Best Apps In 2020: Antivirus Apps For Android
Bitdefender Mobile Security is best Android antivirus app and priced at $15 per year based on our test. This offers nearly optimal malware protection with a wide range of other functions. The Norton Mobile Security Freemium has even better security and is important to free users who do not want to spend $30 per year for subscriptions.
Avast Mobile Security and McAfee Mobile Security offer a wide range of capabilities, even in free and fairly good malware detection tests. The anti-theftening and call-blocking functionality of Avast did not work well for us, though, and both applications show a lot of advertising when you swap in your paid plans.
The Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus free version does not contain any advertisements, however, and its call and theft prevention apps are perfect for you. The ransomware defense is a hair stronger than that of Avast or McAfee, although many other devices, for instance a Wi-Fi network security test, ignore creature comforts.
With Lookout Protection & Antivirus, you can take a little gamble. One of the first mobile antivirus applications with an attractive identity protection solution that has a good reputation among Android users. Nevertheless, there are not many third-party laboratory test information regarding antivirus efficacy of Lookout, so we do not know how well it defends against Android malware.
The two other antivirus programs we have reviewed cannot really be suggested. Qihoo 360 Protection gives free users plenty of functionalities but there are so many advertisements to get rid of. As with Lookout, there is little info about the way 360 Security protects against malware. We don’t have any other data. It’s also much slower than any Android antivirus application.
The last app is enabled on every Android phone operating Google Play, Google Play Protect. Unfortunately, security from malware is bad. You need something else completely.
Testing Procedure
AV-TEST is a German laboratory that measures the extent to which major Android security apps detect zero-day malware and other risks in order to gage security protection. We have been using results from AV-TEST. We also examined the results in the last three years because some app scores are inconsistent from one test to the next.
AV-Comparatives is an Austrian laboratory which tests almost all Android antivirus applications in Google Play once a year, even those which don’t work with test laboratories. We have also used results from them. These evaluations are however less rigorous.
We used the Geekbench 4 Benchmarking App on a Google Pixels 3 with Android 9.0 Pie to measure the impact of antivirus applications on overall performance. We have tested Geekbench many times for each device and no AV app has been installed, one test app has been installed and finally the complete analysis of this app.
We have measured the amount and the functionality of each app’s worth and we noticed that apps were set aside for paying customers.
1. Bitdefender Mobile Security
The Android protection software from Bitdefender offers almost faultless malware safety, a very light effect on efficiency, a VPN client and a powerful Android wear watch compatibility, including phone lock and Wi-Fi Scanner. Separately available Bitdefender Antivirus Free scans only malware for the Android app. There is no free option. Nonetheless, with 15 dollars per year, mobile security from Bitdefender is worth the cost.
2. Norton Mobile Security
Norton Mobile Security offers the most protection against malware of all antivirus and its malicious blocking of the site and excellent anti-theft features. The only app adviser, who checks for safety risks and privacy in Google Play’s apps even before installing them, is the best-paid feature. A yearly payment of $30 is charged if you use it.
3. Avast Mobile Security
With everything from a privacy adviser to a VPN client to a customizable blacklist, Avast Mobile Security & Antivirus is one of the most full-featured Android security apps. But, though malware security from Avast is fine, advertisements in the free version are mischievous and invasive and its call-blocking function hasn’t performed for us.
4. Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus
The Android app of Kaspersky provides outstanding, if not flawless malware protection, a limited machine impact and an active call blocker. The free version does not have any advertising and the premium option is inexpensive. Yet still, it looks stripped down, and functionality fewer than most of its rivals.
5. Lookout Security & Antivirus
Lookout has been one of the first Android antivirus applications and its ease of use, clean design and no advertising are still making noise. The free tier is flat and the paid tier pays $30 a year for functionality that most Mobile antivirus applications provide free of charge. The “premium plus” package is indeed a relatively inexpensive Identity protection service at $100 per year. But we really do not know what security Lookout defends against malware and its successful scans are sluggish.
6. McAfee Mobile Security
McAfee has plenty of features and a free version loaded with advertisements and news. Malware protection is good, and it is possible to safely use your device for a short period of time with the helpful guest feature. You’re going to get good stuff without charge, like an anti-theft and a Wi-Fi safety scanner. However it costs somewhat $30 a year, and the VPN customer is even more expensive.
7. Google Play Protect
Google Play Protect is an app that comes with every android mobile device by default. But the crippling prevention of malware create the most obvious desire for using third-party Android Antivirus. Interface of Google Play Protect is simple, there are no advertisements and the effect of the program is small.
8. Qihoo 360 Security
Lots and lots of ads makes the use of Qihoo 360 frustrating. But Qihoo’s 360 Protection offers everything for free. It would be more compelling to trading to the ad-free version if we had a better idea how well 360 safety protects itself against malware and if the system didn’t slow down when scanning it. 360 Security can no longer be recommended, free or paid.
Final Words
The best mobile antivirus apps offer a wide range of data protection and anti-theft functionality as well as quality malware detection and prevention. These include the ability to pick up an image of an individual lad with a mirror, to monitor your phone or tablet with GPS, and even to find your handset with your Android Wear.
Read Next: Microsoft December 2019 Patch Tuesday plugs Windows zero-day
