Avast vs Total Defense (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 2.4.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Avast grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Avast
Free antivirus for PC, Mac and phones, with paid Premium and Ultimate
Total Defense
Antivirus and internet security suites sold by the year
Which one is for you
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
Pick Total Defense if
- Fits if you want a card-free month to try a Windows antivirus first
- Works for 3 PCs on a yearly price
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac or Android and want the cheap plan, since Essential is Windows only
- Pricey if you go to Ultimate at $109.99 a year
- Watch out: prices are shown as discounts with no end date and no renewal price
- Tight if you want the virus-removal assurance without auto-renew, as it applies only to customers on Automatic Renewal
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAAvastVery good | 2.4GPATotal DefenseFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | C$39.99 a year for 3 PCs on sale, about $3.33 a month, in the middle of this category. The crossed-out $59.99 has no end date and no renewal price is given. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | CA 30-day free trial with no credit card, per the homepage. There is no free plan. |
| Features | 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. | CEssential covers viruses, spyware and ransomware for Windows only. Mac and Android start at Premium, and online backup is 10 GB or 25 GB on the dearer plans. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. You install it and the shields start, and everything sits in the one Avast One app. | BNo store rating on record, but it is a consumer antivirus you install and run. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWindows, Mac and Android on the dearer plans, with no iPhone and no integrations on record. |
| Best for | real-time antivirus without paying | Windows antivirus with a 30-day free trial |
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: Avast and Total Defense. How we grade
Price against what you get
Avast starts at $6.50 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Total Defense starts at $3.33 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7.
Avast scores higher, and starts $3.17 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other antivirus apps on the chart, none scores higher than Avast for less, and 4 score higher than Total Defense 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
- Avast also covers vPN.
- Total Defense also covers file sync.
At a glance
| Avast | Total Defense | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $77.99 per year at renewal (Premium Security, 1 computer), after a first year at $49.08 | $39.99 per year for 3 PCs (sale price shown, $59.99 crossed out; renewal price not stated) |
| Free plan | 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. | None |
| Free trial | Premium Security free for 30 days on Windows with no credit card, or for 60 days on Mac | 30-day free trial, no credit card needed, per the vendor's homepage. |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Browser extension | ||
| Made by | Gen Digital Inc. | Total Defense |
| Price read from | avast.com | totaldefense.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Total Defense
- Essential Anti-Virus is Windows only; Mac and Android coverage starts with Premium.
- The 1-year and 2-year prices are shown as discounts from crossed-out prices with no end date, and no renewal price is stated.
- The virus-removal assurance applies only to customers enrolled in Automatic Renewal.
- Supported Windows versions on the Essential page are Windows 11 (64-bit), 10 and 8.1.
Key features
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.
Total Defense
- Real-time malware protection
- All plans protect against viruses, spyware and ransomware, with on-demand and real-time scanning.
- Anti-phishing
- The Premium and Ultimate plans block suspicious websites, per the comparison table.
- Online backup
- Premium includes 10GB and Ultimate 25GB of secure cloud storage.
- Family protection
- The comparison table lists family protection for children on the Premium and Ultimate plans, not on Essential.
- US-based support
- Free installation and upgrade help by phone or email, weekdays 9am to 5pm Eastern, according to the support section of each product page.
- Virus Protection Assurance
- A program for customers enrolled in the Automatic Renewal Service; the vendor says it will remove a virus for free or refund the money.
Plans
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.
Total Defense
Essential Anti-Virus, 1 year$39.99
per year for 3 PCs, sale price shown, renewal price not stated
Windows-only protection against viruses, spyware and ransomware. Shown as $20 off a crossed-out $59.99.
Essential Anti-Virus, 2 years$79.99
for 2 years for 3 PCs, renewal price not stated
Same product on a two-year term; the page crosses out $89.99.
Essential Anti-Virus, 3 years$119.99
for 3 years for 3 PCs, renewal price not stated
Same product on a three-year term, with no discount shown.
Premium Internet Security, 1 year$69.99
per year for 5 devices, sale price shown, renewal price not stated
Covers PCs, Macs, smartphones and tablets, and adds 10GB of online backup. Shown as $20 off a crossed-out $89.99.
Ultimate Internet Security, 1 year$109.99
per year for 10 devices, renewal price not stated
Covers PCs, Macs and Android devices and adds 25GB of online backup.
Ways to pay less
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.
Total Defense
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Avast or Total Defense?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Total Defense is cheaper to start with: $3.33 a month when paid by the year, against $6.50 a month when paid by the year for Avast. Avast starts at $77.99 per year at renewal (Premium Security, 1 computer), after a first year at $49.08, and Total Defense starts at $39.99 per year for 3 PCs (sale price shown, $59.99 crossed out; renewal price not stated).
Which has a free plan, Avast or Total Defense?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Avast has a free plan. Total Defense does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Avast and Total Defense run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Avast lists an iOS app and a browser extension. Both list macOS, Windows and Android apps. 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.