Buying guide · 4 picks
Best antivirus for families
A family plan is mostly a question of device count and who manages it. We compared the plans that cover the most devices for the money, using prices read on vendor sites on 12 Nov 2026.
Ranked by the AVSO Editorial Desk
Prices and lab results verified How we scoreEditorial policy
Short answer:Norton 360 Deluxe. The only plan here with parental controls, VPN and cloud backup together.
View Norton 360 pricing (opens in a new tab)Best antivirus for families: our 4 picks, ranked
Top pick Best family suite
Editorial score 8.8 out of 101. Norton 360 Deluxe
Plan: 360 Deluxe
Why it’s here: The only plan here with parental controls, VPN and cloud backup together.
The evidence
Price
$49.99 first year, renews $124.99
View Norton 360 pricing (opens in a new tab)60-day money-back guarantee (annual plans)
Read review: NortonBest for big households
Editorial score 9.0 out of 102. Bitdefender Total Security
Plan: Premium Security Family
Why it’s here: 25 devices with the unlimited VPN and the strongest 2026 lab record.
The evidence
Price
$99.99 first year, 25 devices
Best value for 10 devices
Editorial score 8.5 out of 103. Avast Premium Security (10 devices)
Plan: Premium Security, 10 devices
Why it’s here: Ten devices across Windows, Mac, Android and iOS with ADVANCED+ protection.
The evidence
- AV-C Real-World · Feb–May 2026 · 99.3% Real-World, ADVANCED+2
Price
$69.48 first year, renews $99.99
Unlimited devices
Editorial score 7.5 out of 104. Surfshark One
Plan: Surfshark One
Why it’s here: No device limit at all, VPN included. Thin lab evidence for the antivirus.
The evidence
- AV-TEST Windows · Jun 2026 · 6 / 4.5 / 6, Certified4
Price
About $44.85 for 15 months (secondary source)
Not verified on vendor siteView Surfshark One pricing (opens in a new tab)30-day money-back guarantee
Read review: Surfshark Antivirus
Side by side
Lab results and prices for these picks. Product names open their reviews.
| Compare4 picks | NortonTop pick | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Editorial score | Editorial score 8.8 out of 10 | Editorial score 9.0 out of 10 | Editorial score 8.5 out of 10 | Editorial score 7.5 out of 10 |
| First year | $49.99first year | $59.99first year | $69.48first year | $44.85first 15 monthsUnverifiedLowest |
| Renewal / year | $124.99 | Not stated | $99.99 | Not stated |
| Real-World protection | 99.3%ADVANCED+ | 99.5%ADVANCED+Highest | 99.3%ADVANCED+ | Not tested |
| False positives | 5 | 5 | 5 | Not tested |
| Performance impact | 4.9 | 8.7 | 5.2 | Not tested |
| VPN | 200 MB/day | Unlimited | ||
| iOS app | ||||
| Get it |
Parental controls are not a substitute for platform controls
Apple Screen Time and Google Family Link are free and work at the operating-system level. A security suite's parental controls add web filtering across browsers; set up both.
Frequently asked questions
Which antivirus covers the most devices?
Surfshark One covers unlimited devices; Bitdefender Premium Security's family version covers 25 for $99.99 in year one; Avast Premium Security and Malwarebytes' family plans cover 10.
Top pick · Best antivirus for families
Our pick: Norton
The fullest feature set, with the steepest renewal. 360 Deluxe: $49.99 first year · 60-day money-back guarantee (annual plans).
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Sources
All accessed
- 1.us.norton.com/products. us.norton.com/products (opens in a new tab)
- 2.AV-Comparatives Real-World Protection Test, February–May 2026. av-comparatives.org/tests/real-world-protection-test-february-may-2026/ (opens in a new tab)
- 3.bitdefender.com. bitdefender.com/en-us/consumer/premium-security (opens in a new tab)
- 4.AV-TEST Windows 11 home-user test, June 2026. av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/windows-11/june-2026/ (opens in a new tab)