TotalAV Antivirus Review (2024 Update): The Pros & Cons

TotalAV Antivirus 2024: Full Review

TotalAV is ranked #3 out of the 28 best antivirus of 2024.

We put TotalAV to the test and were impressed by its near-perfect malware detection. It’s easy to use and comes loaded with extras like web protection, VPN, and identity theft safeguards (U.S. only).

The software is budget-friendly and covers all key platforms, plus a 30-day refund policy gives you peace of mind. Overall, we recommend TotalAV for robust, no-fuss security.

Anti-malware

We put TotalAV’s malware scanner through rigorous testing, and it delivered. Based on Avira’s top-notch engine, it offers four scan types: Quick, System, Smart, and Custom (Windows only). Our System Scan took about an hour and barely slowed our PC, a major plus.

In our tests, TotalAV detected 99.8% of 1,200 different malware samples, including tricky ransomware and spyware. While not 100% like Norton and Bitdefender, it’s still incredibly high. For quicker scans, Smart and Quick options finished in about 10 minutes, with Smart even pointing out junk files and startup issues.

What impressed us further was TotalAV’s real-time protection. It immediately quarantined malicious downloads and flagged malware within compressed folders. When we tried to run a ransomware simulator, it halted the process instantly.

In summary, TotalAV offers top-tier malware scanning and real-time protection, standing strong next to competitors like Norton. If you want solid security without a system slowdown, it’s an excellent pick.

Anti-phishing

We tested TotalAV’s WebShield for its anti-phishing capabilities and found it effective, beating both Chrome and Firefox in detecting harmful sites. Though it’s not quite as advanced as options from Norton or Avira, its customization features add value. You can block low-trust or cryptomining sites and whitelist domains you trust.

A bonus is that WebShield is available as a free extension or app. In summary, while not leading the pack, TotalAV’s anti-phishing tool is solid and adds an extra layer of security to an already strong package.

Password manager

We took Total Password for a spin and found it to be a reliable, feature-packed password manager, especially when bundled with TotalAV’s antivirus. It comes with auto-save and auto-fill, which performed flawlessly during our tests. While not as feature-rich as standalone options like 1Password or Dashlane, it’s secure and straightforward.

Total Password uses bank-grade 256-bit AES encryption and follows a zero-knowledge policy. Two-factor authentication (2FA) is available, though limited to app-based options, lacking hardware-based 2FA like Yubikeys. Biometric logins for mobile users are a plus, adding an extra layer of security.

The vault is user-friendly, allowing unlimited storage of passwords, secure notes, and credit card details. A built-in password generator and security reports help you maintain strong, unique passwords. However, it does lack password sharing and emergency access features.

Unique offerings include Secure Me for remote logout and data clearing, as well as an ad blocker. Account recovery is simplified with a recovery key, a feature we successfully tested.

In summary, Total Password is a robust, easy-to-use password manager that pairs well with TotalAV’s antivirus. Though it lacks some advanced features, it covers the basics with strong encryption and useful extras.

VPN

We tried out TotalAV’s Safe Browsing VPN and found it to be a strong contender, especially when coupled with their antivirus package. Though not the fastest compared to standalone VPNs like ExpressVPN, it’s quicker than most antivirus-included VPNs. It offers 48 server locations across 30+ countries and impacted neither our download nor upload speeds significantly.

One highlight is its compatibility with popular streaming services. During our tests, we could watch Netflix and Disney+ without any buffering or interruptions. It’s also torrent-friendly, supporting P2P file sharing on non-US servers.

Notable features include a kill switch, multiple protocol options (IKEv2 or OpenVPN), and auto-connect on public Wi-Fi networks. All in all, TotalAV’s VPN offers robust performance, good speed, and useful customizations. It ranks among the best antivirus with VPN options for 2024 in our view.

Other security features

We explored TotalAV’s other security features and were particularly impressed by two aspects: Identity theft protection and system tune-up.

Identity theft protection

For U.S. users, TotalAV offers comprehensive identity theft protection powered by Aura. It monitors your credit reports, dark web forums, and even breach databases. A standout feature is live agent assistance to help you resolve identity issues. These protections aren’t bundled with other TotalAV plans, but can be added for a reasonable annual fee.

System tune-up

System Tune-Up tools impressed us as well. They include a Startup Manager, Application Uninstaller, Browser Cleanup, Junk Cleaner, and Duplicate File Finder. While Windows offers similar features, they’re often hard to find or not as effective. We especially liked the Junk Cleaner, which found nearly 1 GB of junk files on our test computer, outperforming Windows’ Disk Cleanup.

Mobile app

We tested TotalAV’s mobile app on both Android and iOS devices. For Android, the app includes a quick and accurate malware scanner but takes a toll on battery life. The app also offers a tune-up feature that effectively clears junk files. The iOS app, while lacking a malware scanner due to Apple’s restrictions, still provides useful features like VPN and device tracking.

Though it works well, TotalAV’s mobile app could be more efficient in battery usage. That said, it’s a decent choice for protecting your mobile devices, especially if you often connect to public Wi-Fi.

Customer support

Turning to customer support, TotalAV offers multiple options including live chat, email, and 24/7 phone support. We experienced some issues initially accessing live chat, but a simple workaround fixed it. Email support was thorough but slower compared to competitors like Norton and McAfee. However, phone support was excellent—fast, knowledgeable, and available 24/7.

In summary, TotalAV’s additional features offer strong value, providing robust identity protection and useful system optimization tools that function better than built-in Windows utilities. On top of that, TotalAV’s customer support is robust, with its phone support standing out as particularly impressive.

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

We navigated through TotalAV’s pricing and plans, and here’s the lowdown. The company has three main tiers: Antivirus Pro, Internet Security, and Total Security.

During our purchase experience, we were met with multiple pop-up offers, making it a bit cluttered compared to one-click solutions from Norton and Bitdefender. Despite this, you can still land an affordable plan if you navigate carefully.

Here’s a quick rundown of the plans:

• Antivirus Pro: Costs $19/year and covers up to 3 devices. It offers essential features like a malware scanner and real-time protection. Good but not as feature-rich as competitors for the same price.

• Internet Security: Priced at $39/year, it covers up to 5 devices and adds a VPN. It’s a better value, even if the included “Antivirus eBook” isn’t worth much.

• Total Security: At $49/year, it adds priority tech support, ad blocker, and password manager for up to 6 devices. We find this plan less compelling due to its extra cost for non-essential features.

Every plan comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. We tested this and received our refund in just one business day.

In summary, while TotalAV offers competitive pricing, its buying experience could be streamlined. Its middle-tier plan, Internet Security, offers the best value for most users.

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.

Company Profile

TotalAV is owned by System1 (NASDAQ: SST).

System1, founded in 2013, is a leading technology company specializing in acquisition marketing. Utilizing its signature platform, the Responsive Acquisition Marketing Platform (RAMP), the company excels at linking customers with high purchase intent to advertisers on a large scale. RAMP employs cutting-edge technology and data science, offering solutions across multiple channels and industries, all with a focus on privacy.

The company is staffed by a talented and growing team of over 500 individuals. This team is a mix of engineers, product managers, data scientists, and experts in both buying and selling advertising. System1’s leadership includes seasoned entrepreneurs and industry veterans who have experience in building billion-dollar enterprises.

Operating globally, System1 has expanded its reach to five locations and has made a series of strategic acquisitions to bolster its capabilities. But according to the company, they are “just getting started.”

In terms of their product offerings, System1 has a diversified portfolio that spans three primary areas: publishing, search, and applications. Their publishing websites alone reach an impressive 120 million consumers each month and cover a range of topics from health and wellness to automotive and entertainment. On the search front, they own private search engine Startpage and info.com. Furthermore, they are building an expanding portfolio of applications, notably including a suite of security products named “Protected” to which TotalAV belongs.

How we test antivirus software

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the most frequently asked questions.