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

Full Review

Anti-Malware

ESET delivers exceptional malware protection through its comprehensive scanning tools, including System, Custom, and Removable Device Scans. The System Scan inspects every element of a system, from operating memory to UEFI and system registries, ensuring threats embedded deep in firmware or hidden directories are detected. Its performance rivals top-tier solutions like Norton and Bitdefender, achieving near-perfect detection rates across over 1,200 test malware samples.

Scanning is lightweight and efficient. Full system scans complete in roughly 40 minutes without impacting system performance, while Custom and Removable Device Scans finish within minutes. ESET’s Host-based Intrusion Prevention System (HIPS) adds another layer of defense, effectively blocking ransomware and rootkits before they cause harm.

Despite these strengths, ESET lacks a quick-scan feature and offers a cumbersome scan scheduling process. Mac users face limited options, missing removable device scanning and in-app scheduling tools. Nevertheless, ESET’s combination of precision scanning and real-time protection delivers one of the most robust anti-malware defenses available.

Anti-Phishing

ESET’s web protection tools effectively guard against phishing and malicious websites, particularly on Windows. Its main web protection engine monitors online activity and blocks suspicious domains, though it occasionally flags legitimate websites. On macOS, phishing defense is notably weaker and failed to intercept several harmful links.

The Browser Privacy & Security extension, available for Windows, enhances browsing safety by scanning links against ESET’s extensive threat database. It marks safe search results and warns users before they access risky sites. Its Ultimate plan expands functionality, allowing users to manage site permissions, clear browser data, and remove metadata.

ESET’s Safe Banking & Browsing feature creates an isolated, secure browser session for financial transactions, protecting against keyloggers and interceptors. This function automatically activates when banking sites are detected, offering added peace of mind. While Windows users benefit from comprehensive web defenses, macOS coverage remains limited.

Firewall

ESET’s firewall provides extensive control and solid protection from unauthorized network activity. It supports four modes: Automatic, Interactive, Policy-based, and Learning. The Automatic mode offers the best balance between security and usability, while Learning mode intelligently builds firewall rules based on user behavior.

Interactive mode can be intrusive, frequently displaying connection prompts, whereas Policy-based mode allows advanced users to define strict access rules. In testing, the firewall effectively blocked unauthorized traffic and prevented brute-force and botnet attacks through customizable rules.

Mac users receive a simplified version with stealth mode and basic connection blocking. Despite its simplicity, the firewall maintains solid defense integrity. Overall, ESET’s firewall is powerful, customizable, and capable of protecting users from sophisticated network intrusions.

Password Manager

ESET’s password manager secures credentials with 256-bit AES encryption and is available across all major browsers and mobile platforms. It supports multi-device synchronization, automatic form filling, password generation, and breach monitoring. Users can store unlimited passwords, credit card data, and secure notes.

While functional, the manager lacks advanced features found in dedicated competitors. It does not offer customizable templates for IDs or documents and has limited support for attachments. The password generator caps at 32 characters and lacks passphrase options, though its autofill capabilities perform reliably across websites.

The Secure Me feature distinguishes ESET’s manager by allowing remote clearing of browser history and automatic logout from all sessions. It also audits stored passwords for weakness or duplication using HaveIBeenPwned. Despite its simplicity, ESET’s password manager provides secure, user-friendly protection suitable for most users’ daily needs.

VPN

ESET’s VPN offers fast, secure connections with AES-256 encryption, DNS leak protection, and multiple protocols, including WireGuard, IKEv2, and TCP. It supports split tunneling, torrenting, and a kill switch, though the latter occasionally fails during initial server connections. The VPN maintains a strict no-logs policy, storing only minimal operational data.

Performance testing revealed modest speed reductions—15% on local and up to 60% on distant servers—while maintaining stable connections for streaming and browsing. Server availability is excellent, covering 65+ countries, including rare locations like Kenya and Azerbaijan. ESET also provides load visibility for better connection optimization.

However, inconsistencies in server geolocation and unreliable access to platforms like Prime Video and Max limit its utility for streaming. Despite these drawbacks, ESET’s VPN is a strong privacy solution that balances speed, global reach, and functionality.

Other Security Features

ESET supplements its core security with several valuable extras. Network Inspector monitors home networks, detecting weak passwords, open ports, and unauthorized devices. Anti-theft protection enables remote tracking, messaging, and camera access for lost or stolen devices, featuring a ‘Phantom Account’ that restricts unauthorized access.

Identity Protection for US users includes dark web monitoring, fraud alerts, and up to $1 million in identity theft insurance. Its intuitive interface allows users to track multiple personal data points and receive real-time breach notifications. Although setup can be finicky, the monitoring and recovery tools are comprehensive.

Parental Controls, available as a separate Android app, feature app filtering, time limits, and geofencing. While easy to use, content filtering accuracy lags behind top competitors. Diagnostic tools like SysInspector and Running Processes provide detailed system insights, though system cleanup utilities are minimal.

Additional Windows utilities include Gaming Mode for uninterrupted performance, Secure Data for encrypted storage, Folder Guard for ransomware protection, and Device Control for managing external drives. Webcam protection adds another privacy safeguard, though microphone protection is absent. Together, these features create a versatile and layered security suite for both everyday and advanced users.

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.