PC Matic Antivirus Review (2026): Is it the right choice?

Full Review

PC Matic is a straightforward antivirus solution that primarily uses whitelisting to block malware, which is effective but may flag legitimate programs. If whitelisting is disabled, it operates using a more conventional blacklist approach. The desktop apps for Windows and Mac are solid, though the mobile apps for iOS and Android lack advanced features.

While PC Matic doesn’t offer the extensive features found in top-tier antiviruses like Norton or McAfee, and it lacks robust protection against dangerous websites, it still delivers reliable malware defense. Its simplicity makes it a good option for non-technical users. The software is available in English, Spanish, Japanese, and Portuguese.

Anti-Malware

PC Matic’s anti-malware protection is built on a unique whitelisting approach that allows only verified, safe applications to run. Its SuperShield engine automatically blocks all unknown software and sends these files to PC Matic’s testing team for verification, typically within 24 hours. Users may manually whitelist trusted programs, though the automatic submission process could concern privacy-focused users.

This approach achieves near-perfect malware detection but results in frequent false positives. During testing, legitimate applications like Firefox’s uninstaller were mistakenly flagged. SuperShield runs silently in the background and can operate in Industry Standard mode, which uses traditional blacklisting to reduce false alerts but slightly weakens proactive protection.

The on-demand scanner complements SuperShield by detecting threats, deleting junk files, and updating outdated applications. However, scan reliability issues—such as crashes and incomplete runs—reduce its overall effectiveness. Despite these technical flaws, PC Matic’s malware defense remains highly capable, providing excellent protection against a wide range of digital threats.

Anti-Phishing

PC Matic does not include a specialized anti-phishing module but provides effective indirect protection through its whitelisting and browser-based defenses. Its strict control over unknown executables helps prevent phishing-based malware infections by stopping malicious code from launching.

Additionally, PC Matic integrates an ad blocker powered by uBlock Origin. This tool effectively removes ads, trackers, and potentially dangerous scripts that can host phishing links, significantly reducing exposure to deceptive web content. Tests confirmed the blocker successfully eliminated all advertisements across multiple websites.

Nevertheless, PC Matic lacks advanced URL filtering and real-time email link scanning offered by competitors such as Bitdefender or Norton. This limits its ability to detect sophisticated phishing campaigns designed to mimic legitimate sites or exploit web-based vulnerabilities.

VPN

PC Matic’s higher-tier plans include a VPN designed to protect user privacy through AES-256 encryption and a verified no-logs policy. It supports up to five devices across Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, and features more than 90 global server locations. The interface allows quick server selection and displays live server loads for optimal performance.

The VPN performed reliably during tests, offering solid speeds suitable for streaming, torrenting, and secure browsing. It supports three protocols and includes key features like split tunneling and a kill switch. However, the kill switch is disabled by default and blocks all network traffic when the VPN is inactive, which may inconvenience users.

The service must be downloaded separately and is relatively expensive compared to standalone VPNs with broader functionality, such as ExpressVPN. Despite its strong encryption and good performance, the lack of advanced settings and integration limits its value for power users.

Other Security Features

PC Matic supplements its antivirus protection with a suite of additional security tools. Its dark web monitoring system, powered by IdentityForce, checks for personal information leaks involving Social Security numbers, bank accounts, and emails. It also provides monitoring for driver’s licenses and financial data, alongside 24/7 U.S.-based customer support and identity restoration services.

While dark web monitoring is included with all plans, users often face difficulties activating it without purchasing the full Identity Theft Protection upgrade. The premium version expands coverage with $1 million in identity theft insurance, stolen funds reimbursement, and protection for two adults and unlimited children.

Once activated, IdentityForce’s system delivers comprehensive monitoring and near-instant alerts when personal data appears on the dark web. It also provides breach context and direct access to recovery specialists, strengthening PC Matic’s value for identity security.

PC Matic’s ad blocker, based on uBlock Origin, effectively removes ads and trackers but offers no new functionality beyond the original extension. It faces potential compatibility issues in Chrome and Firefox extension stores due to policy changes, although it remains functional in Edge and Brave.

Overall, PC Matic’s supplementary tools—identity protection, dark web monitoring, and ad blocking—expand its security ecosystem significantly. While heavily dependent on third-party integrations, these features meaningfully enhance user privacy and protection against evolving digital threats.

Test score comparison

We conduct in-house anti-malware tests and review the results from AV-Test, a German lab renowned for its objective evaluations. Below is the average of the last 10 AV-Test results for Windows. Their scoring criteria are:

• Protection (1-6): Effectiveness in blocking malware.
• Performance (1-6): Impact on system speed.
• Usability (1-6): Frequency of errors like false alarms.

We calculate a final score using this formula:

Final Score = 60% Protection + 20% Performance + 20% Usability.

While these results influence our choice of the best antivirus for Windows 11, other factors like privacy and identity protection also play a key role. For a similar analysis for Android or macOS, visit our other comparisons:

• The best antivirus for Android.
• The best antivirus for Mac.

Note: Brands not listed in the table either do not participate in AV-Test trials or are tested too infrequently, such as Surfshark Antivirus.

Source: AV-Test (Last updated: November 2025).

Price comparison

We’ve compared the prices of the top antivirus products for Windows. To make it a fair comparison, we looked at what it would cost us, to protect a  single Windows PC with the most essential features:

• Anti-malware
• Anti-phishing (web protection)
• Firewall
• Password manager
• Unlimited VPN (no data limit)

A few notes:

• Some brands are missing features, lowering their value for money.
• Prices are second-year prices in the USA, without first-year discounts.
• Prices are rounded up for readability (e.g., $99.99 becomes $100).

Brands have different prices outside the USA. See those on their website.

User reviews

We’ve compared the user reviews of all antivirus brands. We’ve used the scores and review count of TrustPilot, a leading user review platform. 

We consider scores above 4.0 very good. Lower scores indicate that the brand might have a poor product or customer service. McAfee’s scores, for instance, are worrying.

Source: TrustPilot. Last Update: November 2025.