Best Safest Antivirus Software 2026
The #1 safest antivirus software in 2026 is Avast/AVG with a Nerq Trust Score of 65/100 (B-), based on Nerq's independent analysis of 50 safest antivirus software across 5 trust dimensions. Rankings update daily — last updated: 2026-05-31.
According to Nerq's analysis, the top 5 safest antivirus software by trust score are: 1. Avast/AVG (65/100), 2. Panda Security (65/100), 3. Avira Free Antivirus (65/100), 4. Kaspersky (65/100), 5. ESET NOD32 (65/100). Nerq Trust Scores range from 57 to 65 among the top 50. Scores are based on 5 independent trust dimensions including security, maintenance, and community adoption. Updated daily.
| # | Name | Trust | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avast/AVG | 65 | B- |
| 2 | Panda Security | 65 | B- |
| 3 | Avira Free Antivirus | 65 | B- |
| 4 | Kaspersky | 65 | B- |
| 5 | ESET NOD32 | 65 | B- |
| 6 | Bitdefender Mobile Security | 65 | B- |
| 7 | Avast Mobile Security | 65 | B- |
| 8 | Norton 360 | 65 | B- |
| 9 | Malwarebytes | 65 | B- |
| 10 | Kaspersky Mobile | 65 | B- |
Top 50 Safest Antivirus Software by Nerq Trust Score
| # | Name | Trust | Grade | Stars | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avast/AVG | 65 | B- | 435000.0k | Avast is a Czech cybersecurity company merged with NortonLifeLock to form Gen Digital in 2022. AV-TE... |
| 2 | Panda Security | 65 | B- | 30000.0k | Panda Security is a Spanish cybersecurity company founded in 1990 in Bilbao. Acquired by WatchGuard ... |
| 3 | Avira Free Antivirus | 65 | B- | 500000.0k | Avira is a German cybersecurity company founded in 2006, acquired by Gen Digital (Norton parent) in ... |
| 4 | Kaspersky | 65 | B- | 400000.0k | Kaspersky is a Russian cybersecurity company founded in 1997 by Eugene Kaspersky, headquartered in M... |
| 5 | ESET NOD32 | 65 | B- | 110000.0k | ESET is a Slovak cybersecurity company founded in 1992 in Bratislava. Known for low system impact an... |
| 6 | Bitdefender Mobile Security | 65 | B- | 100000.0k | Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android includes antivirus, web protection, VPN, and anti-theft. AV-... |
| 7 | Avast Mobile Security | 65 | B- | 100000.0k | Avast Mobile Security for Android includes antivirus, Wi-Fi security, VPN, and junk cleaner. Free ve... |
| 8 | Norton 360 | 65 | B- | 80000.0k | Norton 360 is a comprehensive security suite by Gen Digital (formerly NortonLifeLock/Symantec), head... |
| 9 | Malwarebytes | 65 | B- | 50000.0k | Malwarebytes is a cybersecurity company based in Santa Clara, California, founded in 2008. Specializ... |
| 10 | Kaspersky Mobile | 65 | B- | 50000.0k | Kaspersky Internet Security for Android includes antivirus, anti-theft, call filter, and web protect... |
| 11 | ESET Mobile Security | 65 | B- | 50000.0k | ESET Mobile Security is ESET's Android security app. Features include antivirus, anti-phishing, anti... |
| 12 | McAfee Mobile Security | 65 | B- | 50000.0k | McAfee Mobile Security for Android includes antivirus, anti-theft, Wi-Fi security, and performance o... |
| 13 | Norton Mobile Security | 65 | B- | 50000.0k | Norton Mobile Security protects Android and iOS devices. Features include Wi-Fi security, web protec... |
| 14 | Trend Micro | 65 | B- | 30000.0k | Trend Micro is a Japanese-American cybersecurity company co-headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and Irving... |
| 15 | Quick Heal | 65 | B- | 30000.0k | Quick Heal is an Indian cybersecurity company based in Pune, founded in 1993. Offers consumer and en... |
| 16 | TotalAV | 65 | B- | 25000.0k | TotalAV is a UK-based antivirus company founded in 2016. Rapid growth through aggressive online adve... |
| 17 | Webroot | 65 | B- | 20000.0k | Webroot is a cybersecurity company acquired by OpenText in 2022. Based in Broomfield, Colorado. Clou... |
| 18 | Dr.Web | 65 | B- | 20000.0k | Dr.Web is a Russian antivirus company based in Moscow, founded in 1992. Known for CureIt! free scann... |
| 19 | Lookout Mobile Security | 65 | B- | 20000.0k | Lookout is a mobile security company based in San Francisco. Specializes in mobile threat defense fo... |
| 20 | AhnLab | 65 | B- | 15000.0k | AhnLab is a South Korean cybersecurity company founded in 1995 in Seoul. Market leader in South Kore... |
| 21 | Lookout Personal | 65 | B- | 15000.0k | Lookout Personal is the consumer version of Lookout mobile security. Features include identity monit... |
| 22 | Windows Defender | 65 | B- | 1400000.0k | Microsoft Defender (formerly Windows Defender) is the built-in antivirus for Windows 10 and 11. Free... |
| 23 | McAfee Total Protection | 65 | B- | 600000.0k | McAfee is a cybersecurity company headquartered in San Jose, California. Founded by John McAfee in 1... |
| 24 | Bitdefender Total Security | 65 | B- | 500000.0k | Bitdefender is a Romanian cybersecurity company founded in 2001 in Bucharest. Consistently top-rated... |
| 25 | Heimdal Security | 64 | C+ | 3000.0k | Heimdal Security is a Danish cybersecurity company based in Copenhagen. Known for DNS-based threat p... |
| 26 | ZoneAlarm | 64 | C+ | 10000.0k | ZoneAlarm is a security software brand by Check Point Software Technologies. Known for firewall prot... |
| 27 | Malwarebytes Mobile | 64 | C+ | 10000.0k | Malwarebytes for Android provides anti-malware, anti-ransomware, and privacy audit. Scans for malici... |
| 28 | Immunet | 64 | C+ | 5000.0k | Immunet is a free cloud-based antivirus powered by ClamAV (open source) and Cisco's threat intellige... |
| 29 | K7 Security | 64 | C+ | 10000.0k | K7 Computing is an Indian cybersecurity company based in Chennai, founded in 1991. Known for lightwe... |
| 30 | Trend Micro Mobile Security | 64 | C+ | 10000.0k | Trend Micro Mobile Security for Android and iOS. Features include web threat protection, Wi-Fi check... |
| 31 | F-Secure | 64 | C+ | 10000.0k | F-Secure is a Finnish cybersecurity company founded in 1988 in Helsinki. Known for privacy-focused a... |
| 32 | ClamAV | 64 | C+ | 10000.0k | ClamAV is an open-source antivirus engine maintained by Cisco Talos. Cross-platform (Linux, macOS, W... |
| 33 | Comodo | 64 | C+ | 10000.0k | Comodo is a cybersecurity company founded in 1998, now headquartered in Clifton, New Jersey. Known f... |
| 34 | Cylance (BlackBerry) | 64 | C+ | 5000.0k | Cylance is an AI-based endpoint security product now owned by BlackBerry. Pioneered AI-based malware... |
| 35 | Sophos Home | 64 | C+ | 5000.0k | Sophos is a British cybersecurity company founded in 1985, headquartered in Abingdon, UK. Owned by T... |
| 36 | Intego | 64 | C+ | 5000.0k | Intego is a cybersecurity company specializing in Mac security, founded in 1997. Based in Austin, Te... |
| 37 | Surfshark Antivirus | 64 | C+ | 5000.0k | Surfshark Antivirus is a security product by Surfshark (VPN provider), based in the Netherlands. Bun... |
| 38 | G Data | 64 | C+ | 5000.0k | G Data is a German cybersecurity company founded in 1985 in Bochum. One of the oldest antivirus comp... |
| 39 | Acronis Cyber Protect | 64 | C+ | 5000.0k | Acronis is a Swiss cybersecurity and data protection company. Acronis Cyber Protect combines backup,... |
| 40 | Fortinet FortiClient | 64 | C+ | 5000.0k | FortiClient is Fortinet's endpoint protection platform. Free VPN client and antivirus available. Ent... |
| 41 | Vipre | 64 | C+ | 3000.0k | Vipre (formerly Sunbelt Software) is a cybersecurity company based in Clearwater, Florida. Offers an... |
| 42 | VIPRE Endpoint Security | 64 | C+ | 2000.0k | VIPRE Endpoint Security is an enterprise endpoint protection product. Features include antivirus, an... |
| 43 | Emsisoft | 64 | C+ | 2000.0k | Emsisoft is a New Zealand-based cybersecurity company. Known for dual-engine (own + Bitdefender) and... |
| 44 | F-Secure Mobile | 64 | C+ | 5000.0k | F-Secure Internet Security for Android includes browsing protection, banking protection, and parenta... |
| 45 | Microsoft Defender for Endpoint | 59 | C | 50.0k | Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is the enterprise version of Microsoft Defender. Features include ED... |
| 46 | CrowdStrike Falcon | 59 | C | 29.0k | CrowdStrike is a cybersecurity company headquartered in Austin, Texas, founded in 2011. IPO in 2019 ... |
| 47 | SentinelOne | 57 | C | 10.0k | SentinelOne is a cybersecurity company headquartered in Mountain View, California. IPO in 2021 (NYSE... |
| 48 | Carbon Black (VMware) | 57 | C | 10.0k | Carbon Black is an endpoint security company acquired by VMware (now Broadcom) in 2019. Cloud-native... |
| 49 | Trellix (McAfee Enterprise) | 57 | C | 10.0k | Trellix (formerly McAfee Enterprise + FireEye) is an enterprise cybersecurity company. XDR platform ... |
| 50 | Cortex XDR (Palo Alto) | 57 | C | 5.0k | Cortex XDR is Palo Alto Networks' extended detection and response platform. Integrates endpoint, net... |
How We Rank Safest Antivirus Software
These safest antivirus software are ranked by Nerq Trust Score, which evaluates security, maintenance, community adoption, and transparency across multiple data points. Only entities with a trust score of 30 or above are included. Scores are updated continuously as new data becomes available.
FAQ
What are the best safest antivirus software in 2026?
Based on Nerq Trust Scores, the top-ranked safest antivirus software are listed above, scored on security, activity, documentation, and community metrics.
How are safest antivirus software ranked?
Nerq ranks tools using Trust Score v2, which combines security analysis, maintenance activity, documentation quality, and community adoption signals.
Are these safest antivirus software safe to use?
Each tool has an individual safety report. Click any tool name to see its detailed trust analysis.
What does a Nerq Trust Score of A mean?
An A grade (80-89) means the entity has strong signals across security, maintenance, documentation, and community adoption. A+ (90-100) is the highest possible rating.
How does Nerq evaluate safest antivirus software?
Nerq analyzes safest antivirus software across multiple dimensions including security vulnerabilities, license compliance, maintenance activity, documentation quality, and community adoption. Each dimension is scored independently and combined into an overall Trust Score (0-100).
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