Best Antivirus Software and Apps 2018

If you do not run an anti-malware application on your Android smartphone or tablet, you risk becoming infected with malicious applications and other types of malware.

The best antivirus apps for mobile devices not only offer high-level malware detection and prevention, but also a range of privacy and anti-theft features. This includes the ability to back up your contacts and photos, track your phone or tablet via GPS, take a photo of a phone screen with the device's camera, send commands to a lost or stolen phone via SMS, and even your Android Wear smartwatch use to find your phone.

According to our tests, Bitdefender Mobile Security ($ 15 a year) is the best-paid antivirus app on Android, providing near-perfect malware protection with a host of other features. Freemium Norton Mobile Security provides very similar protection and does not delay most free users who do not want to pay the $ 25 premium per year.

Avast Mobile Security and CM Security Master each provide a variety of features, even in their free versions, and typically produce high results in malware detection tests. But Avast's anti-theft and call-blocking features did not work for us, and CM Security Master's malware detection rates varied widely from month to month.

You risk with the other two applications we look at. Lookout Security & Antivirus was one of the first antivirus applications for mobile devices and enjoys a good reputation among Android users. But the company no longer sends the application to independent testing labs, so we do not know how it protects against Android malware.

The other application, PSafe DFNDR, is easy to use and has all the features, and the paid version costs only $ 4.99. But in lab tests, their malware detection rates have gone up and down like a yo-yo. We can only hope that PSafe will solve these issues before our next round of Android anti-virus applications.

As we tested
To measure security protection, we use the latest evaluation results from AV-TEST, an independent lab in Germany that evaluates Android's leading security applications every two months for its malware detection capabilities. and other new threats. Since the results of some applications varied from test to test, we also analyzed last year's AV-TEST results.

To measure the impact of these security applications on overall performance, we used the Geekbench 6 benchmark application on a Samsung Galaxy S8 phone running Android 7.0 Nougat. For each application, we run Geekbench several times without the AV application installed, then with one of the installed revision applications, and finally during the full analysis of that application.

We also assess the number and usefulness of the features of each application, take note of the features available to paying users and evaluate the user interface and installation process.

BITDEFENDER MOBILE SECURITY: best payment option

The Android-based Bitdefender security application provides near-perfect malware protection, minimal performance impact, and robust data protection tools while integrating Android Wear watches with anti-theft features. Application. However, there is no planned malware scan, and there is no Freemium option. (Bitdefender Antivirus Free for Android only looks for malware). But at $ 15 a year per device, Bitdefender Mobile Security pays off.

NORTON MOBILE SECURITY: Best freemium option

Norton Mobile Security provides excellent protection against malware. Call blocking, text blocking, and contacts storage features are free for all users and provide excellent anti-theft features. The annual premium license has been reduced to $ 25 and protects up to 10 devices. The highest-paid feature of Norton is the App Advisor, which checks software and apps in the Google Play Store for security and privacy. It is also good to block the Norton applications and the password manager
both are free and autonomous applications. There is also a new VPN application, but it costs $ 30 more per year.

AVAST MOBILE SECURITY

Avast Mobile Security & Antivirus is one of the most comprehensive Android security applications on the market, including a privacy advisor, a VPN client, and a customizable blacklist. While Avast's anti-malware protection was improved, some of its great anti-theft features did not work for us, and the call-blocking feature barely worked.

CM SECURITY MASTER

The new paid version of CM Security costs $ 36 per year, adds an unlimited VPN client and removes third-party ads. The rest of the app's rich features and options can be purchased for free, however. There is a network scanner; a clean and easy-to-use interface; Application blocking and a call blocker. But CM Security malware detection rates vary from month to month. Anti-theft features offer little more than the built-in Android Device Manager, and the free version includes many ads.

LOOKOUT SECURITY & ANTIVIRUS

The Lookout Android Antivirus app was one of the first, and its usability and functionality explain its popularity among Android users. There is a free plane; a regular $ 30 per-year premium level offering many features offered by other Android security apps for free; and a "Premium Plus" plan that includes a comprehensive identity protection service for $ 100 a year. But Lookout no longer sends its application to independent labs for testing, so we do not know how much it protects against malware.

PSAFE DFNDR

We want to like PSafe DFNDR. It is great. It has many useful features, all for free. and its paid version only costs $ 4.99 a year and only removes the ads. However, in lab tests, the malware detection rate changes from month to month. Sometimes it's great, sometimes it's pretty bad. Until PSafe solves this problem, we should recommend other applications.