Trend Micro Antivirus Review (2023 Update): The Pros & Cons

Trend Micro review: summary

Trend Micro is ranked #11 out of 28 antivirus software.

Trend Micro has great anti-malware protection, a minimal impact on the speed of your PC, and most important security features.

However, it has a firewall booster rather than a complete two-way firewall. And if you want the unlimited VPN, you’ll have to buy the Premium Security Suite, which is quite expensive.

Norton and Kaspersky have better test scores, even more security features, and lower prices (especially when including the unlimited VPN).

• Malware protection: 80%. Trend Micro averaged 5.80 out of 6 in the last 10 protection tests. It is great at detecting and removing malware.
• Speed impact: 90%. Trend Micro averaged 5.90 out of 6 in the last 10 performance tests. So it has a minimal impact on your PC’s speed.
• Features: 80%. Trend Micro offers anti-malware, anti-phishing, unlimited VPN, parental controls, and more. But it misses a complete firewall.
• Price: 60%. A complete security suite, including unlimited VPN, is far more affordable at Norton and Kaspersky.

If you want the best protection, we recommend Norton.

Click the links to compare the prices of the best antivirus software:

🥇 Norton Antivirus – The best of 2023
🥈 Bitdefender Antivirus
🥉 McAfee Antivirus

Or read our complete comparison of the best antivirus of 2023.

Specification comparison

Below, we have compared Trend Micro Premium Security Suite to Norton 360 Standard. These are the most affordable products at each brand, which allow you to protect at least 1 PC with the core features:

• Anti-malware
• Anti-phishing (web protection)
• Firewall
• Password manager
• Unlimited VPN (no data limit)

Norton 360 is the best antivirus for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.

Click the links to compare the prices of the best antivirus software:

🥇 Norton Antivirus – The best of 2023
🥈 Bitdefender Antivirus
🥉 McAfee Antivirus

Or read our complete comparison of the best antivirus of 2023.

Test score comparison

We’ve compared the 10 most recent test scores of all antivirus brands. 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.

Click the links to compare the prices of the best antivirus software:

🥇 Norton Antivirus – The best of 2023
🥈 Bitdefender Antivirus
🥉 McAfee Antivirus

Or read our complete comparison of the best antivirus of 2023.

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 Windows PC with the following 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.

Click the links to compare the prices of the best antivirus software:

🥇 Norton Antivirus – The best of 2023
🥈 Bitdefender Antivirus
🥉 McAfee Antivirus

Or read our complete comparison of the best antivirus of 2023.

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.

Click the links to compare the prices of the best antivirus software:

🥇 Norton Antivirus – The best of 2023
🥈 Bitdefender Antivirus
🥉 McAfee Antivirus

Or read our complete comparison of the best antivirus of 2023.

Product analysis

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 your country.

Click the links to compare the prices of the best antivirus software:

🥇 Norton Antivirus – The best of 2023
🥈 Bitdefender Antivirus
🥉 McAfee Antivirus

Or read our complete comparison of the best antivirus of 2023.

Trend Micro antivirus review

Real-time protection

Trend Micro offers straightforward and efficient real-time malware protection. It tracks online activities and blocks harmful files or attachments. This safeguard defends against malware, PUPs, ransomware, and exploits.

In our tests, the real-time scanner detected and prevented all malware files from being downloaded. Trend Micro also blocked all web-based exploit attacks from WICAR’s database, proving its effectiveness.

Web protection (anti-phishing)

The web protection provided by Trend Micro excels in blocking malicious and fraudulent websites. It compares visited sites with a blacklist database, ensuring user safety. Our tests across Chrome, Firefox, and Edge demonstrated its superior performance compared to default browser protections.

The anti-phishing feature is user-friendly, with easy whitelisting of secure sites. We commend Trend Micro’s anti-phishing protection for its simplicity and efficacy.

PC health check-up

Trend Micro’s PC Health Check-Up, available only for Windows, optimizes computers in six areas: addressing security vulnerabilities, removing incompatible programs, reducing startup time, reclaiming disk space, cleaning privacy data, and safeguarding browser passwords.

However, we find this feature underwhelming, as it did not save space, and some functions are native to Windows and Mac. The primary advantage is the consolidation of optimization features, but built-in system clean-up tools generally outperform it.

Privacy scanner

Trend Micro’s privacy scanner simplifies the adjustment of web browser and social media privacy settings. By downloading the Trend Micro Toolbar, users can efficiently modify settings on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. However, we found the browser scanner feature underwhelming, as it only works with Firefox and offers little advantage over browsers’ native settings.

ID security (mobile only)

Trend Micro ID Security scans the dark web for personal information such as email addresses, passwords, and credit card details. While not as sophisticated as Norton’s AI-driven technology, it surpasses TotalAV’s Have I Been Pwned-based approach. Trend Micro promptly sends leak alerts to users and provides guidance on securing compromised accounts.

Despite being more comprehensive than competitors, Trend Micro’s ID Security falls short of Norton’s offering. Available solely on Android and iOS, with PC and Mac users limited to a basic email scanner, the service could be improved. For optimal identity protection, we recommend choosing a service with live support and broader information coverage, adopting a clear, concise, and analytical writing style.

Password manager

Trend Micro’s password manager employs 256-bit AES encryption to safeguard passwords and sensitive information. Regrettably, the complimentary version has a 5-password limit, unlike other free alternatives such as Norton’s password manager.

Nevertheless, the premium package grants unlimited password storage. Key features include a password generator, auto form filling, and secure notes. Users can access the manager via browser extensions or mobile apps for iOS and Android devices.

One must establish a master password, but caution is necessary due to the absence of account recovery options. We believe this is a notable limitation, especially when considering other popular managers like LastPass and Dashlane provide multiple recovery choices.

The password storage and autofill features are basic yet efficient. Trend Micro’s manager prompts users to save login details and makes returning to saved sites a swift process. The password generator offers customizable character lengths and composition options, though it lacks a passphrase generator found in alternatives like Bitwarden.

In our analysis, Trend Micro’s password manager handles fundamental tasks adequately but falls short in comparison to competitors. It excels in user-friendly password saving, autofill capabilities, and password generation.

However, it lacks additional features such as passphrase generators, two-factor authentication, password vault auditing, and password sharing, which are commonly included in top password managers today.

Parental controls

Trend Micro’s parental controls offer simplicity and ease of use, although they lack the comprehensive features of standalone tools. Users can employ these controls to block websites, limit internet access, restrict specific apps, or whole devices. The setup process, aided by a startup wizard and age presets, is user-friendly and efficient.

Web filtering performs well, blocking 31 categories of websites. However, the content filtering is not consistent across all categories. The image search filter proved ineffective, but time constraints and program access controls worked effectively.

While the parental controls are easy to use with adjustable web-filtering presets and a reliable application blocker, the content filtering and reporting capabilities need enhancement.

Trend Micro’s parental controls report screen is limited, as it only logs attempts to access blocked websites and does not track application usage. This leaves room for improvement, as comprehensive reports from top parental control programs provide valuable insights for parents.

In summary, Trend Micro’s parental controls are adequate but could benefit from more consistency in content filtering and expanded reporting features.

VPN

Trend Micro’s VPN, named VPN Proxy One Pro, provides a secure, swift, and user-friendly experience for web browsing and content streaming. It can be acquired as a standalone subscription or packaged with the company’s Premium Security Suite.

We appreciate the VPN’s impressive streaming capabilities, which include compatibility with various platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime. The rapid connection speeds can be attributed to the use of the WireGuard protocol.

The VPN employs 256-bit AES encryption to safeguard data and initiates automatically upon detecting insecure Wi-Fi connections. Although leak protection is not explicitly mentioned, our tests found no IP leaks. However, we are concerned about the lack of a kill switch and the ambiguous privacy policy that logs user data.

VPN Proxy One Pro’s server network is limited to just over 15 countries, and it lacks advanced features such as split-tunneling, ad blocking, and obfuscation tools. These shortcomings make it inferior to leading standalone VPN providers.

In conclusion, VPN Proxy One Pro is a suitable choice for basic browsing and streaming, but it does not measure up to top-tier VPN providers, like CyberGhost and NordVPN, in terms of privacy policy and supplementary features.

Additional features

Trend Micro presents a host of supplementary features. Pay Guard offers secure online transactions, while Data Theft Prevention safeguards sensitive information. Folder Shield provides ransomware defense, and a password-protected Vault stores crucial files.

Additionally, the software includes a Diagnostic Toolkit, Secure Erase for permanent file removal, and a Firewall Booster.

In comparison to rivals TotalAV and Avira, Trend Micro’s Pay Guard excels with its one-click functionality. However, the effectiveness of its firewall booster, folder shield, and data theft prevention remains uncertain. Despite this, we appreciate the extensive array of security enhancements provided.

Installation and user experience

Setting up Trend Micro is a breeze, taking under five minutes to install. The user interface is well-organized with four main icons: Device, Privacy, Data, and Family. Each icon leads to essential features such as real-time scanning, privacy settings, Pay Guard adjustments, and parental controls.

Accessing and configuring features is quick and straightforward through the intuitive interface. Overall, we find Trend Micro’s platform to be user-friendly, making it a compelling option for those seeking simplicity and robust security offerings.

Mobile app

Trend Micro offers mobile security for Android and iOS within its Maximum Security and Premium Security Suite packages or as a standalone product. The app’s features encompass a malware scanner (exclusive to Android), web safeguards, VPN, SMS phishing prevention, app management, anti-theft measures, and parental controls.

In our tests, the malware scanner proved highly effective, identifying nearly all virus samples. The mobile web defenses and SMS-based phishing blockers also performed admirably.

We appreciate Trend Micro’s theft countermeasures, which enable remote device locking, data wiping, GPS-based location, and alarm activation. These functions are accessible through the user-friendly Lost Device portal.

However, the app could benefit from an automatic selfie capture feature to assist in identifying culprits. Parental controls in the mobile version resemble those on the desktop, but lack usage scheduling and reporting features for monitoring children’s activities.

In conclusion, Trend Micro’s mobile app delivers robust anti-malware, web protection, and anti-theft capabilities, positioning it as a strong contender in mobile security.

Customer support

Trend Micro’s customer assistance presents various channels, such as an extensive knowledge base, phone support, live chat, email support, and social media/forum assistance.

We appreciate the well-structured knowledge base and the high-quality phone support available in different countries. However, the live chat and email support can be less efficient, with agents occasionally posing irrelevant questions.

Conclusion

The company delivers almost complete malware protection with its sophisticated malware scanner and web shield. Furthermore, it offers valuable bonus features, including a privacy scanner for securing social media accounts and basic parental controls.

Nonetheless, we find the system tune-up tools disappointing, and the VPN and password manager lacking compared to leading standalone providers.

In conclusion, Trend Micro serves as a satisfactory antivirus with a user-friendly interface. However, alternative firms may provide superior supplementary safeguards at comparable prices. Trend Micro plans feature a free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing risk-free evaluation.

Click the links to compare the prices of the best antivirus software:

🥇 Norton Antivirus – The best of 2023
🥈 Bitdefender Antivirus
🥉 McAfee Antivirus

Or read our complete comparison of the best antivirus of 2023.

How do we test antivirus software?

The best antivirus software offer virus protection, identity theft protection, and privacy protection for Windows, macOS, and Android. Some also offer security features for iOS and Linus.

To evaluate which providers are worth your money, we run 11 tests:

> Test 1: Anti-malware protection test

We analyze antivirus software’s capability to detect and eliminate known and unknown malware, using heuristic analysis for behavior monitoring.

We conduct in-house tests and analyze those from labs like AV-Test, SE Labs, and AV-Comparatives to determine the best malware protection.

Malware includes adware, keyloggers, ransomware, rootkits, spyware, trojans, viruses, worms, and more. Other cyber threats, usually not classified as malware, are (zero-day) exploits, hacks, identity theft, phishing attacks, scams, and social engineering.

> Test 2: False positives test

False positives occur when antivirus software misidentifies legitimate software, files, or websites as malicious. We rely on AV-Test’s large-scale analysis of false positives in its usability test to guide our evaluations.

> Test 3: System performance test

We measure the CPU load during antivirus software system scans and consider AV-Test’s performance results on the slowdown caused by antivirus software when opening websites and handling software.

> Test 4: Firewall test

We evaluate two-way firewalls that filter incoming and outgoing data and allow users to set rules to regulate data streams. We use the ShieldsUP! test to determine if the antivirus software blocks all ports.

> Test 5: Password manager test

We assess password managers’ ability to create, store, and autofill secure passwords, as well as additional features like two-factor authentication and biometric login.

> Test 6: Virtual Private Network (VPN) test

We evaluate built-in VPNs on their security, privacy, speed, compatibility with streaming services, unlimited data access, and support for peer-to-peer networks and torrent clients.

> Test 7: Parental control test

We examine parental control features, such as screen time rules, website/app blocking, and real-world location tracking. We test these features on a device and attempt to circumvent them, checking if the activity is accurately reported in the parental control admin.

> Test 8: Anti-phishing protection test

We evaluate antivirus browser extensions that block phishing sites by installing them and attempting to visit dangerous URLs.

> Test 9: Ransomware protection test

We assess security suites’ ability to prevent data encryption through exploit prevention and behavioral detection during ransomware attacks.

> Test 10: Bonus features test

We test any additional cybersecurity tools such as:

• Ad Blocker
• Anti-theft
• Dark web monitoring (identity protection)
• Email protection
• File encryption
• File shredder
• Gaming mode
• Microphone protection
• PC maintenance features
• Secure browser (hardened browser to protect your online banking)
• Secure cloud storage (cloud backup)
• Spam filter
• Startup optimizer
• Tune up tools
• Virtual keyboard
• Webcam protection

> Test 11: Operating system and multiple devices test

Operating system and multiple devices: We test antivirus software on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices and award bonus points for unlimited device protection.

> Test 12: Ownership and reputation test

We analyze the trustworthiness of antivirus companies, especially concerning customer data. We read press releases, news articles, and privacy policies to determine their reputation.

Sources and tools

Below are the sources and tools we’ve used to test the antivirus software:

• Apple Platform Security
• AV-Comparatives Consumer
• AV-Test Android
• AV-Test macOS
• AV-Test Windows
• GRC Firewall Test
• Microsoft Defender
• SpeedTest VPN
• Trustpilot Security Software

 

Click the links to compare the prices of the best antivirus software:

🥇 Norton Antivirus – The best of 2023
🥈 Bitdefender Antivirus
🥉 McAfee Antivirus

Or read our complete comparison of the best antivirus of 2023.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the most frequently asked questions.