F-Secure Antivirus Review (2026): Is it the right choice?

Full Review

F-Secure provides strong malware detection and robust web protection, effectively blocking phishing and other online threats. It offers two main plans: Internet Security, which includes malware protection, parental controls, and web safety features, and Total, which adds a VPN and identity theft protection with a password manager. The VPN and identity protection tools can also be bought separately. Plans cover 1, 3, or 5 devices, all with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Anti-Malware

F-Secure’s anti-malware technology combines a vast cloud-based malware database with advanced machine learning algorithms for real-time behavior analysis. This hybrid approach ensures comprehensive protection against both known threats and zero-day exploits. The system intelligently identifies suspicious files, using heuristic methods to detect ransomware, trojans, and rootkits with remarkable accuracy.

F-Secure offers two primary scan options: a full system scan and a quick scan targeting high-risk locations. Users can customize scans by file type, archive depth, and folder exclusions. During testing, F-Secure achieved a 96% detection rate across 1,200 malware samples, isolating or deleting nearly every malicious file.

The initial full scan completed in 22 minutes—faster than most competitors—and subsequent scans were reduced to under five minutes due to its file whitelisting system. Performance impact was minimal, allowing uninterrupted multitasking during scans. DeepGuard, F-Secure’s proactive defense layer, effectively blocks untrusted applications and monitors system processes for tampering. Its adjustable security modes, including Classic and Strict, offer flexibility for both average and expert users.

Overall, F-Secure delivers industry-leading malware protection with efficient resource usage and consistent real-time defenses.

Anti-Phishing

F-Secure’s anti-phishing capabilities are delivered through its comprehensive Secure Browsing suite, integrating Browsing Protection, Banking Protection, and Trusted Shopping. These features work seamlessly to identify and block phishing attempts, fraudulent websites, and exploit-driven attacks. In independent testing, F-Secure blocked 19 of 20 phishing sites—outperforming many competitors in the same class.

Browsing Protection uses color-coded indicators within search engines to warn users of potentially harmful or suspicious links. It supports Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer. The system blocks pages hosting exploits related to JavaScript, Flash, and browser-specific vulnerabilities. Banking Protection activates automatically on financial websites, preventing unauthorized network access and blocking risky pages until the transaction session ends.

Remote Access Blocker adds a vital defense against remote-access scams, terminating external connection attempts during sensitive sessions. Meanwhile, Trusted Shopping identifies questionable e-commerce platforms, providing alerts for unverified vendors. Although its ad blocker is underwhelming, blocking only around half of online ads, F-Secure’s phishing defenses remain robust and comprehensive.

Overall, F-Secure’s layered web and phishing protections offer reliable, proactive safeguards against fraudulent activities and identity theft.

Password Manager

F-Secure’s Password Vault provides a user-friendly yet secure approach to credential management. It begins with the creation of a master password and a QR-based recovery option. While this ensures convenient recovery, it also introduces potential risk if stored insecurely. The tool supports importing credentials from major browsers and password managers, such as Dashlane, LastPass, and Chrome, through simple CSV integration.

Once set up, the browser extension enables seamless auto-fill and auto-save for credentials across supported browsers. The synchronization between desktop and browser environments is fast and reliable, reducing manual entry errors. The vault’s password generator can create 32-character random passwords incorporating mixed character sets for strong security. However, it lacks advanced features like passphrase creation or passkey support found in more specialized tools.

Although it doesn’t rival premium standalone managers like 1Password or Dashlane in functionality, F-Secure’s Password Vault performs exceptionally well in usability and autofill precision. It’s a solid choice for users seeking a straightforward password management solution integrated within an antivirus suite.

VPN

F-Secure’s VPN service provides solid security and usability, featuring AES-256 encryption, IKEv2 and OpenVPN protocols, a strict no-logs policy, kill switch protection, and split-tunneling. With 32 servers in 27 countries, its coverage is limited compared to top-tier VPNs like ExpressVPN, yet it maintains consistent performance and reliability.

Speed tests revealed minimal latency on nearby servers and moderate increases when connecting to distant ones, without noticeable drops during HD streaming or browsing. The VPN supports torrenting and successfully bypasses geo-restrictions on popular streaming services including Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video. The user interface is simple and intuitive, with a “Best location” feature that automatically connects to the fastest available server.

However, the VPN does not operate in restricted regions such as China or the UAE, limiting its utility for travelers or users under censorship regimes. Despite its smaller server network, F-Secure’s VPN offers dependable encryption, smooth performance, and strong privacy protection for general users.

Other Security Features

F-Secure complements its core protections with several additional security tools aimed at enhancing online safety and family management.

Scam Protection is one of the standout extras, available in both Internet Security and Total plans. It provides real-time filtering of phishing emails, fraudulent SMS messages, and malicious websites. On mobile, it also alerts users to unsafe Wi-Fi networks and includes SMS scam detection. The Scamometer tool quantifies risk levels for online activities such as shopping and banking, helping users recognize high-risk behavior patterns. Although effective, it lacks identity theft insurance and credit monitoring found in rival platforms.

ID Monitoring extends F-Secure’s protection to the dark web, scanning for exposed personal data such as emails, phone numbers, and bank information. It alerts users of data breaches and offers guidance on remediation steps. While not as advanced as Norton or Avira’s offerings, its clear interface and actionable insights make it a valuable inclusion.

Family Rules serve as F-Secure’s parental control system. Parents can create child profiles, set browsing restrictions, enforce internet curfews, and block or limit apps. The controls work well across platforms, though Android and iOS implementations are somewhat limited compared to Windows and macOS. Despite the simplicity, the web portal interface is intuitive, and features like App Control allow customized access for each app installed on a child’s device.

Together, these features enhance F-Secure’s overall ecosystem, providing a holistic security suite suitable for family use and everyday digital protection.

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.