Asked why he robbed banks, Slick Willie Sutton reportedly replied, 'Because that's where the money is.' Malware coders attack Windows and Android devices for the same reason; one way or another they make money from their misdeeds. But there's another reason—Windows and Android just aren't as buttoned up as macOS and iOS, security-wise. Crafting attacks on those platforms is just easier. That's why installing antivirus software on your desktops just isn't enough. You need security on your Android devices as well.
You Need Antivirus for Your Android
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Android protection doesn't exist in a vacuum. The 10 products in the chart above are all cross-platform solutions, with protection available at least for Windows, macOS, and Android. Half of them also offer some form of iOS protection, though with a feature set that is limited by the closed nature of Apple's operating system.
Note that the ratings in the chart are for the product as a whole, across all platforms. They don't necessarily reflect the quality of the Android product. For example, a failure to block ransomware on Windows and a Mac antivirus that just wasn't working pulled down BullGuard's overall score, though its Android edition tested fine.
Testing Results From the Labs
Do these Android antivirus utilities actually work? We look to three independent testing labs to find out. Previously BullGuard and ESET didn't show up in in Android-centered reports from any of the labs. All three labs have updated their reports, and now all ten have at least one lab score. Five products show up in all three reports.
Researchers at AV-Comparatives tested an astonishing 250 Android security products. Their automated testing framework challenged each product to defend against 2,000 prevalent Android malware samples found in the wild. Webroot detected 97.4% of the samples, while the other nine caught 100 percent.
The latest test from AV-Test Institute hit about 20 Android antivirus solutions with thousands of malware samples, half freshly gathered and half older (but no older than four weeks). Researchers also installed thousands more non-malicious programs, to make sure that the antivirus didn't wrongly identify them as malware. They assigned each product six protection points for blocking malware, six usability points for refraining from mistakenly blocking valid programs, and one bonus point for useful extra features. Looking just at our top ten, all the products earned the bonus point, and almost all got the full six points in the other two categories. None of the products in the chart earned a total score lower than 12.5 of 13 possible points.
London-based MRG-Effitas tested eleven products, five of which overlapped with our selection. The testers evaluated each product's ability to detect and eliminate threats before launch, and the ability to detect and neutralize threats during install. They checked more than 200 samples, ranging from Trojans to adware. Kaspersky and McAfee earned 100 percent in both tests; the other three got 100 percent in one test and nearly that in the other.
Malware Protection and More
All the Android products include an antivirus component that scans new apps and offers an on-demand scan as well. All but a couple of them can also run scans on a schedule, a feature perhaps more useful on Windows than Android. All except BullGuard offer some form of safe browsing, to keep you from surfing to URLs that might try to plant
Most of these apps also check your installed apps for potential privacy problems; Kaspersky is the exception. Typically, they flag programs that have permission to do things like view your contacts, scan your call logs, learn your location, or send texts. If a communication app needs access to contacts, that makes sense. If a goofy game wants to paw through your private info, however, consider deleting it.
All of them also offer antitheft protection for a lost or stolen device. You can find your device's location on a map. If you've just mislaid it around the house, you can trigger a noisy alarm to help you find it. You can lock the phone to keep a thief out of your apps and data. And if you determine that you'll never get the device back, you can remotely wipe it. All the apps let you manage antitheft features using an online console. Most of them offer the option of triggering antitheft events using coded text messages. And all but Webroot, F-Secure, and BullGuard can also surreptitiously snap a photo of whoever is using your device.
One of the first things a typical smartphone thief does is claim the device by swapping out the SIM card. All the apps above except F-Secure and BullGuard include some form of SIM card protection. Some of them lock the device on SIM card change. Others notify you of the new phone number, so you can still send those coded text messages to invoke antitheft features.
Bitdefender is the only one of these products that
Bonus Features
Antivirus and antitheft are core components for any Android security app, but some go way beyond the basics. Common bonus features include backup for your contacts and photos, a battery monitor to show which apps are killing your battery life, and a task killer to send those battery hogs packing. Several of the apps warn when you connect to an insecure Wi-Fi network. Bitdefender, Kaspersky, and McAfee let you pair your phone with your Android Wear, so if you walk away from your phone, your watch can remind you to grab it.
As noted, almost all of these security tools scan your installed apps and report on those that might be privacy risks. Norton and Trend Micro take that skill to the next level, reporting on apps as you view them in the Play Store, so you can avoid downloading any that might be problematic.
VPN protection is actually more important on mobile devices than desktops, because mobile devices connect to a wide variety of networks. Kaspersky and Bitdefender both include a bandwidth-limited VPN with their Android editions.
A few of these products feature less-common bonus features. ESET lets you time-schedule your call blocking, for example, to allow only family members to call you at night. Trend Micro offers to scan your Facebook settings and warn about any security problems. Webroot has a password manager built in.
Stay Safe on All of Your Devices
So, which one should you choose? It depends on just what you need to protect, but we assume you want a suite that at least installs on your Windows and Android devices. McAfee Antivirus Plus is an Editors' Choice antivirus, with protection for unlimited devices. Kaspersky Security Cloud and Norton 360 Deluxe are both Editors' Choice cross-platform security suites, and both get great lab scores on Windows and Android. Bitdefender Total Security likewise pulls in top lab scores and offers a cornucopia of features on Windows; it's our Editor's Choice for security mega-suite. You won't go wrong with one of these four, but the others have their own merits. Click through the links, read the full reviews, and make your choice.
Best Android Antivirus Apps Featured in This Roundup:
McAfee AntiVirus Plus Review
MSRP: $59.99
Pros: Protection for every Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS device in your household. Good scores in hands-on tests. Perfect score in antiphishing test. Includes new ransomware protection and PC Boost, plus many bonus features.
Cons: Ransom Guard missed one hand-modified ransomware sample. PC Boost web speedup works only in Chrome. Mac edition less feature-rich than Windows or Android. Still fewer features for iOS.
Bottom Line: A single subscription for McAfee AntiVirus Plus lets you protect every Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS device in your household. It's quite a deal, and the current edition adds some new and useful features.
Read ReviewSymantec Norton 360 Deluxe Review
MSRP: $99.99
Pros: No-limits VPN. Top scores in our malware protection and malicious URL blocking tests. Hosted storage for online backup. Powerful, self-sufficient firewall. Supports Windows, macOS, Android, iOS. Virus protection promise.
Cons: Security protection limited on iOS devices. No parental control for macOS.
Bottom Line: In addition to cross-platform security, hosted online backup, and a ton of security features, Symantec Norton 360 Deluxe gives you a no-limits VPN and full-featured parental control system that would cost plenty by themselves. It's a high-security bargain.
Read ReviewBitdefender Total Security Review
MSRP: $89.99
Pros: Award-winning antivirus. Many bonus features including VPN and ransomware protection. Anti-theft for Windows, Android, and iOS. Optimization for Windows. Remote control and monitoring.
Cons: Support for iOS is limited.
Bottom Line: If you want every security component in a single well-integrated package, plus bonus features, Bitdefender's Total Security mega-suite is what you need.
Read ReviewKaspersky Security Cloud Review
MSRP: $149.99
Pros: Protection for up to 20 Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. Includes security, parental control, password management, VPN, and much more. Online dashboard manages security. Great per-device price.
Cons: VPN bandwidth limited. Password manager lacks advanced features. Requires many separate installations.
Bottom Line: Kaspersky Security Cloud is a security suite that lets you install and manage Kaspersky security on up to 20 PCs, phones, and tablets at an impressively low per-device price.
Read ReviewWebroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Plus Review
MSRP: $59.99
Pros: Excellent antivirus protection. Can reverse some ransomware attacks. Full-featured Android security. Light on system resources in testing. Fastest scan in testing.
Cons: Limited password manager doesn't add significant value. Few independent lab test results.
Bottom Line: On top of excellent antivirus protection, Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Plus adds full-featured Android security and a lackluster password manager.
Read ReviewTrend Micro Maximum Security Review
MSRP: $89.95
Pros: Excellent scores in our antiphishing and malicious URL blocking tests. Many useful bonus features. Comprehensive Android security. Protection for macOS beyond the basics. Unusually rich iOS support.
Cons: Parental control easily foiled on some platforms. Poor score in hands-on malware protection test. Some problems with social media privacy scanner.
Bottom Line: Trend Micro Maximum Security offers protection for your Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS devices, though you get a richer set of features on Windows and Android.
Read ReviewAVG Internet Security - Unlimited (2017) Review
MSRP: $69.99
Pros: Protects unlimited Windows, macOS, or Android devices. Good scores in independent antivirus lab tests and one of our tests. Comprehensive Android security. Encrypted storage for sensitive files. Many bonus features.
Cons: Poor scores blocking fraudulent and malicious URLs. Can be disabled programmatically. Mac protection limited to antivirus. No iOS protection.
Bottom Line: As the name implies, AVG Internet Security - Unlimited lets you install protection on an unlimited number of Windows, macOS, and Android devices. However, other cross-platform multi-device suites do the job better.
Read ReviewESET Multi-Device Security Pack Review
MSRP: $79.99
Pros: Protection for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. Full-featured Android security. Effective Android parental control. Powerful Windows antivirus.
Cons: Lacks premium features for Windows. Parental control limited under Windows and Mac. Fewer features on Mac. No support for iOS. Expensive.
Bottom Line: ESET Multi-Device Security Pack offers security for Windows, macOS, Android, and Linux devices, but it's pricey, and its protection isn't consistent across platforms.
Read ReviewF-Secure Safe (2017) Review
MSRP: $49.99
Pros: Protection for multiple Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS devices. Full suite for Windows devices. My F-Secure portal manages users and devices.
Cons: Support for macOS limited, for iOS even more so. No remote configuration control in My F-Secure portal. Uneven quality of Windows suite components.
Bottom Line: A subscription to F-Secure Safe lets you install protection on your Windows, Android, macOS, or iOS devices. However, other cross-platform multi-device security apps offer better security at lower prices.
Read ReviewBullGuard Internet Security Review
MSRP: $59.95
Pros: Good scores from independent antivirus labs. Good phishing protection score. Backup and PC Tune Up. Full-featured Android security. Vulnerability scan. Antivirus for macOS. Game booster.
Cons: Antivirus allowed takeover by a ransomware sample. Poor score in hands-on malware protection test. Parental control dated and limited. Feature-limited Mac antivirus failed in testing. Some impact on performance. No hosted online backup.
Bottom Line: BullGuard Internet Security packs a lot of features, including backup and performance tune-up, but the quality of features doesn't line up with the quantity.
Read Review
Best Android Antivirus Apps Featured in This Roundup:
McAfee AntiVirus Plus Review
MSRP: $59.99Pros: Protection for every Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS device in your household. Good scores in hands-on tests. Perfect score in antiphishing test. Includes new ransomware protection and PC Boost, plus many bonus features.
Cons: Ransom Guard missed one hand-modified ransomware sample. PC Boost web speedup works only in Chrome. Mac edition less feature-rich than Windows or Android. Still fewer features for iOS.
Bottom Line: A single subscription for McAfee AntiVirus Plus lets you protect every Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS device in your household. It's quite a deal, and the current edition adds some new and useful features.
Read ReviewSymantec Norton 360 Deluxe Review
MSRP: $99.99Pros: No-limits VPN. Top scores in our malware protection and malicious URL blocking tests. Hosted storage for online backup. Powerful, self-sufficient firewall. Supports Windows, macOS, Android, iOS. Virus protection promise.
Cons: Security protection limited on iOS devices. No parental control for macOS.
Bottom Line: In addition to cross-platform security, hosted online backup, and a ton of security features, Symantec Norton 360 Deluxe gives you a no-limits VPN and full-featured parental control system that would cost plenty by themselves. It's a high-security bargain.
Read ReviewBitdefender Total Security Review
MSRP: $89.99Pros: Award-winning antivirus. Many bonus features including VPN and ransomware protection. Anti-theft for Windows, Android, and iOS. Optimization for Windows. Remote control and monitoring.
Cons: Support for iOS is limited.
Bottom Line: If you want every security component in a single well-integrated package, plus bonus features, Bitdefender's Total Security mega-suite is what you need.
Read ReviewKaspersky Security Cloud Review
MSRP: $149.99Pros: Protection for up to 20 Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. Includes security, parental control, password management, VPN, and much more. Online dashboard manages security. Great per-device price.
Cons: VPN bandwidth limited. Password manager lacks advanced features. Requires many separate installations.
Bottom Line: Kaspersky Security Cloud is a security suite that lets you install and manage Kaspersky security on up to 20 PCs, phones, and tablets at an impressively low per-device price.
Read ReviewWebroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Plus Review
MSRP: $59.99Pros: Excellent antivirus protection. Can reverse some ransomware attacks. Full-featured Android security. Light on system resources in testing. Fastest scan in testing.
Cons: Limited password manager doesn't add significant value. Few independent lab test results.
Bottom Line: On top of excellent antivirus protection, Webroot SecureAnywhere Internet Security Plus adds full-featured Android security and a lackluster password manager.
Read ReviewTrend Micro Maximum Security Review
MSRP: $89.95Pros: Excellent scores in our antiphishing and malicious URL blocking tests. Many useful bonus features. Comprehensive Android security. Protection for macOS beyond the basics. Unusually rich iOS support.
Cons: Parental control easily foiled on some platforms. Poor score in hands-on malware protection test. Some problems with social media privacy scanner.
Bottom Line: Trend Micro Maximum Security offers protection for your Windows, macOS, Android, or iOS devices, though you get a richer set of features on Windows and Android.
Read ReviewAVG Internet Security - Unlimited (2017) Review
MSRP: $69.99Pros: Protects unlimited Windows, macOS, or Android devices. Good scores in independent antivirus lab tests and one of our tests. Comprehensive Android security. Encrypted storage for sensitive files. Many bonus features.
Cons: Poor scores blocking fraudulent and malicious URLs. Can be disabled programmatically. Mac protection limited to antivirus. No iOS protection.
Bottom Line: As the name implies, AVG Internet Security - Unlimited lets you install protection on an unlimited number of Windows, macOS, and Android devices. However, other cross-platform multi-device suites do the job better.
Read ReviewESET Multi-Device Security Pack Review
MSRP: $79.99Pros: Protection for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. Full-featured Android security. Effective Android parental control. Powerful Windows antivirus.
Cons: Lacks premium features for Windows. Parental control limited under Windows and Mac. Fewer features on Mac. No support for iOS. Expensive.
Bottom Line: ESET Multi-Device Security Pack offers security for Windows, macOS, Android, and Linux devices, but it's pricey, and its protection isn't consistent across platforms.
Read ReviewF-Secure Safe (2017) Review
MSRP: $49.99Pros: Protection for multiple Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS devices. Full suite for Windows devices. My F-Secure portal manages users and devices.
Cons: Support for macOS limited, for iOS even more so. No remote configuration control in My F-Secure portal. Uneven quality of Windows suite components.
Bottom Line: A subscription to F-Secure Safe lets you install protection on your Windows, Android, macOS, or iOS devices. However, other cross-platform multi-device security apps offer better security at lower prices.
Read ReviewBullGuard Internet Security Review
MSRP: $59.95Pros: Good scores from independent antivirus labs. Good phishing protection score. Backup and PC Tune Up. Full-featured Android security. Vulnerability scan. Antivirus for macOS. Game booster.
Cons: Antivirus allowed takeover by a ransomware sample. Poor score in hands-on malware protection test. Parental control dated and limited. Feature-limited Mac antivirus failed in testing. Some impact on performance. No hosted online backup.
Bottom Line: BullGuard Internet Security packs a lot of features, including backup and performance tune-up, but the quality of features doesn't line up with the quantity.
Read Review