Your PC is home to a lot of valuable information about you. Much like you want good security for your home, you want good security for your PC too. If something goes wrong, such as a virus or malware infection, you could run the risk of losing crucial data or, worse, handing it over to a nefarious source. Windows 11 has Microsoft Defender built in, which provides a strong baseline level of protection, but many people will feel more comfortable supplementing it with additional antivirus protection.
I’ve spent significant time using many different antivirus packages. There are plenty of useful products out there, but you want something that’s easy to use, effective and doesn’t bloat your PC or get in the way. Often, antivirus software also includes extra features such as a VPN or identity theft protection, further enhancing your security. I’ve looked at these packages too.
Below, you’ll find my choices for the best cheap antivirus. These include popular brands you may already have heard of, such as Norton and McAfee, as well as services like Surfshark, which offer a lot more than just antivirus protection. I looked at pricing, what features are included, how easy each product is to use and how well each performed.
Before we get started, all prices listed are for the first year of use, with prices often increasing for the second year and beyond. Make sure to read the small print if you plan on sticking around for longer than a year and consider disabling auto-renew to stay in full control.
Read more: Bitdefender Total Security review
The best cheap antivirus services in 2026 are:
- Best overall – Norton 360 Deluxe: £29.99, Norton.com
- Best premium option – Bitdefender Premium Security: £59.99, Bitdefender.com
- Best for multiple devices – McAfee+ Premium: £49.99, Mcafee.com
- Best with extra features – Surfshark One: £38.85, Surfshark.com
Norton 360 Deluxe
Best: cheap antivirus overall
Why we love it
- Antivirus works very well
- Plenty of genuinely useful features
- Simple to use
Take note
- Slight performance impact for older PCs
- Not all features are available for all devices
Norton is a well-established presence in the antivirus industry and Norton 360 Deluxe represents the best-value option in its arsenal. It offers a comprehensive antivirus package alongside scam protection, dark web monitoring and deepfake protection. That gives you an advantage when it comes to spotting anything else online that might be trying to trick you.
Deluxe also offers a VPN and parental controls, which could save you money on paying for separate services. Adding to that is 50GB of cloud backup, which is great for keeping your data secure and away from your PC in case of an attack. I found all the services easy to set up and use, even for those less experienced with PCs. You can spend more to get Norton 360 Advanced, which adds credit reports, alerts and general financial monitoring, but most people will be content with Norton 360 Deluxe.
Bear in mind that if you have an older PC, you may notice a slight dip in performance at times. Also, not all the features listed here are available on every device, with Mac support lacking a few features. Still, Norton 360 Deluxe is simple to use and an attractive all-in-one solution.
Key specifications
Buy now £29.99, Norton.com
Bitdefender Premium Security
Best: premium cheap antivirus
Why we love it
- Comprehensive all-in-one solution
- Email protection is very effective
- Easy to manage and use
Take note
- Email protection is a little limited
- Expensive for what it offers
Like Norton, Bitdefender has been around a long time and knows what it’s doing. It offers many different plans and packages, but the one I feel is best for most people is Bitdefender Premium Security. It offers all the essentials, including highly regarded antivirus protection, scam protection, email protection, a password manager and a VPN.
The latter is likely to save you money on a separate VPN plan, while email protection is useful on top of what Gmail or similar services already provide. There’s data breach protection too, but if you want parental controls, you’ll need to sign up for the family plan, which costs £20 more but supports up to 25 devices compared with the more typical five.
Bitdefender Premium Security is far from the cheapest, even when you factor in the first-year discount. However, it’s a comprehensive solution. It even goes so far as to scan links in messaging apps on your Android phone if you want it to, so you’re covered every step of the way. Prevention is better than cure is clearly the thinking here. It’s also very simple to use, with a clear and straightforward interface. If you solely want antivirus protection, consider Bitdefender Antivirus Plus for £19.99.
Key specifications
Buy now £59.99, Bitdefender.com
McAfee+ Premium
Best: cheap antivirus for multiple devices
Why we love it
- Unlimited device support
- Antivirus works well
- Attractive interface
Take note
- No parental controls with individual plan
- Older PCs may notice performance hit
If you want to use your antivirus on a lot of devices or you’re planning ahead, McAfee+ Premium is a great solution. It covers an unlimited number of devices rather than the more typical five. That’s useful for someone like me who has multiple PCs, Macs, phones and tablets.
From there, it continues to be fairly smooth sailing. While you need to pay for the family plan for parental controls, pretty much everything else is here. There’s strong antivirus protection that does a good job of detecting issues, along with a scam detector, password manager and VPN. One highlight is the social privacy monitor, which checks your social media accounts and determines if you need to tighten up your security in any way. Sure, you can do that manually, but this is a far more efficient solution and a useful feature to spend some time with.
Its VPN could be a little faster and older PCs may notice a performance dip similar to what you might experience with Norton, but McAfee+ Premium packs a lot in for the price and is worth it for most people.
Key specifications
Buy now £49.99, Mcafee.com
Surfshark One
Best: cheap antivirus with extra features
Why we love it
- Fantastic VPN
- Simple to use
- Plenty of useful alerts
Take note
- No parental controls option
Surfshark is better known for its VPN, but it’s also a good solution for anyone who wants both antivirus protection and a VPN for less than many alternatives. It has a clean app that’s straightforward to use, even if you don’t have much experience with antivirus or VPN software.
Built into one app, you can easily choose a VPN server to connect to, scan for viruses or block ads. It also has an Alternative ID feature, so there’s no need to hand over your email address to every service, while it can also check for email scams. Data leak and ID leak alerts are useful too. When using it, I discovered a few leaks I wasn’t fully aware of. Luckily, they were linked to an email address I don’t use often, but it was a handy heads-up.
It’s also very well priced for what it offers, but bear in mind that Surfshark doesn’t offer any kind of parental controls. If you want an antivirus package that covers every possible need, this may not entirely suit you. For a strong antivirus and VPN for all your devices, though, you can’t go wrong.
Key specifications
Buy now £38.85, Surfshark.com
What is the best cheap antivirus?
You only want one antivirus package in your life. Financially, that’s smarter, but having multiple antivirus programs on your PC or Mac can also cause conflicts and issues. That one cheap antivirus should be Norton 360 Deluxe. It’s well priced for the first year, offers a ton of great features that you’ll actually use, such as a VPN and parental controls, and it’s simple to use.
Alternatively, if you don’t need parental controls, Surfshark One is a strong option. Its focus on being an exceptional VPN makes it appealing to anyone who’s security-conscious, while its antivirus works well too. It’s also a pretty good price for such a strong two-in-one package.
Bitdefender Premium Security is worth considering if you can look past the higher price, thanks to its extra layers of protection. McAfee+ Premium similarly offers the useful addition of its social privacy monitor. Ultimately, all the antivirus packages here are worth checking out.
How the best cheap antivirus was tested
During my time testing and reviewing the best cheap antivirus, I kept certain criteria in mind throughout the process. These included how easy each product was to use, what features it provided and what value for money it represented. Here’s a more in-depth look at what I considered:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
All our reviews are based on thorough, fair, real-world testing carried out by experts in their field. Jennifer Allen is an expert in everything tech. She has reviewed domain hosting services, VPNs, and more for IndyBest.
Read more: Best VPNs, tried and tested by a tech editor
