F-Secure vs G DATA Antivirus (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, G DATA Antivirus grades higher than F-Secure: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
F-Secure grades higher on features. G DATA Antivirus grades higher on value for money and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
F-Secure
Finnish antivirus and VPN suite that renews at the new-customer price
G DATA Antivirus
German antivirus suites for Windows, Mac and Android, priced by device
Which one is for you
Pick F-Secure if
- Fits if renewal price hikes put you off, as Total is stated to renew at the same price
- Works for people who want to pay for 2 years at once, at $124.99 for 5 devices on Internet Security
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a VPN or password vault on the cheaper plan, as they're Total only
- Not for you if you want free day-to-day protection, as the free Online Scanner only cleans a PC on demand
- Watch out: the same-price renewal is stated for Total only; the Internet Security page doesn't say what it renews at
- Tight if you're on iPhone and want a VPN kill switch, which works on Windows, Mac and Android only
Pick G DATA Antivirus if
- Fits if you want antivirus for a mix of Windows, Mac and phones
- Works for a family that wants parental controls in the Total Security suite
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a free edition, as only the 30-day trial is free
- Too light for firewall, ransomware or USB protection on Antivirus for Windows or Mac, which lack them
- Pricey if you add a VPN, listed in the cart as a paid add-on
- Watch out: Mobile Security for Android is a separate product from $9.95, and its billing period isn't shown
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAF-SecureFair | 2.6GPAG DATA AntivirusGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CInternet Security for 5 devices is $124.99 for 2 years, about $5.21 a month, just above the dearer quarter of antivirus. Total for 5 is $149.99 for 2 years and is stated to renew at that same price. | B$29.95 a year for Antivirus on 1 device, about $2.50 a month, under the cheaper quarter of $2.92. Total Security is $49.95. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe free Online Scanner cleans a Windows PC on demand but doesn't guard it, and Total has a 30-day free trial. Nothing free protects you day to day. | C30-day trial of the full version with no obligation. No free edition. |
| Features | BAntivirus, ransomware, banking and scam protection on every plan, with scam text filtering on phones. Total adds an unlimited VPN, a password vault and identity monitoring. The VPN's kill switch skips the iPhone. | CVirus scanner, firewall, BankGuard, anti-ransomware, parental controls, encryption and backups. Ransomware protection, firewall and USB protection are missing from the basic Antivirus versions. |
| Ease of use | C4.41 from about 490 App Store ratings: middling for this category, and not many people behind it. | BNo store rating on record. You install it and it runs. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Android and iPhone. No web app, API or integration list on record, so it stops at B. | BWindows, Mac, Android and iOS, with Google Drive and Dropbox links. |
| Best for | a renewal price that matches the first one | German antivirus for several devices |
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: F-Secure and G DATA Antivirus. How we grade
Price against what you get
F-Secure starts at $4.17 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. G DATA Antivirus starts at $2.50 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and G DATA Antivirus starts $1.67 a month lower. Of the other antivirus apps on the chart, 4 score higher than F-Secure for less, and 2 score higher than G DATA Antivirus 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
- F-Secure also covers password manager.
At a glance
| F-Secure | G DATA Antivirus | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $49.99 per year for 1 device (Internet Security) | $29.95 per year for 1 device (Antivirus for Windows) |
| Free plan | F-Secure Online Scanner scans and cleans a Windows PC for free, on demand; it is not ongoing protection. | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial of the full version of F-Secure Total | 30-day free trial of the full version, no obligation |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | F-Secure | G DATA CyberDefense AG |
| Price read from | f-secure.com | gdata.de |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
F-Secure
- The VPN, password vault and identity monitoring come only with Total, not Internet Security.
- The free Online Scanner only cleans a PC on demand and does not protect it continuously.
- The same-price renewal promise is stated for Total; the Internet Security page does not say what it renews at.
- The VPN kill switch works on Windows, Mac and Android only.
G DATA Antivirus
- Ransomware protection, firewall and USB protection are not in Antivirus for Windows or Mac.
- Prices are shown as including VAT.
- Mobile Security for Android is a separate product listed from $9.95; the page does not show its billing period.
- A VPN is a paid add-on in the cart (shown as $59.95 crossed out and $29.97), not part of the suites.
Key features
F-Secure
- Antivirus and ransomware protection
- Protects against viruses, ransomware, spyware, infostealers and other malware, with a gaming mode on Windows.
- Scam protection
- Rates online stores, blocks scam and phishing sites, and filters scam text messages on phones using AI detection.
- Banking protection
- Checks that banking sites are genuine and secures the connection while you bank or shop.
- Unlimited VPN
- Total includes F-Secure VPN with no traffic limit, virtual locations and a kill switch on Windows, Mac and Android.
- Password vault and identity monitoring
- Total stores and autofills passwords, flags weak or reused ones, and watches the dark web for leaked personal data with expert help.
- Same price at renewal
- F-Secure says a Total renewal costs the same as a new subscription rather than rising after the first year.
G DATA Antivirus
- Virus scanner
- Uses technologies working in parallel and receives new virus signatures every hour.
- Firewall
- Monitors incoming and outgoing connections automatically or by rules you set. Internet Security and Total Security only.
- BankGuard
- A browser protection meant to stop tampering during online banking and shopping.
- Anti-ransomware and exploit protection
- Blocks ransomware from encrypting files and guards Office programs and PDF readers against vulnerabilities.
- Parental controls
- Sets time limits and restricts children to verified websites on Internet Security.
- Encryption and backups
- Total Security adds password-protected file encryption and local or cloud backups, including Google Drive and Dropbox.
Plans
F-Secure
Online Scanner$0
Free on-demand scan and cleanup for Windows PCs.
Internet Security, 1 year$49.99
per year for 1 device
Antivirus, ransomware, banking, shopping and scam protection. $64.99 for 3 devices, $69.99 for 5.
Internet Security, 2 years$89.99
every 2 years for 1 device
Internet Security paid 2 years at a time. $114.99 for 3 devices, $124.99 for 5.
Total, 1 year$69.99
per year for 1 device
Adds unlimited VPN, password vault and identity monitoring. Renews at the same price. $79.99 for 3 devices, $84.99 for 5.
Total, 2 years$124.99
every 2 years for 1 device
Total paid 2 years at a time, renewing at the same price. $144.99 for 3 devices, $149.99 for 5.
G DATA Antivirus
Antivirus for Windows$29.95
per year for 1 device
Virus scanner, exploit protection, phishing protection, banking and email protection. $39.95 for 3 devices, $49.95 for 5. A 2-year term saves 8%.
Antivirus for Mac$39.95
per year for 1 device
Virus scanner and phishing protection for macOS, which also catches Windows malware. No banking or email protection.
Internet Security$39.95
per year for 1 device
Adds firewall, anti-ransomware, BankGuard, anti-spam and parental controls, across Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. $55.95 for 3 devices, $71.95 for 5. A 2-year term saves 12%.
Total Security$49.95
per year for 1 device
Adds a performance tuner, file encryption, USB access control and backups. $65.95 for 3 devices, $81.95 for 5. A 2-year term saves 10%.
Ways to pay less
F-Secure
- Other savings
Lower yearly rate on 2-year plans
Total for 1 device is $124.99 for 2 years against $69.99 a year, and Internet Security is $89.99 for 2 years against $49.99 a year.
G DATA Antivirus
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, F-Secure or G DATA Antivirus?
As of Nov 12, 2026, G DATA Antivirus is cheaper to start with: $2.50 a month when paid by the year, against $4.17 a month when paid by the year for F-Secure. F-Secure starts at $49.99 per year for 1 device (Internet Security), and G DATA Antivirus starts at $29.95 per year for 1 device (Antivirus for Windows).
Which has a free plan, F-Secure or G DATA Antivirus?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only F-Secure has a free plan. G DATA Antivirus does not, though it has a free trial.
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.