ESET vs Panda Dome (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Panda Dome grades higher than ESET: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Panda Dome grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ESET
Antivirus and home security plans priced by device count
Panda Dome
Antivirus range from a free edition to a VPN and password bundle
Which one is for you
Pick ESET if
- Fits if you want antivirus on one PC or Mac without a pile of extras
- Works for buyers who'd rather pay for 2 years at once, which takes 15% off
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if your household runs on iPhones, as there's no iPhone app on record
- Skip it if a VPN matters, as it starts at Premium, $79.99 a year, and covers only 3 devices there
- Watch out: there's no free plan, so when the 30-day trial ends you pay or you're unprotected
- Pricey if you want identity protection, as Ultimate is $179.99 a year, sold for 5 or 10 devices only, and its identity protection is US-based
- Watch out: small offices are sent to a separate plan, Small Business Security, at $179.99 a year for 5 devices
Pick Panda Dome if
- Fits if you want a free antivirus and may add a VPN later
- Works for a household with a mix of Windows, Mac and phones on one licence
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to know the real yearly price before you buy: the tier pages show promo prices
- Tight if you stay on the free VPN, because it stops at 150 MB a day
- Watch out: the renewal-price promise on the site was not checked against the terms
- Watch out: which features come with which tier is on separate pages, so check before buying
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAESETGood | 2.8GPAPanda DomeGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CHOME Security Essential is $69.99 a year for 5 devices, with no first-year deal on record, so two years cost $139.98, about $5.83 a month. That's above the dearer quarter of antivirus but short of the dearest tenth. A 2-year term takes 15% off. | CNo paid price is recorded: the tier pages show several dollar figures by device count and term, behind a 30% to 60% discount with a countdown. Without a clear price it sits in the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free version, but a 30-day free trial with no credit card. When it ends, you pay or you're unprotected. | BPanda Dome Free is offered, with real-time antivirus and a VPN capped at 150 MB a day. One person could live on the antivirus part. |
| Features | BReal-time protection, a secured browser for banking, a firewall, and checks on your router and the other devices on your home network. Premium adds a VPN and file and USB encryption, and Ultimate US identity protection. Only the VPN is stingy: 3 devices on Premium. | BAntivirus, firewall, phishing and ransomware protection, parental control, a password manager and a VPN across four tiers. Nothing in the listing shows a gap in the core work. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. It's software you install and leave running, with nothing to set up first. | BNo store rating on record. It is installed software that starts protecting once it is on. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac and Android, and the VPN runs on a home router too. There's no iPhone app on record and no API, so B is the ceiling. | BWindows, Mac, Android and iPhone, with multi-device licences. No integrations or API listed. |
| Best for | plain antivirus priced by the number of devices | antivirus with a free edition |
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: ESET and Panda Dome. How we grade
Where they differ
- Panda Dome also covers password manager.
At a glance
| ESET | Panda Dome | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $12.99 per year for 1 device (Mobile Security for Android) | Not published |
| Free plan | None | Panda Dome Free antivirus is offered. |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, no credit card required | None listed |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | ESET | Panda Security |
| Price read from | eset.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ESET
- There is no free antivirus plan; the 30-day trial is the only way to try it without paying.
- The VPN starts at the Premium tier and covers only 3 devices there; Ultimate raises that to 10.
- Ultimate is sold for 5 or 10 devices only, and its identity protection is run by a US-based team.
- Small offices get a separate plan, Small Business Security, at $179.99 a year for 5 devices.
Panda Dome
- Prices are not recorded: the tier pages show several US-dollar figures that depend on device count and term, and the figures read from India could not be matched to US list prices.
- The tier pages promote a discount of 30% to 60% with a countdown, so shown prices may be promotional.
- The site says it will keep the price the same at renewal, a claim that was not checked against the terms.
- Which features come with which tier is listed on the tier pages; check them before buying.
Key features
ESET
- Real-time malware protection
- Blocks viruses, ransomware, spyware and phishing as they arrive, with AI-based detection aimed at new threats.
- Safe banking and browsing
- A secured browser mode for banking and shopping that helps keep payment details away from phishing pages and snooping software.
- Firewall and network checks
- A firewall and network shield, plus tests of your home router and smart devices for weak points.
- ESET VPN
- Premium and Ultimate include a no-logs VPN with unlimited traffic, split tunneling on desktop and Android, and a version that runs on a home router.
- File encryption
- Premium and Ultimate encrypt sensitive files and USB drives and let only trusted apps change protected folders.
- Identity protection
- Ultimate adds dark web scanning, 1-bureau credit monitoring, SSN tracking and identity recovery with $1M insurance from a US team.
Panda Dome
- Antivirus, firewall and phishing protection
- Essential lists antivirus, a firewall, phishing protection, Wi-Fi protection and USB virus scanning.
- Ransomware protection and parental control
- Advanced adds ransomware protection and parental control on top of Essential.
- Password manager and file tools
- Complete adds PC optimization, a password manager, and file encryption and shredding.
- VPN
- Panda Dome VPN is listed as a product, and the tier pages list a VPN among their features.
- Multi-device licenses
- Tier pages let buyers pick 1, 3, 5, 10 or unlimited devices and 1, 2 or 3 years.
Plans
ESET
Mobile Security for Android$12.99
per year for 1 device
Protection for Android phones and tablets, with safe banking, network checks and anti-theft. $22.99 for 3 devices, $32.99 for 5.
NOD32 Antivirus$39.99
per year for 1 device
Real-time antivirus for Windows and macOS only. $49.99 for 3 devices, $59.99 for 5.
HOME Security Essential$49.99
per year for 1 device
Antivirus, safe banking and browsing, firewall and Wi-Fi protection across devices. $69.99 for 5 devices, $94.99 for 10.
HOME Security Premium$79.99
per year for 1 device
Adds ESET VPN with unlimited traffic on up to 3 devices, file and USB encryption and folder protection. $99.99 for 5 devices, $124.99 for 10.
HOME Security Ultimate$179.99
per year for up to 5 devices
Adds VPN for 10 devices and routers, ransomware remediation and US identity protection with $1M insurance. $204.99 for 10 devices.
Panda Dome
Pricing could not be confirmed. See pandasecurity.com.
Ways to pay less
ESET
- Other savings
Save 15% on 2 years and 20% on 3 years
HOME Security Essential and Premium cost less per year on longer terms: Essential for 1 device is $84.98 for 2 years or $119.98 for 3, instead of $49.99 a year.
Panda Dome
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ESET or Panda Dome?
As of Nov 12, 2026, ESET starts at $12.99 per year for 1 device (Mobile Security for Android), and Panda Dome has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, ESET or Panda Dome?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Panda Dome has a free plan. ESET does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do ESET and Panda Dome run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Panda Dome lists an iOS app. 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.