PC Matic Antivirus Review (2024 Update): The Pros & Cons

PC Matic Antivirus 2024: Full Review

We tested PC Matic and found it simple to use and set up. It relies on whitelisting to stop malware, which is effective but can mistakenly block safe programs. While its apps for Windows and Mac are solid, the mobile versions for iOS and Android could be better. Compared to big names like Norton and McAfee, it lacks some advanced features but is budget-friendly and offers a lifetime subscription. Plus, it’s available in seven languages.

Anti-malware

We put PC Matic’s anti-malware capabilities to the test. It uses a whitelist approach to block suspicious programs. Anything not on its “good list” gets blocked and sent for review. This can take up to 24 hours, but you can manually whitelist a program if you’re in a hurry. PC Matic argues that this is better than blacklisting, which struggles to keep up with new malware.

However, we found two issues:

• It often blocks legit software, which can be annoying.
• While it downplays other antiviruses’ blacklisting, top-tier options like Norton use more advanced methods like AI and machine learning to identify new threats.

PC Matic also offers some protection against brute force attacks and detects malicious scripts. In our scans, it was quick but inconsistent. The first scan skipped malware scanning, but the second one caught all the malware samples we had. It did, however, flag some safe files.

The software also allows for easy scan scheduling and provides an additional layer of protection against fileless malware, which is commendable.

Overall, PC Matic’s anti-malware features are decent but not groundbreaking. Its whitelist approach works but has room for improvement. We’d like to see more advanced features in line with competitors like Norton and McAfee.

Report and cleanup

We examined PC Matic’s reporting and cleanup process. After scanning, it gives a color-coded report full of details and recommendations. The colors indicate the severity of issues, but we found the report a bit overwhelming initially. It took some time to understand what each color meant.

When it came to fixing the issues, PC Matic was quick, taking only a few minutes. One caveat: SSD users aren’t warned about the disk defragmentation option, which is generally not advisable for SSDs. We were surprised the software offered this, especially since it detected our SSD during the scan.

After resolving the issues and a system restart, a follow-up scan showed no new problems.

Overall, while the report could be clearer, the cleanup is quick and straightforward. It’s not as comprehensive as some competitors like TotalAV, but it allows for user choice in what issues to resolve.

Supershield

We explored SuperShield, PC Matic’s take on real-time malware protection, which comes as a separate download. Unlike other antiviruses that include real-time protection by default, with PC Matic, you have to enable SuperShield after at least one system scan.

The status of SuperShield is displayed in your system tray: green means you’re protected, yellow indicates updates, and red means it’s not working. We found SuperShield straightforward to use. Its dashboard shows all running programs, color-coded for safety.

We tested it against various types of malware, including ransomware. SuperShield was highly effective, blocking all attempts to infect our system. However, it also flagged some legitimate software, which you can manually whitelist if you’re certain it’s safe.

While it’s odd that real-time protection is optional, SuperShield does its job well. It’s good at blocking malware but can be a bit overzealous with safe programs. It’s a useful feature, though not as seamless as competitors like Norton.

Whitelisting

We dove into PC Matic’s whitelisting feature, which allows users to approve safe but unknown programs. Post-scan, you can easily whitelist a program from the list of blocked items. If you accidentally quarantine a safe file, restoring it is straightforward via the ‘Quarantine’ option in the dashboard.

Whitelisting gets trickier with SuperShield. The process involves multiple steps, including clicking the system tray icon, navigating through several menus, and then manually allowing the program. Afterward, you have to reset SuperShield’s settings to avoid allowing all blocked programs in the future.

While the basic whitelisting is user-friendly, SuperShield could make it simpler. Competitors like Bitdefender offer easier ways to add exceptions. Overall, PC Matic’s whitelisting is effective but could benefit from streamlining, especially in SuperShield.

Dark web monitor

The dark web monitoring, done in collaboration with IdentityForce, is thorough. After a quick signup, it scans for your information in breaches and provides actionable advice. It doesn’t match the real-time support of Norton’s dark web monitoring, but it’s a strong feature nonetheless.

Ad blocker

The Ad Blocker works well but doesn’t offer anything more than its backbone, uBlock Origin. So, while effective, we’d prefer a more customized solution like what TotalAV offers.

VPN

As for the VPN, it has standard features like 256-bit encryption and supports up to 5 devices. But it’s not included in PC Matic’s main plans and comes with an $80/year separate price tag. Given similar-priced but more feature-rich alternatives like ExpressVPN, we find it a bit steep.

Mobile app

The Android app is basic but efficient, offering to scan apps and files quickly. It’s not as feature-rich as competitors like Norton, but it’s user-friendly. The iOS app is more of a content blocker due to Apple’s restrictions. It effectively blocks ads, social media, and tracks privacy, and also lets you monitor all your PC Matic protected devices, which the Android app lacks. Overall, PC Matic’s mobile apps do the job but don’t stand out.

Customer support

Regarding customer support, there’s no live chat or phone support, but they do offer a chatbot for quick answers. We emailed a complex query and got an in-depth answer in just 30 minutes. When requesting a refund through email, the money was back in our account on the same day, which was impressive. Their website also provides excellent resources like how-to videos and user guides.

The customer support was surprisingly fast and efficient, even if it lacks some of the immediate contact options that competitors offer.

Plans and pricing

We examined PC Matic’s plans, pricing, and usability to give you an insider’s look.

PC Matic offers three plans: a Free Plan, an Annual Plan, and a Lifetime Plan. The Free Plan is basic, covering up to 3 Windows computers with real-time malware protection and ad-blocking. It lacks dark web monitoring and device optimization. We found it to be an okay starter option but prefer Avira’s free plan for added features like a VPN.

The Annual Plan, at $50/year, adds coverage for 5 devices and includes dark web monitoring and PC optimization. Optional pricey add-ons include identity theft protection and unlimited technical support. While cheaper than many competitors, it doesn’t offer as many features as premium options like Norton 360.

The Lifetime Plan stands out at $150, offering all the Annual Plan features for a one-time payment. It’s a great value if you’re certain PC Matic meets your needs, and it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

As for usability, PC Matic excels. Installation is straightforward and the interface is user-friendly. It’s available in multiple languages, making it accessible for a wide audience. We found that most features are easy to use, though some advanced settings in SuperShield could be a bit tricky. Thankfully, PC Matic’s website offers helpful tutorials and FAQs for any difficulties you might encounter.

In summary, PC Matic offers a range of affordable plans but lacks some advanced features found in competitors. It shines in user-friendly design and is especially suitable for those who want a straightforward, easy-to-use solution.

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.

Test score comparison

Next to our own anti-malware tests, we analyze those by AV-Test. We’ve compared the results of the 10 most recent tests for Windows 10. 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.

Source: AV-Test.

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. However, take these results with a grain of salt, as some brands actively attempt to increase their ratings.

Personally, we are wary of exceptionally high scores. Especially those by brands such as TotalAV, known for aggressive marketing and sales tactics.

We consider scores between 4.0 and 4.5 good and realistic. Higher scores are dubious, and lower scores indicate that the brand might have a poor product or customer service. McAfee’s scores, for instance, are worrying.

Source: TrustPilot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the most frequently asked questions.