Emsisoft Anti-Malware review (2026): is it worth $39.95 a year?
Dual-engine malware scanner for home PCs, with a web console
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Emsisoft Anti-Malware report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 12, 2026
Best for Windows antivirus with two engines
Emsisoft Anti-Malware Home scans with two engines and blocks ransomware, for $39.95 a year for 1 PC. There's a 30-day trial and no free plan, and no VPN or password manager comes with it.
Who Emsisoft Anti-Malware is for
- Fits if you want a Windows antivirus with anti-ransomware and no extras
- Works for a Mac or Windows owner who wants a 30-day look before paying
Who Emsisoft Anti-Malware is not for
- Skip it if you want a free edition, as there's only the 30-day trial
- Not for you if you need a VPN or password manager, as the Home plan lists neither
- Too light for phones, since there's no Android or iOS app listed
- Watch out: the pricing page shows regional prices, so the $39.95 US price may differ where you are
Why Emsisoft Anti-Malware gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for money$39.95 a year for 1 PC, about $3.33 a month, between the cheaper quarter ($2.92) and the middle ($4.50) of antivirus tools. The pricing page shows regional prices.
- CFree plan and trial30-day free trial, and the page doesn't say whether it needs a card. No free edition.
- BFeaturesDual-engine scanning, real-time file guard, web protection, behavior blocker and anti-ransomware, with a management console. No VPN or password manager.
- BEase of useNo store rating on record. You install it and scan, with nothing to set up.
- CPlatforms and integrationsWindows and Mac, which are computers only. No phone apps listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Emsisoft's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/emsisoft#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/emsisoft.svg" alt="Emsisoft Anti-Malware: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Emsisoft Anti-Malware stands among antivirus apps
Emsisoft Anti-Malware's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 7 of the 25 other antivirus apps we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on features (B, above 9 of 25) and worst on platforms and integrations (C, above 3).
Its paid plans start at $3.33 a month when paid by the year, against a middle price of $4.50 for the category: 6 of the 20 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 4 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 26 antivirus apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Emsisoft Anti-Malware’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 5 of 25, level with 15
- CFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 25, level with 12
- BFeaturesAbove 9 of 25, level with 16
- BEase of useAbove 4 of 25, level with 19
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 3 of 25, level with 1
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 22 antivirus apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Emsisoft Anti-Malware, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Emsisoft Anti-Malware you would be making an engine that recognises new malware as it appears. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 13 of the 25 other antivirus apps grade higher. It costs $39.95 a year.
What you could not
- An engine that recognises new malware as it appears.
- Connections that pull numbers from dozens of other services.
- A real app for macOS and Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Emsisoft Anti-Malware’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Emsisoft Anti-Malware?
Emsisoft Anti-Malware Home scans for viruses, spyware and unwanted programs with a two-engine scanner and adds real-time file, web and behavior protection plus anti-ransomware. Home devices are managed from a web console and a mobile app. Emsisoft also sells Business Security and Enterprise Security plans for organizations.
Worth knowing
- The pricing page shows regional prices to some visitors; the $39.95 figure is the US price in the product page's own data and should be re-checked.
- The product page lists Windows 10 (64 bit) and later and macOS 11 and later; the pricing page describes the Home plan as for Windows PCs.
- Business Security and Enterprise Security (with EDR) are separate per-endpoint products; no VPN or password manager is listed for the Home plan.
- Sold with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Key features
- Dual-engine scanning
- Finds and cleans viruses, spyware and potentially unwanted programs with two scan engines.
- Real-time File Guard
- Checks downloaded and modified files as they appear, including with AI-supported detection.
- Web protection and browser security
- Blocks connections to malicious and phishing websites.
- Behavior Blocker and anti-ransomware
- Watches running processes for suspicious actions, including file encryption typical of ransomware, and steps in when it sees them.
- Management console
- A web console and Android and iOS apps show alerts and protection settings for the home devices on the account.
Emsisoft Anti-Malware pricing
As of Nov 12, 2026, Emsisoft Anti-Malware is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $39.95 per year for 1 PC.
- Starts at
- $39.95 per year for 1 PC
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- 30-day free trial
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Malware Home | $39.95per year for 1 PC | Dual-engine scanner, real-time protection, web protection, anti-ransomware and the management console. Priced for 1, 3 or 5 devices and for 1, 2 or 3 year terms. |
Read from emsisoft.com on Nov 12, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Emsisoft Anti-Malware before you buy.
Emsisoft Anti-Malware alternatives
- Emsisoft Anti-Malware vs Malwarebytes
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- Emsisoft Anti-Malware vs Bitdefender
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- Emsisoft Anti-Malware vs Avira
Free plan
- Emsisoft Anti-Malware vs Kaspersky
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Common questions
Does Emsisoft Anti-Malware have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Emsisoft Anti-Malware is listed for Windows and macOS.
Does Emsisoft Anti-Malware have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Emsisoft Anti-Malware is listed for Windows and macOS.
Is Emsisoft Anti-Malware open source?
Emsisoft Anti-Malware is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 12, 2026.