when evaluating a security product for Windows home users, are the following:

• Does it include multiple layers of protection?
• Does it offer reliable protection?
• Does it negatively affect your computer's performance?
• Are you going to be happy with the user experience that you get?
• Do you get support when you need it? What are the support options that are available to you?
• Does it include tools that are important for your safety and privacy, like parental controls, secure password management or a VPN service?
• Finally, how much does it cost? Is it expensive to secure all your computers and devices in your home?

We tried to answer all these questions and have compiled an extensive Excel table in which we compared all the important antivirus products for Windows.

Comparing the best antivirus products for Windows home users

We compiled lots of data for each antivirus product we have tested, and we placed it all in the large spreadsheet embedded below. Feel free to browse and use it to gather the information you need. Do not forget that you can also use its controls to display it in full-size.

You can also click on this direct link, to open the spreadsheet in a new tab in your web browser.

Conclusion

We have put quite a bit of effort into gathering all the data that is found in the spreadsheet above, and we hope that it will be useful to you. Check it out and let us know what you think. Do you agree with the criteria that we used for evaluation? Which security products do you consider the best for Windows home users and why? Comment below and let's discuss.