10 Best Antivirus Products for the Philippines in 2023

The best antivirus software in the Philippines will offer complete protection against viruses, malware, ransomware, and all other kinds of cyber attacks, without slowing down your device. In addition to real-time protection from cyber threats, the best antivirus solutions also safeguard your network from hackers and proactively warn you about malicious websites, phishing emails, and online scams.

In this guide, we’ve reviewed and compared the top 10 antivirus software solutions on the market in the Philippines, so you can see exactly what different providers offer and choose the best antivirus for your device.

Best Antivirus Software Solutions Ranked for the Philippines

Here’s a quick rundown of the best antiviruses in the Philippines:

1. TotalAV — Overall, the best antivirus in the Philippines, with excellent real-time protection, ad blocking, and a WebShield to safeguard you while browsing.
2. SurfShark — Lightweight and easy to use, scans all files on the cloud, hides your IP, and prevents unauthorized access to your camera.
3. Norton 360 Deluxe — Robust antivirus solution for your entire family, with real-time threat monitoring, a smart firewall, a secure VPN, and advanced parental controls.
4. Nord Threat Protection — Superb real-time threat protection and tracking, with in-depth weekly summaries of thwarted threats, and a built-in ad blocker.
5. TrendMicro — Expensive but offers protection on all fronts with an antivirus, a banking security checker, a password manager, and parental controls.
6. Eset — Multi-layered protection for Windows and macOS, with advanced protection from ransomware and script-based attacks.
7. Kaspersky — Award-winning antivirus with built-in online payment protection and performance optimization tools.
8. Avast — Free-forever plan with real-time threat protection, WiFi security scanning, and an anti-ransomware shield.
9. Intego — The best antivirus for Mac with home and hotspot network protection, a secure VPN, and personal cloud backup for quick and easy file recovery.
10. Avira — A decent free antivirus with a password manager, an update scanner, and up to 500MB of VPN-protected traffic per month.

What are Viruses, Malware, and Ransomware?

Viruses, malware, and ransomware are harmful software or pieces of code that may infect your device and cause your system to malfunction or gain access to your sensitive data. You may accidentally download them by clicking a link in a shady email, visiting dubious websites, clicking on banners and ads on low-quality sites, or torrenting files from untrustworthy sources.

These three types of malicious software function slightly differently. Viruses typically aim to destroy your system and corrupt your data. They can sit dormant for months before acting, potentially rendering your device unusable until you reboot the entire system.

Malware is a slightly broader term used to collectively label all types of software designed to disrupt a device, server, or network, as well as provide cyber criminals with unauthorized access to your data or system.

Ransomware is a specific type of malware designed to prevent you from accessing your files or other data stored on your device or online accounts. The reason why it’s called ransomware is because the cybercriminals responsible typically ask for money – a ransom – to return access to your information to you.

There are other types of cyber threats as well, such as keyloggers that capture your keystrokes and can grant hackers access to your email or bank accounts.

With cyber threats lurking around every corner, it’s crucial to protect your devices and sensitive information. That’s why antiviruses have become a necessity rather than a luxury today.

The best antiviruses, which we’ll review in this guide, provide protection from all these types of cyber attacks, making sure that you stay safe online.

Is the Best Free Antivirus App Good Enough?

Free plans offered by some antivirus apps provide surface-level protection against viruses, malware, and other types of cyber threats.

While some protection is certainly better than none, these free plans leave you vulnerable to online scams, phishing attacks, network attacks, script-based attacks, and more. You’re also missing out on advanced features like online payment protection, ad blocking, data breach scanning, and parental controls.

Put simply, if you want to fully protect your device, system, sensitive information, and banking details, opting for a premium antivirus program is a much safer choice than even the best free Android antivirus.

Top 10 Philippines Antivirus Programs Reviewed

Here are in-depth reviews of the top antivirus solutions available for users in the Philippines.

1. TotalAV — Overall, the Best Antivirus Software in the Philippines

TotalAV is an award-winning antivirus solution, offering complete protection against all the different types of malicious software, as well as additional privacy provided by a VPN.

What we love about TotalAV is the fact that it’s proactive. While it can scan for already-existing malware and viruses and remove them from your device, it also monitors all your downloads, installs, and executables. This real-time protection ensures that harmful programs are caught and removed before they get a chance to interact with your system and corrupt it.

TotalAV also protects you while you’re browsing. Its WebShield browser extension safeguards you against phishing attacks, spoofing, online scams, and other forms of cyber attacks that aim to compromise your security and steal your personal information.

And if that wasn’t enough, TotalAV blocks annoying ads, letting you browse the web and enjoy your favorite online content without any interruptions. This includes both standard ads as well as annoying pop-ups, notifications, and in-play video ads.

The antivirus even blocks tracking cookies, preventing companies from gathering your information and bombarding you with marketing messages in the future.

It additionally monitors your email address and notifies you if it discovers that any of your information appears in a data breach, giving you the opportunity to change your password and prevent unauthorized access before hackers can do any damage.

You can use TotalAV to protect up to three devices with a single subscription. It’s compatible with all Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices, so you can protect your desktop PC, laptop, tablet, iPad, and mobile phone. All in all, it’s a great example of antivirus software.

2. SurfShark — Lightweight and Easy to Use, Scans All Unknown Files in the Cloud

SurfShark Antivirus is a lightweight solution that works seamlessly in the background and provides ongoing protection against all forms of cyber threats. It’s simple and easy to use, allowing you to manually scan your device, schedule Smart Scans, and run real-time scans with a single click.

What’s great about SurfShark is that it also employs a Cloud Protect system, analyzing all unknown files in a sealed environment — on the cloud — to ensure all harmful programs, executables, and downloads are screened before they can harm your device.

SurfShark protects you from trackers, phishing attempts, and malware and ensures your web browser is free from ads. It also ensures complete privacy by hiding your IP address and physical location, effectively preventing bots and companies from monitoring what you do online.

Much like TotalAV, Surfshark also immediately notifies you if any of your email accounts, passwords, IDs, and bank details appear in a data breach.

What makes SurfShark stand out from other antivirus solutions is that it also offers real-time protection for your web camera. The built-in Webcam Protection prevents unauthorized access to your camera and instantly notifies you if a website or cyber-criminal attempts to access it without your permission.

Another thing worth noting is that, apart from the standard antivirus, Surfhsark offers a complete product suite: Surfshark One. This robust solution includes a super-fast VPN, real-time alerts, and a safe, ad-free browser on top of the antivirus for only a few dollars extra.

3. Norton 360 Deluxe — Robust Antivirus Solution for Your Entire Family

Norton 360 Deluxe is a comprehensive antivirus protection package for your entire family. It features a powerful antivirus, a secure VPN, a password manager, PC cloud backup, and parental controls.

The antivirus, coupled with a strong firewall, protects you from both existing and newly emerging online threats and helps protect your financial and personal information online. This means you can safely browse the web and shop in online stores without worrying about cyber criminals getting access to your device or your data.

Norton’s VPN features bank-grade encryption, safeguarding your identity and ensuring privacy, all the while keeping your passwords and credit card information secure and private.

Another great feature of Norton 360 Deluxe is that it allows you to monitor and control everything your kids do online. The parental controls let you block access to certain websites and types of online content to ensure your children stay safe on the internet.

You can also leverage School Time, a feature that lets you manage your children’s online learning environment and block distractions such as social media and YouTube during remote classes or online learning sessions.

Lastly, Norton 360 Deluxe features proactive Dark Web monitoring. The antivirus software constantly scans every corner of the Dark Web and notifies you if it finds any of your personal information online, so you can act before cybercriminals can misuse it.

The company also offers Norton Mobile Security, which is the best Android antivirus service, but it’s only available as a separate package for an additional $15 per month.

4. Nord Threat Protection — Superb Real-Time Threat Protection and a Built-in Ad Blocker

Nord Threat Protection is an antivirus solution from the popular VPN provider, offering real-time protection against all forms of malware, including viruses, trojans, keyloggers, ransomware, spyware, and rootkits.

Rather than a dedicated antivirus solution, Nord Threat Protection is more of an add-on for the company’s VPNs. Even so, it does offer excellent real-time protection from malware and online threats, but it lacks one component you’d expect from an antivirus — it can’t scan for existing threats.

Instead, Nord Threat Protection offers file scanning and sandboxing, which enables it to detect and remove any potentially harmful downloads, files, and executables before they can infect your device.

Additionally, Nord Threat Protection blocks ads and tracking attempts, letting you browse the web without having to worry about annoying interruptions or targeted ads.

Another super-useful feature of Nord Threat Protection is a detailed summary of all the threats the software protects you from. You get an in-depth weekly report with every threat marked up, so you know what websites to avoid in the future.

If you opt for the Complete package, you also get access to a cross-platform password manager, advanced data encryption, and a proactive data breach scanner to ensure the complete safety of all your files and personal information.

5. TrendMicro — Expensive but Protects You on All Fronts

TrendMicro is a simple yet effective antivirus solution that offers ironclad protection for all your devices and safeguards you against phishing, online scams, and other forms of cyber attacks.

The Maximum Internet Security package from TrendMicro covers you on all fronts, making it the best PC antivirus on our list. It lets you scan existing threats, blocks new ones in real-time, prevents tracking, and shields you from phishing attacks and online scams.

What’s more, the package includes Pay Guard, which checks online banking sites for legitimacy and protects your financial data, so you can shop online without worry. You also get a secure password manager and parental controls that let you set time and content limits and ensure your children’s safety on the internet.

Another feature of TrendMicro that you’ll love is the online File Shield, which encrypts and protects your files on various cloud storage services like Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive. This is especially important for remote workers who rely on these services to store critical business documents.

6. Eset — Multi-Layered Protection for Windows and macOS

Eset is another decent antivirus option for Windows and macOS, providing multi-layered protection against malware and phishing attacks.

The best part about Eset is that you can always leave it on and stay protected since it doesn’t slow down the performance of your PC or laptop. It even features a battery-saving mode that can help you stay unplugged for longer and squeeze more hours out of your laptop’s battery.

The antivirus also automatically recognizes when you’re gaming, so it pauses push notifications to ensure an uninterrupted gaming experience.

In addition to protecting you from viruses, malware, and ransomware, Eset scans all files as they’re downloading to prevent them from interacting with your system, protects you from script-based attacks, and prevents any exploits or device control attempts.

One thing to note is that Eset also offers online payment protection, but this essential feature is sold separately for $10 as an add-on. And, if you want to protect your Android devices, you’ll have to set aside an additional $12.99 for the Eset Mobile Security.

7. Kaspersky — Award-Winning Antivirus With Built-in Online Payment Protection

Kaspersky offers a wide variety of different subscription plans, allowing you to customize your antivirus protection and only pay for the features you need. Even so, it’s one of the more expensive options on our list, with the Standard plan starting from $41.99 per year.

What might make the price worth it is the fact that, in addition to real-time threat protection and existing threat removal, the Standard Kaspersky plan comes with built-in online payment protection that ensures you’re 100% safe when shopping online.

Kaspersky also protects you from hackers, ransomware, keyloggers, and other types of network attacks, making it virtually impossible for anyone to gain unauthorized access to your network, device, or files.

The antivirus also features a hard disk cleaner and performance optimization tools, so you can utilize it to delete unwanted files from your device and ensure it runs as fast as possible.

If you opt for one of the higher-priced plans, you’ll also enjoy an unlimited VPN, a data breach checker, identity protection, and 24/7 professional IT support.

8. Avast — Free-Forever Plan With Real-Time Threat Protection

Avast is one of the few antivirus solutions with a free-forever plan. While the free plan doesn’t include any advanced features like safe shopping and phishing protection, it’s still a strong line of defense against viruses, malware, and ransomware.

With the free plan, you also get an extra layer of defense through WiFi security scans. These scans can pinpoint vulnerabilities in your home WiFi and public networks, and Avast will help you fix any potential problems to ensure you’re safe from sneaky network attacks.

Later down the line, you can always upgrade to one of the two paid plans if you want additional layers of security, such as a VPN, a password manager, and an advanced firewall.

One thing to note is that the paid plans are rather expensive, especially compared to solutions like TotalAV and Surfshark, which offer the same level of protection for half the price.

9. Intego — Best Antivirus for Mac With Home Network Protection and a VPN

Intego is a Mac-exclusive antivirus solution designed to help users combat cyber threats designed for the macOS. In addition to protecting you from viruses and malware, Intego helps you clean up disk space and eliminate unwanted files, as well as protect your home network with a smart firewall.

What’s unique about Intego is that it also comes with personal cloud backup, so even if your files get corrupted, you’ll still be able to recover them quickly and easily.

Another reason to opt for Intego is the ContentBarrier, which lets you utilize filters to gain full control over what content your children can access online. This helps ensure that they can’t access dubious websites and explicit or dangerous content and protects them from online scams.

10. Avira — Decent Free Antivirus With a Password Manager and an Update Scanner

Avira is another excellent free antivirus software product, providing much-needed protection against cyber threats alongside a VPN, a password manager, and an update scanner.

The free version of the antivirus is available on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, so you can protect all your devices without paying a cent. Of course, the free plan comes with certain limitations — the VPN is capped at 500Mb per month, and you won’t get access to any advanced security features like network protection, data breach alerts, and secure passwords.

The two paid plans are on the expensive side, adding up to over $100 for the first year if you want to stay protected from online threats, block tracking attempts and annoying ads, and remove the limitations on VPN usage.

Another thing worth considering is that Avira doesn’t offer online payment protection, which is another reason to opt for a better alternative that can protect you on all fronts, like TotalAV or Norton 360 Deluxe.

Top Antivirus Solutions Compared for the Philippines

Here’s a reference table of the top 10 antivirus solutions, so you can see how different providers compare head-to-hand and exactly what level of protection you’re getting for the money:

Key Factors to Consider When Buying Antivirus Apps in the Philippines

All antivirus solutions on our list provide protection against viruses, malware, and other common cyber threats. However, some solutions are more robust than others, offering several additional layers of protection and security features that might be worth investing in, depending on your needs.

To make sure you get the best antivirus software for your home, here are the key factors you should pay attention to:

Ease of Use

Some antiviruses are super-simple to use, requiring you only to install the program on the device and turn the antivirus on. Others are a bit more complex, with additional setup steps necessary to enable advanced security layers.

If you’re not particularly tech-savvy, you should opt for a simple, straightforward option. On the other hand, if you want to take advantage of advanced features like parental controls, file encryption, and password managers, it’s definitely worth investing the time to properly set up a robust antivirus.

Device Performance Impact

That’s why it’s crucial to choose a lightweight antivirus solution that works seamlessly in the background and doesn’t burden your CPU or RAM. All of the antiviruses on our list are great in this regard, with TotalAV and SurfShark having the lowest impact on your device’s performance.

Compatibility

When it comes to mobile antiviruses, they’re often pitched as standalone solutions, so if you’re looking for the best antivirus for Android and iOS, you might need to purchase it separately from your PC and laptop antivirus.

Carefully go through the pricing plans of different antiviruses to ensure all the devices you want to protect are supported, and check if there’s any limit on the number of devices you can protect with a single subscription.

Additional Features

Aside from real-time threat protection, most antivirus solutions offer a myriad of other security features that you shouldn’t pass up. For example, parental controls are essential if you want to protect your children online.

Similarly, if you often shop online, you want an antivirus that can help protect your financial information and prevent cyber criminals from getting their hands on your payment data.

Free Trial or Free Plans

The best way to test a particular antivirus software in practice is with a free plan or a free trial. Not all antiviruses offer these options, but every solution on our list offers a money-back guarantee, so at the very least, you’ll be able to try it risk-free and get a full refund if you’re unsatisfied with a particular antivirus.

Price

Nearly every antivirus software offers a variety of different pricing plans, all with access to different features and functionality. So, make sure you carefully read through all the different options to understand what features you’ll have access to on different pricing plans.

Also, keep in mind that most providers have promotional offers for annual subscriptions. While these typically offer a lot more value for money than standard monthly subscription plans, they require you to pay the full sum upfront and renew at a much higher price each year.

Conclusion – What is the Philippines’ Best Antivirus Software for 2023?

When it comes to choosing an antivirus, it’s crucial to understand how many devices you want to protect and what operating systems they’re running on. For example, the best antivirus for Windows 10 might not be a good option for your mobile devices if it doesn’t offer dedicated mobile apps.

You should also think about what level of protection you’d want. If you often shop online, it wouldn’t make sense to opt for a solution that doesn’t include online payment protection. Similarly, it’s worth thinking about antiviruses that offer parental controls if you want to keep your children safe on the internet.

If you want an antivirus that provides all of these additional layers of protection while being compatible with all devices and operating systems, TotalAV is the best choice, based on our research. There’s also a free version of the antivirus available, so you can test it in practice without committing and see first-hand why it’s the best antivirus software, overall, in 2023.

Best Antivirus Philippines FAQs

Aleksandar Stevanovic

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Aleksandar Stevanovic

Alex is a Senior Software Content Writer at Techopedia. He focuses on creating reader-oriented comparison pages, reviews, research pieces, and editorials. With nearly a decade of experience, he’s written for numerous leading brands across various niches, such as The Tech Report, Bitcoincasinos.com, CEX.IO, Forbes, Business2Community, and many more. His expertise in cybersecurity has made him a popular authority on privacy tools such as VPNs, password managers, blockchain technology, cryptocurrencies, and antivirus software. You'll find Alex working on cars, playing guitar, and cooking fantastic food in his spare time. You can reach Alex on Twitter: @stevanovic_alex

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