Comodo Antivirus Review (2023 Update): The Pros & Cons

Comodo review: summary

Comodo is ranked #28 out of 28 antivirus software.

Comodo offers a broad range of features, but disappointingly, many underperform. Its virus scanner only found 91% of the malware samples, which is below average.

Comodo’s additional features like phishing protection, secure browser, and ad blocker fail to meet expectations. Plus, it still promotes the non-existent cloud backup and VPN features.

On the positive side, Comodo’s firewall provides excellent protection, and the virtual desktop tool is helpful for safely running suspicious apps. However, many rivals offer similar and superior features.

On top of that, Comodo does not participate in the independent tests by AV-Test, which is not a good sign. Without these tests, we have no benchmark to compare it against. We would stick to one of the proven winners, such as Norton or Bitdefender.

If you want the best protection, we recommend Norton.

Click the links to compare the prices of the best antivirus software:

🥇 Norton Antivirus – The best of 2023
🥈 Bitdefender Antivirus
🥉 McAfee Antivirus

Or read our complete comparison of the best antivirus of 2023.

Test score comparison

We’ve compared the 10 most recent test scores of all antivirus brands. The tests were performed by AV-Test, the German anti-malware test lab. They use three factors:

• Protection (1-6): Antivirus protection against malware attacks.
• Performance (1-6): System slowdown caused by the antivirus.
• Usability (1-6): Frequency of false alarms and disruptions.

We used their results, and this formula, to calculate the final score:

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

Brands not listed in the table haven’t participated in the analysis by AV-Test. This is usually not a good sign. Because most reputable brands, except Panda, ESET, and Sophos, partake in the test.

Click the links to compare the prices of the best antivirus software:

🥇 Norton Antivirus – The best of 2023
🥈 Bitdefender Antivirus
🥉 McAfee Antivirus

Or read our complete comparison of the best antivirus of 2023.

Comodo antivirus review

Anti-malware

Comodo’s performance in malware detection isn’t as robust as top-tier rivals such as Norton, and its added features, like anti-phishing, secure browsing, and ad blocking, are lacking. The real-time protection blocked 91% of threats, falling short of complete safety. Former paid plan features, including VPN and cloud storage, are no longer available, devaluing the package.

While Comodo offers free core security features, other options such as Avira and Norton provide superior protection for free and paid packages respectively.

Comodo’s malware scanner has four options: Quick, Full, Rating, and Custom scans. Unfortunately, Quick Scan underperformed, missing threats Norton identified. Full Scan took 3,5 hours and found 91% of threats, still below the 100% target.

The Rating Scan, checking files against Comodo’s cloud database, inaccurately rated trustworthy files as untrustworthy. However, the Custom Scan worked well, offering scheduled scans of specific files or folders. Overall, competitors offer better scanner alternatives.

Comodo’s real-time scanner defends against malware threats and incorporates a host intrusion prevention system (HIPS). The real-time scanner blocked over 89% of malware in tests but lacks customization and falls short of top performers like Norton and Bitdefender. Comodo’s HIPS feature is optional and useful for advanced users needing specific rulesets. Better real-time protection is available from Bitdefender, Avira, and Norton.

Firewall

Comodo’s strongest feature is its Secure Firewall, which is highly customizable and excels in detecting various network threats. It offers four modes: Block All, Custom Ruleset, Safe Mode, and Training Mode.

The first blocks all traffic, useful when dealing with a system virus. Custom Ruleset is tailored for advanced users, allowing the creation of unique rules. Safe Mode auto-generates rules for recognized traffic and seeks permission for unrecognized. Training Mode uses machine learning to create rules based on user activity, although it may not be suitable for average users.

The firewall also has many customization options and easily allows you to whitelist blocked applications.

Anti-phishing

However, Comodo’s phishing protection underperformed in tests, with Google Chrome outperforming it in blocking phishing sites. Its website filtering feature is also lacking, only compatible with Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. Norton and McAfee are better alternatives for anti-phishing protection.

Virtual Desktop

Comodo’s Virtual Desktop offers a secure environment to test potential malware without risking its spread, a feature more suited to advanced users. After testing, it proved to be secure, with no malware found on the actual PC. For everyday users, a secure antivirus like Norton or Bitdefender would suffice, offering automatic detection and blockage of malware.

Secure Shopping

Comodo’s Secure Shopping tool, essentially a secure browser, provides an array of protections. It conceals sensitive data, blocks keyloggers, warns of remote connections, detects phony SSL certificates, and claims to prevent screen capture by hackers. Despite these benefits, during testing, it allowed screen captures, undermining its claim to security. Competitors such as Bitdefender offer superior secure browser features.

Ad Blocker

Comodo’s Ad Blocker, a Google Chrome extension, proved wholly ineffective, failing to block web advertisements. Better alternatives exist, including offerings from Avira, TotalAV, and ProtonVPN.

Additional Features

Comodo also offers additional features, some of which are problematic. The Task Manager didn’t function correctly, but KillSwitch performed well, providing detailed process information.

The Gaming Mode, designed to mute notifications during full-screen activities, works but lacks system optimization and auto-activation present in competitors like Norton. The Cloud Backup and VPN features, part of Comodo’s paid plans, don’t function currently, revealing a lack of product update and customer transparency.

In summary, while Comodo boasts many features, many are ineffective or outdated, requiring improvement and transparency in their offerings.

Plans

Comodo offers two primary plans, a free and a paid one, but their website’s presentation can be quite misleading. Despite various named plans, the free plan includes almost all of Comodo’s features, while the paid plan, costing €27.24/year for 1 PC, offers no significant extra benefits, making it not worth the upgrade.

The free software, Comodo Internet Security Premium, includes numerous security features, from malware scanning and real-time protection to ad-blocking and secure shopping. Despite its offerings, other free alternatives, such as Avira, provide better protections.

The paid plan, Comodo Internet Security Pro, adds only a tech support service, Geek Buddy, and a $500 virus-free guarantee to the existing free plan, both of which fall short of matching the value offered by competitors like Norton.

Prominently advertised but unavailable for purchase, Comodo Internet Security Complete claims to offer additional features like VPN and cloud storage. However, these have been discontinued since 2012. Comodo’s outdated and misleading website is a cause for concern.

Comodo Mobile Security, available for iOS and Android, offers free features and paid upgrades. While its paid features are acceptable, the free options are less reliable. Other antiviruses like Norton and Avira provide better value through comprehensive device protection packages.

Conclusion

Ultimately, Comodo fails to provide adequate protection across devices in 2023, especially compared to top competitors. Its services are limited to Windows and Android users, with many of its features either not working as intended or entirely abandoned. While its customer assistance channels are decent, both the free and paid plans fall short, and better alternatives, like Avira and Norton, are recommended for comprehensive protection in 2023.

Click the links to compare the prices of the best antivirus software:

🥇 Norton Antivirus – The best of 2023
🥈 Bitdefender Antivirus
🥉 McAfee Antivirus

Or read our complete comparison of the best antivirus of 2023.

How do we test antivirus software?

The best antivirus software offer virus protection, identity theft protection, and privacy protection for Windows, macOS, and Android. Some also offer security features for iOS and Linus.

To evaluate which providers are worth your money, we run 11 tests:

> Test 1: Anti-malware protection test

We analyze antivirus software’s capability to detect and eliminate known and unknown malware, using heuristic analysis for behavior monitoring.

We conduct in-house tests and analyze those from labs like AV-Test, SE Labs, and AV-Comparatives to determine the best malware protection.

Malware includes adware, keyloggers, ransomware, rootkits, spyware, trojans, viruses, worms, and more. Other cyber threats, usually not classified as malware, are (zero-day) exploits, hacks, identity theft, phishing attacks, scams, and social engineering.

> Test 2: False positives test

False positives occur when antivirus software misidentifies legitimate software, files, or websites as malicious. We rely on AV-Test’s large-scale analysis of false positives in its usability test to guide our evaluations.

> Test 3: System performance test

We measure the CPU load during antivirus software system scans and consider AV-Test’s performance results on the slowdown caused by antivirus software when opening websites and handling software.

> Test 4: Firewall test

We evaluate two-way firewalls that filter incoming and outgoing data and allow users to set rules to regulate data streams. We use the ShieldsUP! test to determine if the antivirus software blocks all ports.

> Test 5: Password manager test

We assess password managers’ ability to create, store, and autofill secure passwords, as well as additional features like two-factor authentication and biometric login.

> Test 6: Virtual Private Network (VPN) test

We evaluate built-in VPNs on their security, privacy, speed, compatibility with streaming services, unlimited data access, and support for peer-to-peer networks and torrent clients.

> Test 7: Parental control test

We examine parental control features, such as screen time rules, website/app blocking, and real-world location tracking. We test these features on a device and attempt to circumvent them, checking if the activity is accurately reported in the parental control admin.

> Test 8: Anti-phishing protection test

We evaluate antivirus browser extensions that block phishing sites by installing them and attempting to visit dangerous URLs.

> Test 9: Ransomware protection test

We assess security suites’ ability to prevent data encryption through exploit prevention and behavioral detection during ransomware attacks.

> Test 10: Bonus features test

We test any additional cybersecurity tools such as:

• Ad Blocker
• Anti-theft
• Dark web monitoring (identity protection)
• Email protection
• File encryption
• File shredder
• Gaming mode
• Microphone protection
• PC maintenance features
• Secure browser (hardened browser to protect your online banking)
• Secure cloud storage (cloud backup)
• Spam filter
• Startup optimizer
• Tune up tools
• Virtual keyboard
• Webcam protection

> Test 11: Operating system and multiple devices test

Operating system and multiple devices: We test antivirus software on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices and award bonus points for unlimited device protection.

> Test 12: Ownership and reputation test

We analyze the trustworthiness of antivirus companies, especially concerning customer data. We read press releases, news articles, and privacy policies to determine their reputation.

Sources and tools

Below are the sources and tools we’ve used to test the antivirus software:

• Apple Platform Security
• AV-Comparatives Consumer
• AV-Test Android
• AV-Test macOS
• AV-Test Windows
• GRC Firewall Test
• Microsoft Defender
• SpeedTest VPN
• Trustpilot Security Software