F-Secure vs Kaspersky
We give F-Secure a 2.4 GPA and Kaspersky a 2.2, out of 4.0. F-Secure grades higher on value for money and the free plan. Kaspersky grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on features 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
Kaspersky
Antivirus suites with a VPN and password manager on higher tiers
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAF-SecureFair | 2.2GPAKasperskyFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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 renews at that same price, which hardly any rival here promises. | DOutside the US, Standard for 5 devices is $58.99 the first year, then $85.99, so two years cost $144.98, about $6.04 a month. A US reader can't count on that: the US site says renewal isn't available to US customers, so there's no second year to buy there. |
| 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. | DNo free plan on record. The 30-day trial of Standard or Premium rolls into a paid year unless you cancel, so you're signing up to pay from day one. |
| 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. | BAntivirus, a firewall, and scam and payment protection on every plan, then an unlimited VPN and a password manager from Plus, and identity protection, 24/7 remote IT help and Safe Kids on Premium. Standard has no VPN, but the core protection has no gap. |
| 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. It's a program you install and it starts protecting, with nothing to build first. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Android and iPhone. No web app, API or integration list on record, so it stops at B. | BWindows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone, so it's one of the few here with Linux. The VPN can't be activated in some countries, including China and India, and there's no API on record. |
| Best for | a renewal price that matches the first one | antivirus with a VPN, outside the US |
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 Kaspersky. 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. Kaspersky starts at $5.42 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.0.
Kaspersky scores higher, and starts $1.25 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 F-Secure for less, and none scores higher than Kaspersky 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 starts at $49.99 per year for 1 device (Internet Security). Kaspersky starts at $64.99 per year at renewal (Standard, 1 device), after a first year for $49.99.
- F-Secure has a free plan. Kaspersky does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Kaspersky lists a Linux app.
- Kaspersky also covers ad and tracker blocking.
At a glance
| F-Secure | Kaspersky | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $49.99 per year for 1 device (Internet Security) | $64.99 per year at renewal (Standard, 1 device), after a first year for $49.99 |
| 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 Standard or Premium; a paid yearly plan starts unless you cancel |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | F-Secure | Kaspersky |
| Price read from | f-secure.com | kaspersky.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Oct 17, 2026 |
Who each one suits
F-Secure
- Buyers who want a renewal price that matches the advertised one
- Households covering up to 5 mixed devices with a VPN included
- People who prefer a European company under GDPR
Kaspersky
- Buyers outside the US who want antivirus, VPN and passwords in one plan
- Households that also run Linux computers
- People who want remote help from support staff with PC problems
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.
Kaspersky
- Kaspersky's US site says renewal is unavailable for US customers and points non-US buyers to kaspersky.com; it shows no US prices.
- Prices here are the US-dollar prices on the global site; each plan renews automatically at the higher standard price after the first term.
- Standard has no VPN or password manager; those start at Plus.
- The free trial turns into a paid yearly plan at the introductory price unless cancelled within 30 days.
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.
Kaspersky
- Real-time antivirus and firewall
- Every plan blocks viruses, malware and ransomware, removes existing infections and includes a two-way firewall.
- Scam and payment protection
- AI-based scam protection, anti-phishing and a protected mode for online banking and shopping, plus crypto threat and stalkerware detection.
- Unlimited VPN
- Plus and Premium include Kaspersky's VPN with no data cap. It cannot be downloaded or activated in some countries, including China and India.
- Password manager
- Plus and Premium add a password manager and vault that autofills addresses and card details, with a password safety check.
- Identity and remote support
- Premium adds an identity protection wallet, smart home Wi-Fi monitoring, 24/7 remote IT support and expert virus removal.
- Kaspersky Safe Kids
- Premium includes a year of Safe Kids parental controls with GPS location, website filters and screen time limits.
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.
Kaspersky
Standard$64.99
per year for 1 device at renewal, after a first year for $49.99
Antivirus, firewall, scam and payment protection. First year $49.99; 3 devices $52.99 then $74.99, 5 devices $58.99 then $85.99.
Plus$79.99
per year for 1 device at renewal, after a first year for $61.99
Adds unlimited VPN, a password manager, data leak checks and a disk health monitor. 5 devices: $73.99 the first year, then $106.99.
Premium$98.99
per year for 1 device at renewal, after a first year for $64.99
Adds identity protection, remote access detection and 24/7 remote IT support. $64.99 also buys 15 months. 10 devices: $101.99, then $157.99.
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.
Kaspersky
- Other savings
First-year prices on every plan
For 1 device: Standard $49.99, Plus $61.99 and Premium $64.99 for the first year, against renewal prices of $64.99, $79.99 and $98.99.
- Other savings
Premium for 15 months at the 1-year price
Premium for 1 device is also sold as a 15-month term for $64.99, the same as the first year, before renewing at $98.99 a year.
