Choosing your antivirus in 2025: an honest comparison

"Do I need an antivirus?", it's one of the most frequent questions I hear at the workshop. And the honest answer is more nuanced than a simple yes or no. The viruses of 2025 are nothing like those from ten years ago: gone are the pranks that displayed pop-ups or deleted your files. Today's malware is discreet, patient and profitable : ransomware that encrypts your data for a ransom, stealers that silently take your passwords, cryptocurrency miners nibbling at your processor for months without you noticing.

The threat level is real. But the antivirus market itself is riddled with aggressive marketing, misleading offers, and software that does more harm than good. This guide will set things straight.

The truth about Windows Defender: it's good, genuinely#

For years, Windows Defender had a bad reputation. It was deserved, on Windows 7, it really was inadequate. That's no longer the case.

Since Windows 10, Microsoft has completely overhauled its built-in antivirus. According to recent AV-Test scores, it gets the perfect 18/18, the maximum, on each of the three criteria evaluated: protection, performance, and usability. Microsoft Defender detects 100% of the current month's malware and 100% of widespread malware (zero-day included in the tests).

What this means in practice: if you have a PC running Windows 10 or Windows 11 properly up to date, Windows Defender enabled = you're protected for everyday use. Free. Already installed. No special configuration needed.

So why is there a whole market of paid antiviruses? Because they bring features Defender doesn't have, but also because it's a very profitable business.

What paid antiviruses really bring#

A modern paid antivirus is much more than a simple virus scanner. The full suites typically include:

• A VPN to encrypt your connection on public Wi-Fi (cafés, hotels, stations)
• A password manager to store and generate unique passwords
• Banking protection (isolated browser for online payments)
• Parental controls to filter content for children
• Webcam and microphone protection against unauthorised access
• Dark web monitoring to find out if your data has leaked

These features have real value. The question is: do you need them? A retiree who checks emails and watches videos probably doesn't need a built-in VPN. A remote worker who often connects from public networks does.

Comparison: the best antiviruses in 2025#

Here are the recent AV-Test scores and the prices observed at the time of writing (do check current offers, prices often vary with promotions and renewals are sometimes much pricier than the first year):

Windows Defender vs Bitdefender Free vs ESET: head-to-head#

To cut to the chase, here's how these three options compare on the criteria that really matter day-to-day:

Kaspersky: technically the best, but a question of trust#

Kaspersky scores 18/18 in AV-Test, that's beyond dispute. Technically, it's been one of the best antiviruses in the world for years.

The problem isn't technical, it's geopolitical. Kaspersky is a Russian company, founded and run from Moscow. In March 2022, following the invasion of Ukraine, ANSSI (France's national agency for information system security) issued an alert recommending "precautions" regarding the use of Kaspersky solutions. In September 2024, the United States went further and banned the sale of Kaspersky on its territory, citing a potential risk of data being passed to Russian intelligence services.

To be precise: Kaspersky is not banned for individuals in France to date. Kaspersky has also denied any collaboration with the Russian government and even launched a global transparency programme (third-party audits of its source code).

My position: in the absence of formal proof of compromise, I can't claim Kaspersky is dangerous. But in a context of heightened geopolitical tensions, I personally advise against entrusting the security of your PC to software of Russian origin. It's not a certainty of risk, it's a matter of measured caution. There are excellent alternatives without that ambiguity.

My recommendation: what I'd advise my family#

For most users: Windows Defender + Malwarebytes free

This is the combination I use myself and recommend first. Defender provides real-time protection 24/7, free, built in, automatically updated. Malwarebytes in its free version lets you run an on-demand scan when you have doubts (strange site visited, unknown USB stick plugged in, PC behaving oddly). It's not a real-time antivirus in its free version, but it's an excellent second-opinion tool.

If you want a paid suite:

• Bitdefender Total Security is my first choice. Excellent AV-Test score, simple interface, VPN and password manager included, and often around 20–30 €/year on promo, without Norton's nasty renewal surprises.
• ESET is my second choice. The company is Slovak (in the EU), the price is transparent and stable at around 40 €/year without promotional shenanigans, and their products are reputed to be light and not to slow the PC down.

What you absolutely shouldn't do#

• ❌ Disable Windows Defender because a YouTube tutorial told you to "improve performance", the gains are negligible and you end up with no protection
• ❌ Install CCleaner or Advanced SystemCare thinking they're antiviruses or "security cleaners", they aren't antiviruses, and some versions have in the past been distributed with malware
• ❌ Have two real-time antiviruses at the same time : they conflict, slow the PC down, and create gaps instead of increasing protection
• ❌ Trust "Your PC is infected!" pop-ups on websites, that's aggressive advertising (scareware), not a real alert. Windows will never warn you via a web page

And if your PC is already infected?#

An antivirus installed after an infection may not be enough. Some malware (rootkits, bootkits) actively defend against being cleaned and survive a restart.

1. 1
   Disconnect the PC from the network, turn off Wi-Fi and unplug the Ethernet cable immediately. Some malware (ransomware, stealers) keeps sending your data or encrypting your files as long as the connection is active. Cutting the network limits the damage.
2. 2
   Restart in safe mode, in Windows, hold Shift while restarting, then choose 'Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup settings → Safe Mode with networking'. In safe mode, most malware doesn't launch, which makes it easier to detect and remove.
3. 3
   Scan with Malwarebytes, download Malwarebytes from malwarebytes.com (free version is enough for the scan). Run a full scan. Malwarebytes detects types of threats classic antiviruses sometimes miss, notably adware and PUPs.
4. 4
   Scan with Microsoft MSRT, type 'mrt' in the Windows search bar. Microsoft's Malicious Software Removal Tool is updated monthly and specifically targets the most widespread malware. Complementary to Malwarebytes.
5. 5
   If the infection persists: clean reinstall of Windows, it's the only guaranteed method against rootkits and bootkits that survive scans. I back up your data before any reinstall. At the workshop, this complete operation (backup + reinstall + data recovery) is offered for 40 to 60 €.

I can diagnose the state of your PC, detect active infections, and perform a full cleanup or a clean Windows reinstall if needed, data backed up, configurations recovered.

In short#

Computer security isn't only a question of which software you have installed. It's also your habits: keeping Windows up to date, not clicking suspicious attachments, using different passwords on each site. An antivirus can't make up for risky behaviour.

But with Windows Defender enabled and up to date, you already have a solid base, better than many paid antiviruses from five years ago. If you want to go further, Bitdefender or ESET are excellent choices without nasty surprises.

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