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

Full Review

Panda is ranked #4 of the 28 best antivirus of 2026.

Panda provides a solid antivirus with a user-friendly interface and a variety of features, though its malware detection is slightly below top-tier competitors like Norton and Bitdefender.

It offers a free plan for Windows and Android, with paid options available for all platforms. Users can customize coverage based on the number of devices (1 to unlimited) and subscription length. A free VPN is also available on the iOS app. While flexible and feature-rich, Panda’s malware detection could be stronger.

Anti-malware

Panda’s anti-malware engine delivers strong protection against a wide range of threats, including viruses, trojans, spyware, and rootkits. It achieved over 98% detection in testing, operating with a cloud-based system that allows real-time scanning without slowing down devices. Users can choose from critical, full, or custom scans, all of which can be scheduled for convenience.

While the scanner’s accuracy is impressive, scan durations vary significantly — the first full scan can take over three hours, while subsequent scans drop to just over one hour. The critical scan completes in about five minutes, similar to competitors like Norton and Avira.

Panda’s cloud-based Panda Cloud Cleaner, a separate component of the Rescue Kit, provides faster and more advanced malware detection using collective intelligence. It’s especially effective in emergency scenarios where conventional scans fail, removing deep-rooted infections efficiently.

 Although it’s not integrated into the main antivirus engine, its performance demonstrates Panda’s capability in cloud-assisted malware detection. The combination of a reliable core scanner and the specialized Cloud Cleaner ensures comprehensive coverage across all major malware threats.

Anti-phishing

Panda’s phishing protection is one of the weaker areas of its suite. Its web protection feature, known as Safe Browsing, identifies and blocks some phishing and malicious links but fails to recognize a substantial number of well-known scam websites, including fake PayPal and Amazon pages. In tests, it detected less than half of the phishing sites attempted, which is notably below the performance of rivals such as Bitdefender and McAfee.

The service does, however, incorporate some useful safeguards, including a virtual keyboard that prevents keyloggers from capturing keystrokes, enhancing security when entering login information on potentially unsafe sites. This feature compensates partially for the shortcomings in web filtering by adding another layer of defense against credential theft.

Although Panda’s anti-phishing protection is functional, it lacks the depth and accuracy expected from a top-tier antivirus suite. Users who frequently conduct online transactions or handle sensitive data may find better security in solutions with stronger phishing defenses.

Password manager

Panda’s password manager, powered by Password Depot, offers core functionality that covers most user needs. It supports unlimited password storage, auto-fill, auto-login, and auto-save capabilities across browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.

The inclusion of a zero-knowledge architecture ensures that even Panda cannot access user credentials. Two-factor authentication (2FA) with apps such as Google Authenticator and Authy provides an extra layer of protection, and a built-in password generator creates secure credentials up to 32 characters long.

The manager also supports password history tracking and integrates file encryption, allowing users to secure documents directly through the same interface. However, it lacks advanced capabilities like password sharing, emergency access, or a standalone desktop client — features commonly offered by leading competitors such as 1Password and Dashlane.

Despite these omissions, Panda’s password manager remains intuitive and reliable, offering a strong balance between simplicity and essential security for managing sensitive information.

VPN

Panda’s VPN, powered by Hotspot Shield, provides basic online privacy but falls short of premium alternatives. On most plans, it is limited to 150 MB of daily data and automatically connects to the nearest server, leaving users without control over location selection. Only the most expensive plan offers unlimited data and access to servers in over 85 countries. Even then, the VPN lacks a kill switch — a crucial feature that would prevent data leaks if the connection drops.

Performance-wise, Panda’s VPN delivers inconsistent results. Download speeds are significantly reduced on automatic connections, while ping times are excessively high. Although upload speeds remain stable, the overall experience is slow compared to top-tier VPNs such as ExpressVPN or ProtonVPN. The VPN’s no-logs policy is a positive element, ensuring that browsing history and IP addresses are not recorded.

While it’s convenient that the VPN is bundled with all Panda plans, including the free tier, its limited speed, features, and configurability make it best suited for light, occasional browsing rather than heavy or privacy-critical use.

Other security features

Panda Dome includes a wide variety of additional tools that enhance its overall protection suite. The Rescue Kit is particularly valuable, enabling users to recover malware-infected computers that fail to start. By creating a bootable USB, users can disinfect even severely compromised systems within minutes, making it a standout recovery feature rarely seen in antivirus competitors.

The Data Shield component safeguards against ransomware by restricting access to sensitive files, using decoy files and shadow copies to detect and prevent encryption attempts. This feature ensures users can restore their data after an attack with minimal disruption. File encryption and shredding tools, integrated through Password Depot, further protect private information by allowing users to securely encrypt or permanently erase files.

Panda also offers PC Cleanup utilities for hard drive optimization, a Boot Manager for startup control, and a dark web scanner that alerts users to compromised credentials. Additional protections include anti-theft tracking, USB scanning, and an update manager that ensures system software remains current.

However, parental controls on Windows are limited, requiring a separate purchase for full-featured mobile monitoring. Overall, Panda’s extra tools are extensive, combining usability and versatility to strengthen total system security beyond basic antivirus protection.

Plans and pricing

In the table below are the core products with their features and prices.

The prices shown are from the USA. However, most brands have different prices (and currencies) in other regions. So visit the brand’s website to see the price in our country.

Plan description

Panda Free Antivirus

Panda’s free plan provides solid basics like real-time antivirus and a rescue kit for emergencies. It’s a strong option for a free plan but lacks advanced features like ransomware protection and parental controls.

Panda Dome Essential

Starting at $23.99/year for one device, Dome Essential offers real-time antivirus for Windows, Mac, and Android, as well as Wi-Fi protection and a firewall. It’s decent for the price, but competitors like McAfee offer more features at similar costs.

Panda Dome Advanced

For $28.49/year, this plan adds ransomware protection and data shield features. If you have a family, the inclusion of parental controls might tip the scales in its favor, but it competes closely with plans like Norton’s 360 Standard, which provides additional features.

Panda Dome Complete

Priced at $42.99/year for a single device, this plan includes extras like a password manager and file encryption. It’s comparable to Norton’s 360 Deluxe but includes unique features like file shredding and the Rescue Kit.

Panda Dome Premium

At $66.99/year for one device, this top-tier package offers premium VPN and 24/7 customer support. Despite its comprehensive feature set, it struggles to justify the high price, especially considering our lackluster support experience and more affordable alternatives like Bitdefender Premium Security.

All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. While Panda does offer first-year discounts, it’s generally pricier, especially for multiple devices.

In summary, Panda offers a range of plans with varying features. While the Android app and free antivirus are strong points, the customer support and pricing make it less competitive compared to rivals like Norton and Bitdefender.

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.

Company Profile

Panda Security is owned by WatchGuard.

About Panda:

Panda Security is a key player in the realm of endpoint security and a member of the WatchGuard family of IT security solutions. Founded with a focus on antivirus software, Panda Security has evolved to offer a range of cutting-edge cybersecurity services aimed at preventing cyber-crime.

The company’s unique features include TruPrevent, a set of proactive tools for blocking unknown viruses, and a Collective Intelligence model that detects and classifies malware in real time. These have paved the way for their Adaptive Defense security approach.

With a global footprint, Panda Security serves 30 million users across 180 countries, operating with a workforce of 600 employees and 16 subsidiaries.

About WatchGuard:

For a quarter of a century, WatchGuard has been a trailblazer in the field of cybersecurity. The company specializes in creating advanced, yet user-friendly, security solutions.

Their product range includes network and endpoint security tools, secure Wi-Fi systems, multi-factor authentication services, and network intelligence offerings. Catering primarily to small and midsize businesses, WatchGuard serves over 250,000 enterprises worldwide and secures more than 10 million endpoints.

Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, the company has a global footprint with offices in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.

How we test antivirus software

At SoftwareLab, we provide thorough and unbiased antivirus reviews to help you make informed cybersecurity decisions. Our comprehensive testing covers all critical aspects of antivirus performance. We assess each product in six key categories, weighted by importance:

For even more details, visit our blog posts on how we test antivirus software.