Norton 360 vs Total Defense (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Norton 360: it is third in our ranking of antivirus apps, and it grades higher too, 2.8 against 2.4.
Checked Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 17, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Norton 360 grades higher on features and ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Norton 360
Antivirus suite with VPN, password manager and PC cloud backup
Total Defense
Antivirus and internet security suites sold by the year
Which one is for you
Pick Norton 360 if
- Fits if you want your PC's files backed up by the same app that guards it
- Works for US buyers who want identity theft cover with their antivirus, on the LifeLock plans
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you renew, as Deluxe goes from $39.99 to $104.99 a year for 5 devices, and Standard from $34.99 to $84.99
- Not for you if you're on a Mac and want the cloud backup or Norton Family parental controls
- Skip it if you want something free, as there's no free version and the iPhone app's trial is 7 days
- Watch out: Norton's order pages show different first-year prices in different sections, and its main site refused our reader
- Tight if you're outside the US and want LifeLock, as it relies on US credit bureaus and an identity check first
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
| 2.8GPANorton 360Good | 2.4GPATotal DefenseFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CDeluxe covers 5 devices for $39.99 the first year and $104.99 the next, so $144.98 over two years, about $6 a month. That's above the middle of antivirus apps but short of the dearest tenth. | 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 | CA 30-day trial on Norton's US order pages, and the listing doesn't say whether it wants a card. The iPhone app gives 7 days with an annual plan. There's no free version. | CA 30-day free trial with no credit card, per the homepage. There is no free plan. |
| Features | BReal-time protection on four platforms, a VPN for every device on the plan, a password manager, PC cloud backup and parental controls, plus a refund if its experts can't remove a virus. The gaps are on Mac, which gets no backup and no Norton Family. | 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 | A4.7 from about 183,000 App Store ratings, which meets the line for an A: 4.7 or better from at least 1,000 ratings. | BNo store rating on record, but it is a consumer antivirus you install and run. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac, Android and iPhone. Cloud backup is for Windows PCs only, and there's no API or integration list 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 | antivirus, a VPN and PC backup in one | 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: Norton 360 and Total Defense. How we grade
Price against what you get
Norton 360 starts at $7.08 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.3 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.
Norton 360 scores higher, and starts $3.75 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 Norton 360 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
- Norton 360 also covers password manager, vPN and ad and tracker blocking.
- Total Defense also covers file sync.
At a glance
| Norton 360 | Total Defense | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $84.99 per year at renewal (Standard, 1 device), after a first year from $34.99 | $39.99 per year for 3 PCs (sale price shown, $59.99 crossed out; renewal price not stated) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day trial on Norton's US order pages; the iPhone app offers 7 days with an annual plan | 30-day free trial, no credit card needed, per the vendor's homepage. |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Gen Digital Inc. | Total Defense |
| Price read from | buy-static.norton.com | totaldefense.com |
| Checked | Oct 17, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Norton 360
- Prices come from one of Norton's US order pages, where first-year prices vary between sections; the main site refused automated reads on 2026-10-17.
- Norton's order pages say plans are priced for an introductory term and then renew automatically at a higher renewal price.
- Cloud backup is for Windows PCs, and Norton Family parental controls do not work on Mac.
- LifeLock identity features rely on US credit bureaus such as Equifax and need your identity verified first.
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
Norton 360
- Real-time device protection
- Protects against ransomware, viruses, spyware and other malware on Windows, Mac, Android and iOS, with Norton's Virus Protection Promise of a refund if its experts cannot remove a virus.
- Secure VPN and ad-tracker blocker
- Norton 360 plans include a VPN for as many devices as the plan covers, plus anonymous browsing and blocking of advertising trackers.
- PC cloud backup
- Plans include cloud storage for backing up files from a Windows PC, from 2 GB on the smallest plans up to 500 GB on Ultimate Plus.
- Password manager and parental controls
- A password manager is included, and Deluxe and higher plans add Norton Family parental controls, which are not supported on Mac.
- Scam protection on phones
- The mobile apps check web pages, text messages and email for scams, and the iPhone app blocks scam and junk calls. Norton Genie answers safety questions.
- LifeLock identity protection
- Norton 360 with LifeLock plans add SSN and credit alerts, credit monitoring from one or three bureaus, and stolen funds reimbursement of up to $25,000 to $1 million.
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
Norton 360
Norton 360 Standard$84.99
per year for 1 device at renewal, after a first year
Antivirus, VPN and password manager for one device. Norton's US order page shows the first year from $34.99, then $84.99 a year.
Norton 360 Deluxe$104.99
per year for up to 5 devices at renewal, after a first year
The same protection on up to 5 devices, with cloud backup and parental controls. First year from $39.99 on Norton's US order page.
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
Norton 360
- Other savings
Cheaper first year
Norton's US order page shows Norton 360 Standard from $34.99 and Deluxe from $39.99 for the first year, before renewing at $84.99 and $104.99.
Total Defense
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Norton 360 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 $7.08 a month when paid by the year for Norton 360. Norton 360 starts at $84.99 per year at renewal (Standard, 1 device), after a first year from $34.99, 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, Norton 360 or Total Defense?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Norton 360 nor Total Defense has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Norton 360 and Total Defense run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Norton 360 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.