Total Defense vs VIPRE (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Total Defense and VIPRE share a 2.4 GPA, neither has a free plan, and VIPRE starts cheaper, at $1.25 a month when paid by the year against $3.33 a month when paid by the year.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Total Defense grades higher on platforms. VIPRE grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Total Defense
Antivirus and internet security suites sold by the year
VIPRE
Home antivirus in three tiers, from basic scanning to a VPN bundle
Which one is for you
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
Pick VIPRE if
- Fits if you run one Windows PC and want a basic antivirus
- Works for Windows users who may later want a VPN in the same bundle
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac or iPhone, as the listing shows Windows only
- Watch out: the page does not say how many devices a plan covers
- Pricey if you renew: the yearly prices shown are heavy discounts off $38.49, $60.49 and $153.99
- Tight if you want the firewall, patching or privacy tools, which are on the dearer tiers and Windows only
How we grade them
| 2.4GPATotal DefenseFair | 2.4GPAVIPREFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | BAntivirus Plus is $14.99 a year, but that is shown as 61% off $38.49. At the full $38.49 it is about $3.20 a month, still near the cheaper quarter of antivirus. Renewal and device count are not stated. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 30-day free trial with no credit card, per the homepage. There is no free plan. | C30-day free trial for new users, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. The page does not mention a card. |
| Features | 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. | BReal-time and cloud protection, firewall, email protection, patching and a VPN on the top tier. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record, but it is a consumer antivirus you install and run. | BNo store rating on record. It is installed software that starts working after install. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWindows, Mac and Android on the dearer plans, with no iPhone and no integrations on record. | DThe firewall, phishing protection and patching are listed as Windows only. Android Security is a separate product that was not priced. No integrations. |
| Best for | Windows antivirus with a 30-day free trial | a basic Windows antivirus |
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: Total Defense and VIPRE. How we grade
Price against what you get
Total Defense starts at $3.33 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. VIPRE starts at $1.25 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.3.
Total Defense scores higher, and starts $2.08 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other antivirus apps on the chart, 4 score higher than Total Defense for less, and 2 score higher than VIPRE 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
- Total Defense also covers file sync.
- VIPRE also covers vPN.
At a glance
| Total Defense | VIPRE | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $39.99 per year for 3 PCs (sale price shown, $59.99 crossed out; renewal price not stated) | $14.99 per year (Antivirus Plus; page does not say whether this renews) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 30-day free trial, no credit card needed, per the vendor's homepage. | 30-day free trial for new users |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Total Defense | VIPRE Security Group |
| Price read from | totaldefense.com | vipre.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
VIPRE
- The pricing page does not say how many devices a plan covers or whether the shown yearly price is a first-term price.
- The firewall, phishing protection, patching and privacy features are listed as Windows-compatible only.
- Android Security and Privacy Shield are separate products listed in the home menu; they were not priced here.
- Sold with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Key features
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.
VIPRE
- Real-time and cloud protection
- Uses machine learning and cloud-enabled scanning to detect malware, spyware and ransomware.
- Firewall and email protection
- Advanced Security adds a firewall plus protection against phishing and spam. These features are listed as Windows only.
- Third-party patching
- Advanced Security keeps other installed apps up to date; listed as Windows only.
- Privacy tools
- The Ultimate bundle adds a webcam and microphone blocker, browsing track cleaner and dark web scanner.
- VPN
- The Ultimate bundle includes an unlimited VPN described as covering all devices.
Plans
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.
VIPRE
Antivirus Plus$14.99
per year; renewal price and device count not shown
Malware, spyware and ransomware detection, real-time scans and cloud-enabled protection. Shown as 61% off a crossed-out $38.49 a year.
Advanced Security$19.99
per year; renewal price and device count not shown
Adds third-party patching, phishing and spam protection, a firewall and behavioral analysis, all Windows only. Shown as 66% off a crossed-out $60.49 a year.
Ultimate Security Bundle$39.99
per year; renewal price and device count not shown
Adds a browsing track cleaner, webcam and microphone blocker, dark web scanner, document auditing and an unlimited VPN. Shown as 74% off a crossed-out $153.99 a year.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Total Defense or VIPRE?
As of Nov 13, 2026, VIPRE is cheaper to start with: $1.25 a month when paid by the year, against $3.33 a month when paid by the year for Total Defense. Total Defense starts at $39.99 per year for 3 PCs (sale price shown, $59.99 crossed out; renewal price not stated), and VIPRE starts at $14.99 per year (Antivirus Plus; page does not say whether this renews).
Which has a free plan, Total Defense or VIPRE?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Total Defense nor VIPRE has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Total Defense and VIPRE run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Total Defense lists macOS and Android apps. Both list a Windows app. 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.