PC Matic Antivirus Review (2025): Is it the right choice?

Full Review

PC Matic is a straightforward antivirus solution that primarily uses whitelisting to block malware, which is effective but may flag legitimate programs. If whitelisting is disabled, it operates using a more conventional blacklist approach. The desktop apps for Windows and Mac are solid, though the mobile apps for iOS and Android lack advanced features.

While PC Matic doesn’t offer the extensive features found in top-tier antiviruses like Norton or McAfee, and it lacks robust protection against dangerous websites, it still delivers reliable malware defense. Its simplicity makes it a good option for non-technical users. The software is available in English, Spanish, Japanese, and Portuguese.

Anti-malware

PC Matic’s malware protection relies on a whitelisting system, primarily managed by its real-time protection feature, SuperShield. It blocks any software not on its list of trusted programs, automatically submitting unknown applications for review, which typically takes around 24 hours. Users can also manually whitelist programs to bypass this waiting period. While this approach reduces false negatives, it results in more frequent false positives compared to competitors like Norton or Bitdefender, which use advanced techniques like AI to detect new threats.

SuperShield operates in the background with minimal interface, requiring access through the system tray for settings and whitelisting adjustments. Users can switch to an “Industry Standard” mode that uses blacklisting, reducing false positives but potentially weakening protection against emerging threats.

PC Matic also includes an on-demand scanner, which performs quick, full, or custom scans and handles junk file removal and app updates. However, the scanner has several issues, such as incomplete scans and dashboard inconsistencies. While it performs useful tasks like updating outdated apps, its junk file removal is limited, and competitors like Avira offer more comprehensive cleanup.

Overall, SuperShield excels in malware detection, but the scanner’s bugginess detracts from the experience. While the whitelisting system is effective, the frequent false positives and scanner issues may frustrate users looking for a smoother, more reliable antivirus solution.

VPN

C Matic’s higher-tier plans include a VPN with 256-bit AES encryption and a no-logs policy, supporting up to 5 simultaneous connections across Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. It offers solid privacy features and the ability to connect to the best available server with one click. The VPN also provides server load information, helping users find less crowded servers for better speeds. It supports multiple VPN protocols, works with streaming services, and allows torrenting.

Additional features include split-tunneling, which lets users route specific apps through the VPN while keeping others on the regular connection, and a kill switch to protect against IP leaks if the VPN connection drops. However, the kill switch is off by default, and when enabled, it blocks internet access even when the VPN is inactive, which is a design flaw not found in top standalone VPNs.

While the VPN performs well in speed and functionality, its standalone cost (€73.13/year) is high compared to more feature-rich options like ExpressVPN.

Other security features

PC Matic offers a few additional security features, including identity theft protection and an ad blocker, though they have some limitations.

Identity Theft Protection

PC Matic partners with IdentityForce to provide identity theft protection, which includes up to $1 million in coverage and dark web monitoring. However, most features are only available to U.S. residents. After purchasing a plan, you register on IdentityForce’s website to access the features, such as monitoring personal information (phone number, Social Security number, credit cards, etc.) and receiving alerts about data breaches. IdentityForce provides helpful guidance on addressing breaches, and users can open cases with specialists if needed.

While the identity theft protection is a valuable addition, it isn’t fully integrated into PC Matic’s dashboard and falls short compared to competitors like Norton, which includes integrated dark web monitoring. Additionally, the included password vault is basic, lacking auto-fill, password importing, and other conveniences offered by top password managers like 1Password.

Ad Blocker

PC Matic’s ad blocker is powered by uBlock Origin and effectively blocks ads across websites. However, it doesn’t add any unique features beyond what uBlock Origin already offers. In fact, users are directed to uBlock Origin’s support pages for assistance. Additionally, due to browser extension warnings, the ad blocker may soon be removed from Firefox and Chrome, though it’s still functional in other browsers like Brave and Edge.

While the ad blocker works well, it’s not particularly innovative, and users might prefer to download uBlock Origin directly for free. PC Matic is working on a fix to ensure continued compatibility with major browsers.

Overall, PC Matic’s identity theft protection and ad blocker are useful, but they lack the depth and seamless integration seen in competitors’ offerings.

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: December 2024).

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: December 2024.