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

Full Review

Webroot is a budget-friendly, lightweight antivirus solution that includes a solid password manager, web protection, and a system optimizer. Its password manager, powered by LastPass, is a standout feature, though the web protection can be inconsistent, and the system optimizer may lack depth for advanced users.

Webroot offers plans for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and a well-regarded Chromebook app. All packages come with a 70-day money-back guarantee, providing ample time for users to evaluate the product.

Anti-Malware

Webroot’s anti-malware protection relies on a cloud-based detection system combining heuristic analysis and a centralized malware database. This design allows for quick threat identification while minimizing CPU and disk usage during scans. Users can select between System, Full, Custom, and Quick scans, offering substantial flexibility depending on the depth and location of files they wish to inspect.

In testing, Webroot identified approximately 96% of the 1,200 malware samples, including trojans, spyware, and rootkits. While this detection rate is solid, it falls short of competitors such as Norton and Bitdefender, both of which achieved full detection. Webroot’s malware scanning engine also underperformed in ransomware simulations, detecting only about 20% of samples.

The absence of webcam protection and limited keylogger defense detracts from its otherwise impressive speed and efficiency. Scans completed in roughly five minutes, making Webroot one of the fastest antivirus engines available. However, users may experience slower internet performance during full system scans. Overall, Webroot delivers a capable malware scanner but needs stronger ransomware and advanced threat protection to match industry leaders.

Anti-Phishing

Webroot’s web protection system, known as the Web Threat Shield, blocks phishing and malicious sites through a browser extension. During testing, it successfully intercepted around 90% of phishing attempts—respectable, though slightly behind top performers like Norton and Avira. The system helps protect users from deceptive websites that attempt to steal login credentials or financial information.

A significant usability issue lies in the Web Threat Shield’s configuration. After Webroot transitioned from the old Secure Anywhere app to its new interface, key customization options disappeared. Users can no longer easily adjust or manage the extension’s settings, leaving them limited to simple website exclusions. This lack of control may frustrate users accustomed to more transparent configuration tools.

Additionally, Webroot’s terminology around its “shields” is inconsistent. Terms such as Identity Shield and Privacy Shield are used interchangeably, creating confusion. Despite these shortcomings, the Web Threat Shield still provides decent real-time phishing defense, though it trails behind the more consistent and customizable browser protection systems of Avira and Norton.

Firewall

Webroot includes a minimal firewall component that primarily monitors outbound traffic. Unlike more robust firewalls, it does not manage inbound connections, leaving that responsibility to Windows Defender. This cooperative setup keeps performance overhead low but limits comprehensive network protection.

Unfortunately, the firewall lacks customization options and a dedicated control interface. Users cannot manually define rules or monitor individual applications, as the feature is largely hidden from view. While Webroot’s legacy Secure Anywhere platform once supported these settings, the current app design omits direct firewall management entirely.

Advanced protections such as ARP or DNS spoofing prevention and man-in-the-middle safeguards are missing. The firewall runs passively in the background but offers little transparency or configurability. In short, Webroot’s firewall is adequate for basic outbound protection but not competitive with the advanced network defenses found in premium security suites like Norton or Kaspersky.

Password Manager

Webroot integrates LastPass as its password management solution, granting users access to secure storage for credentials protected by AES 256-bit encryption and zero-knowledge architecture. While this encryption standard is strong, LastPass’s recent data breaches raise serious trust concerns. The 2022 incident, with lingering effects discovered in 2024, compromised user data and caused financial losses for some individuals.

Despite the encryption preventing direct data decryption, weaknesses in master password management left users exposed. As a result, security professionals now view LastPass with caution. Although Webroot includes this feature as a convenience, users seeking password management should consider more reputable options such as 1Password, which maintains a spotless security record.

Ultimately, LastPass’s inclusion weakens Webroot’s appeal as a comprehensive security suite. The password manager’s technical design remains sound, but the company’s handling of user data and response to breaches undermine confidence in its overall reliability.

VPN

Webroot’s VPN provides solid encryption and commendable speeds. It employs AES 256-bit encryption alongside the OpenVPN protocol, both recognized for their military-grade protection and stability. When connecting to nearby servers, the VPN maintained high speeds suitable for streaming HD video and online gaming with negligible lag.

Remote server connections caused mild slowdowns, though the overall experience remained smooth. The VPN successfully bypassed regional restrictions on major streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+, outperforming several other antivirus-bundled VPNs. With more than 65 server locations worldwide, it offers good geographic flexibility for everyday browsing and entertainment.

However, Webroot’s privacy policy presents notable concerns. The company logs extensive user data, including IP addresses, downloaded file information, and domain activity. It also shares some of this data with third parties, though the specifics are unclear. While the VPN’s encryption is secure, these privacy shortcomings make it unsuitable for users prioritizing anonymity. In essence, Webroot’s VPN is fast and functional but not truly privacy-focused.

Other Security Features

Webroot’s supplementary security tools enhance its core protection package but fail to reach the depth of competitors. The system optimizer can clear junk files, fix registry errors, and improve startup speed, though its cleanup effectiveness is limited compared to solutions like TotalAV or Avira. It does offer configuration flexibility, including bandwidth scanning and scheduled cleaning, yet the menus are difficult to navigate.

The parental controls are lightweight and intuitive but available only on Windows. They allow content filtering, time limits, and activity reporting but lack password protection and granular scheduling options. Children could potentially disable controls without supervision, which severely limits usefulness.

Webroot also bundles identity theft protection for US users through Allstate, featuring $1 million in fraud reimbursement, dark web monitoring, and credit tracking. This service is robust but restricted geographically and to higher-tier plans. Additional extras include a cloud backup utility with unlimited storage per device and an app vulnerability scanner that detects outdated software. While these tools function well, Webroot’s overall feature set feels modest compared to industry leaders that include comprehensive performance optimizers, dark web monitoring for all users, and device-wide parental controls.

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.