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Best for Performance and Security
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Award-winning antivirus, malware, and ransomware protection for up to 10 devices
Includes webcam protection, safe browsing and email, automatic updates, and 24/7 protection
Suite of protection benefits including a secure VPN, anti-tracking capabilities, safeguards against phishing sites, and more
Best for a Budget
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Real-time protection from viruses, malware, and online threats
Blocks tracking cookies and ads, proactively monitors for data breaches, and option to schedule smart scans
100% compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS operating systems on up to 3 devices
Both AVG and TotalAV are two rock-solid antivirus. AVG is an excellent option if you prioritize overall performance and security features. It has near-perfect AV-TEST scores and includes enhanced firewall protection (a feature missing from TotalAV) with its premium plans.
TotalAV is still a strong antivirus option if you’re budget-conscious and don't need to cover more than eight devices. Plus, TotalAV comprehensively safeguards your accounts and browsing activities across the web with its ad blocker, VPN, and password manager.
AVG premium plans cost more than TotalAV, but the overall value is worth it if you prioritize performance and strong security features. It's also worth noting that while AVG covers up to 10 devices, TotalAV only offers protection for up to eight devices.
Even still, TotalAV is a strong contender with affordable plans, user-friendly ad blockers, and essential antivirus protection. It may be best for smaller households.
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| Starting price | $46.68/yr (first year only) for 1 device | $29.00/yr (first year only) |
| Free version | ||
| Max number of protected devices | 10 devices | 8 devices |
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Compatibility | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS |
| Real-time protection | ||
| Phishing protection | ||
| Ransomware protection | ||
| Learn more | Get AVG | Get TotalAV |
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Our Pick | |
| Price range | Free–$65.99/first yr | $29.00–$49.00/yr (first year only) |
| Best value plan | AVG Ultimate for $59.88/yr (first year only) for 10 devices | Total Security for $49.00/yr (first year only) |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes — 30 days | Yes — 14 or 30 days |
| Learn more | Get AVG | Get TotalAV |
Overall, TotalAV has more affordable plans available. Premium plans for both software companies provide essential features to protect your devices, yet TotalAV's Total Security plan starts at $49.00/yr (first year only), and the AVG Ultimate plan starts at $59.88/yr (first year only) for 10 devices.
However, you should also consider the number of devices covered. AVG can cover up to 10 devices. Meanwhile, TotalAV will only protect up to eight. If you need to protect more than eight devices, then AVG may provide you with better value.
Both antivirus programs have free versions, so you can get an idea of their features before purchasing a subscription. Both also have money-back guarantees.
AVG has a 30-day money-back guarantee. TotalAV has a 14-day money-back guarantee for monthly subscriptions and 30 days for annual subscriptions. Either way, you have adequate time to verify that the antivirus software meets your needs.
Our Pick |
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| Manual and scheduled scans | ||
| Real-time protection | ||
| Phishing protection | ||
| Ransomware protection | ||
| Firewall | ||
| Parental controls | ||
| Password manager | ||
| VPN | ||
| Ad blocker | ||
| Device optimization tools | ||
| Learn more | Get AVG | Get TotalAV |
Antivirus software protects your devices from malicious online threats. In tandem, a firewall provides an additional layer of security to your network. It acts as a barrier between your network and external threats like hackers.
It's a big drawback that TotalAV doesn't have a firewall, but AVG does. However, both AVG and TotalAV provide a virtual private network (VPN), which helps secure incoming and outgoing traffic to your network.
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The rest of the differences between AVG and TotalAV are fairly superficial, depending on your personal preferences. For example, AVG doesn't have an actual ad blocker, you'll only have access to ad blocking capabilities if you use its Secure Browser. Meanwhile, TotalAV's ad blocker is compatible with Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Safari.
Another non-essential (but still important) feature that's missing from AVG is a password manager, which helps to create, manage, and store your passwords across devices. If you prefer to have a password manager included in your antivirus program, then consider TotalAV.
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Let’s look at core antivirus protection features. Both AVG and TotalAV offer reliable, comprehensive protection. AVG boasts many scan options, including Smart Scan, Deep Scan, Performance Scan, and more.
On the other hand, TotalAV is a straight shooter with only two types of manual malware scans: a Quick Scan and a System Scan. The full System Scan takes significantly longer than a Quick Scan, but the total time was only about 10 minutes during our testing.
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TotalAV offers real-time protection in the form of WebShield, which is a service under the “Internet Security” section. Comparatively, AVG’s phishing and email protection checks for deceptive attachments that could be dangerous.
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You need antivirus protection that can accurately detect malware and other threats to stay safe online.
AV-TEST is a well-known third-party testing site that evaluates the most current antivirus version for its effectiveness. It tests for three categories: protection, performance, and usability. Each category gets a score out of six, so there are 18 total possible points.
Our Pick |
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| AV-TEST Windows score | 17.5/18.0 | 17.0/18.0 |
| AV-TEST macOS score | 18.0/18.0 | N/A |
| AV-TEST Android score | 18.0/18.0 | 18.0/18.0 |
| Learn more | Get AVG | Get TotalAV |
AVG was docked 0.5 points on its Windows platform for performance issues. It slowed computer speeds when launching popular websites, launching standard software, and launching popular sites. It was about 10% slower than the industry average, which we found to be a minor markdown.
TotalAV was docked 1.0 points on its Windows platform for protection and performance and it hasn't tested its macOS platform in several years. It was slightly less effective at protection against zero-day malware attacks. It received a 99.1% in March and a 98.2% in April compared to the industry average of 99.5%. TotalAV also slowed computer speeds when installing frequently used apps and copying files.
AVG received a perfect score on macOS and both programs received perfect scores on Android.
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| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| Browser extensions | Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Edge | Yes — Chrome, Firefox, Edge |
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Customer support options | Live chat, phone, email, online guides | Live chat, phone, email, online guides |
| Learn more | Get AVG | Get TotalAV |
When it comes to device compatibility, TotalAV and AVG are on the same page. They both offer apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. They both also offer the same browser extensions to protect against phishing scams.
TotalAV offers a user-friendly interface, but we had some hiccups with the password vault and real-time protection setup. Our Quick Scan only took two minutes, while the System Scan took 10 minutes to complete.
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On the other hand, AVG is more complex with more customization and scan options. It likely requires more antivirus knowledge, or the desire to do some reading and troubleshooting.
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TotalAV and AVG also offer the same options for customer support, with live chat, phone, and email. They both also have a knowledge base with online guides to peruse.
Although we consider TotalAV to be one of the best antivirus programs, we think AVG outshined TotalAV on features and third-party testing.
AVG isn't a Russian company. It was acquired by Avast in 2016. Avast subsequently merged with Norton, a U.S.-based company, in 2022.
AVG has perfect scores on the AV-TEST site. It also has many of the core features you expect from an antivirus software program, including a firewall. AVG offers a rock-solid free version in addition to premium plans.
TotalAV may be better than AVG Antivirus if you’re looking for an affordable antivirus program. But if you need to protect more than six devices, then AVG Antivirus offers the better value because it can cover up to 10 devices. AVG may also be a better choice if you want additional layers of security with an enhanced firewall enabled.
AVG is a better choice if you want strong security features, high performance, and coverage for more than eight devices. TotalAV lacks a firewall and didn't score as well as AVG with AV-TEST.
However, you might prefer TotalAV if you’re looking for a reliable, budget-friendly option with an ad blocker, VPN, and password manager.
Overall, AVG provides better value and is worth the higher costs. It also has a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you have plenty of time to evaluate if AVG meets your needs.
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Award-winning antivirus, malware, and ransomware protection for up to 10 devices
Includes webcam protection, safe browsing and email, automatic updates, and 24/7 protection
Suite of protection benefits including a secure VPN, anti-tracking capabilities, safeguards against phishing sites, and more
While AVG and TotalAV have appealing qualities, they may not be the right fit for you. There are other excellent options if you’re searching for the best antivirus programs.
Here are a few of our top alternatives and their highlights:
| Antivirus | 
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| Best for | Bundled services | Parental controls | Phishing protection |
| Starting price | Starts at $29.99/yr (first year only) | Starts at $39.99/yr (first year only) | Starts at $29.99/yr (first year only) |
| Additional features | Cloud backup, password manager, VPN, dark web monitoring, parental controls | VPN, identity protection, parental controls, password manager | VPN, identity protection, parental controls, device optimization tools |
| Learn more | Get Norton | Get McAfee | Get Bitdefender |
Real-time protection from viruses, malware, and online threats
Blocks tracking cookies and ads, proactively monitors for data breaches, and option to schedule smart scans
100% compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS operating systems on up to 3 devices
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