360 Total Security vs Avast (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Avast: it is first in our ranking of antivirus apps, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.6.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
360 Total Security grades higher on value for money. Avast grades higher on the free plan, features and platforms. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
360 Total Security
Free Windows antivirus with a paid Premium tier
Avast
Free antivirus for PC, Mac and phones, with paid Premium and Ultimate
Which one is for you
Pick 360 Total Security if
- Fits if you want a free Windows antivirus with cleanup tools bundled
- Works for one PC that you do not want a yearly bill for, given the $49.99 lifetime plan
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac or a phone, as only 64-bit Windows 10 and later is listed
- Not for you if you want a clear free-versus-paid table, as the site does not give one
- Watch out: the checkout says the yearly plan covers unlimited devices while the product page says one PC
- Too light for a monthly price: the plan page shows quarterly, yearly and lifetime only
Pick Avast if
- Fits if you want real-time antivirus on a Windows PC and don't want to pay
- Works for families mixing Windows, Mac and phones, up to 10 devices
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want one price for everything, as the VPN and Cleanup are separate subscriptions
- Not for you if auto-renewal bothers you, as paid plans renew by themselves and some trials want a card
- Pricey if you keep it past year one: 10 devices go from $69.48 to $99.99, and one computer from $49.08 to $77.99
- Watch out: first-year prices are for new customers only, and Ultimate renews at $109.99 for one computer
- Tight if you want Bank Mode, Email Guard or webcam blocking free, as they're Premium only; there's no web app
How we grade them
| 2.6GPA360 Total SecurityGood | 3.0GPAAvastVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree outright for the antivirus, with Premium at $19.99 a year, about $1.67 a month, under 60% of the middle of this category. | CFive devices means the 10-device plan, $69.48 the first year and $99.99 after, so two years cost $169.47, about $7.06 a month. That's above the dearer quarter of antivirus but short of the dearest tenth. One computer is $49.08, then $77.99. |
| Free plan and trial | BA free edition with scanning, anti-ransomware, cleanup and startup control for one PC. Premium is an optional upgrade. | AAvast Free Antivirus gives real-time file, behavior and web shields, ransomware protection, a firewall and network scans, and there are free apps for Mac, Android and iPhone too. Bank Mode, Email Guard and webcam blocking need Premium. |
| Features | CVirus scanning, anti-ransomware and cleanup, but the pages do not say which tools need Premium. | BReal-time shields, ransomware protection and a firewall even when free, then Bank Mode, Email Guard, Deepfake Guard, a sandbox and webcam blocking on Premium. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core protection. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but it is a Windows program you install and run. | BNo store rating on record. You install it and the shields start, and everything sits in the one Avast One app. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows 10 and later, 64-bit only. No Mac or phone version is listed. | BWindows, Mac, Android, iPhone and a browser extension, with Multi-Device covering up to 10. No web app or API on record, so it stops at B. |
| Best for | a free Windows antivirus with cleanup tools | real-time antivirus without paying |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: 360 Total Security and Avast. How we grade
Price against what you get
360 Total Security starts at $1.67 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Avast starts at $6.50 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
Avast scores higher, and starts $4.83 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other antivirus apps on the chart, 3 score higher than 360 Total Security for less, and none scores higher than Avast for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- 360 Total Security also covers disk cleanup.
- Avast also covers vPN.
At a glance
| 360 Total Security | Avast | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $12.99 per quarter, or $19.99 per year (monthly price not shown) | $77.99 per year at renewal (Premium Security, 1 computer), after a first year at $49.08 |
| Free plan | Free antivirus for Windows with anti-ransomware, malware scanning, junk cleanup and startup management. | Avast Free Antivirus: real-time file, behavior and web shields, ransomware protection, network scans, a firewall and Smart Scan. Free apps exist for Mac, Android and iOS. |
| Free trial | None listed | Premium Security free for 30 days on Windows with no credit card, or for 60 days on Mac |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | 360 Total Security | Gen Digital Inc. |
| Price read from | site.360totalsecurity.com | avast.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Worth knowing
360 Total Security
- Windows 10 and later, 64-bit only; no Mac or mobile version is listed.
- Which tools are free and which need Premium is not laid out in a table on the pages read; the site calls the extras an optional upgrade.
- The plan page shows quarterly, yearly and lifetime prices only; no monthly price is displayed.
- The checkout page says the yearly plan covers unlimited devices, though the product page describes the app as made for one PC.
Avast
- First-year prices are for new customers; from the second year Premium Security is $77.99 for one computer or $99.99 for 10 devices.
- Premium Security does not include the VPN or Cleanup Premium; each needs its own subscription unless you buy Avast Ultimate.
- Premium Security is sold for one device or as Multi-Device for up to 10 across Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.
- Paid subscriptions renew automatically, and some trials ask for a payment method before they start.
Key features
360 Total Security
- Virus and ransomware scanning
- The free edition includes anti-ransomware and a tool that tries to restore files locked by ransomware.
- PC cleanup
- Clears junk and duplicate files, manages storage and updates drivers.
- Privacy tools
- Anti-tracking and secure file deletion are listed among the privacy features.
- Premium extras
- The site lists an isolated sandbox, firewall, data shield, file shredder, registry cleaner and priority updates as optional upgrade tools.
- One-click network repair
- A tool for fixing sudden loss of internet connection.
Avast
- Core Shields
- File, Behavior and Web shields scan files, watch running programs and block harmful sites in real time, on the free version as well as the paid one.
- Ransomware Shield and firewall
- The free antivirus includes a Ransomware Shield, a firewall, Network Inspector for home network checks, and Hack Alerts when your logins leak online.
- Bank Mode and Real Site
- Premium Security opens banking and payment sites in an isolated virtual desktop and guards against DNS hijacking that swaps a real site for a fake one.
- Email Guard and Deepfake Guard
- Premium Security scans web-based email for phishing and uses AI to flag synthetic voices and videos used in scams.
- Sandbox and webcam protection
- Premium Security can run suspicious programs in a sandbox, blocks apps from using the webcam, and shreds files beyond recovery.
- Avast Ultimate bundle
- Ultimate unlocks Premium Security together with Avast VPN, Cleanup Premium and AntiTrack. Bought alone, the VPN and Cleanup need their own subscriptions.
Plans
360 Total Security
Free$0
Virus scanning, free anti-ransomware, cleanup and startup controls for one Windows PC.
Premium Quarterly$12.99
per quarter
Every Premium feature for three months; the vendor says it costs less per month than the monthly plan, which the page does not show.
Premium Yearly$19.99
per year
Every Premium feature for a year; the page says one plan covers unlimited devices.
Premium Lifetime$49.99
one-time, lifetime license
All current Premium features for a single payment, with VIP support.
Avast
Premium Security, 1 computer$77.99
per year for 1 computer at renewal, after a first year
One Windows PC or Mac, plus one phone free. The first year costs $49.08, then it renews at $77.99 a year. No VPN or Cleanup Premium.
Premium Security, 10 devices$99.99
per year for 10 devices at renewal, after a first year
Up to 10 devices across Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. The first year costs $69.48, then it renews at $99.99 a year.
Ultimate, 1 computer$109.99
per year for 1 computer at renewal, after a first year
Premium Security plus the VPN, Cleanup Premium and AntiTrack, for one computer and one phone. $49.08 the first year, then $109.99 a year.
Ultimate, 10 devices$139.99
per year for 10 devices at renewal, after a first year
The Ultimate bundle on up to 10 devices. The first year costs $69.48, then it renews at $139.99 a year.
Ways to pay less
360 Total Security
No public discounts listed.
Avast
- Other savings
First year of Premium Security for $49.08
New customers pay $49.08 for a first year on one computer, renewing at $77.99, or $69.48 for 10 devices, renewing at $99.99. Ultimate starts at the same prices, then $109.99 or $139.99.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, 360 Total Security or Avast?
As of Nov 13, 2026, 360 Total Security is cheaper to start with: $1.67 a month when paid by the year, against $6.50 a month when paid by the year for Avast. 360 Total Security starts at $12.99 per quarter, or $19.99 per year (monthly price not shown), and Avast starts at $77.99 per year at renewal (Premium Security, 1 computer), after a first year at $49.08.
Which has a free plan, 360 Total Security or Avast?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both 360 Total Security and Avast have a free plan.
Which platforms do 360 Total Security and Avast run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Avast lists macOS, iOS and Android apps and a browser extension. Both list a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.