AV-TEST results: how Bitdefender, Kaspersky, McAfee and Norton perform

When you want to compare antivirus software, an independent test result is often the first thing you look at. That makes sense. You want to see at a glance which packages perform well, how big the differences really are and whether there is one clear winner. That is exactly why it is important to look closely at what AV-TEST is actually showing here.

For the four packages discussed in this blog, the outcome is strikingly clear: Bitdefender Total Security, Kaspersky Premium, McAfee Total Protection and Norton 360 all score 18 out of 18 points in the AV-TEST for Windows. That means all of these products perform very strongly in the test. So the most interesting question is not which package is “number 1”, but where the differences lie within that equal top score.

The AV-TEST results for these four antivirus packages

AV-TEST assesses antivirus software in three areas:

• Security
• Performance
• Usability

You can score a maximum of 6 points per category. That gives a total maximum score of 18 points. A product receives the "Approved" label with 10 points or more. With 17.5 points or more, a product also receives the TOP PRODUCT award.

For these four packages, the results are as follows:

So the main conclusion of this blog is simple: according to AV-TEST, all four brands score equally well on the main test categories. It is therefore not correct to present one of these packages as the winner and the others as numbers 2, 3 and 4.

Which system was this AV-TEST carried out on?

That is an important detail, because not every test automatically applies to every device. This AV-TEST was carried out on a device using Windows as the operating system. So the results in this blog relate to the performance of these antivirus packages on Windows.

That is worth stating clearly, because antivirus software can sometimes perform differently on another platform. So if you are specifically looking for antivirus software for Windows, these results are highly relevant.

How does Bitdefender Total Security score according to AV-TEST?

Bitdefender Total Security achieved the maximum score of 18/18 in this AV-TEST, placing it among the best-performing antivirus packages in this comparison.

According to AV-TEST, Bitdefender offers strong protection against malware, has minimal impact on system performance and runs smoothly during everyday use. In other words, it delivers a well-balanced combination of security, speed and usability.

So while Bitdefender is not singled out as a “number 1” in this test, it clearly belongs to the group of top-performing antivirus solutions.

How does Kaspersky Premium score according to AV-TEST?

Kaspersky Premium also achieved the highest possible result in the AV-TEST for Windows, confirming that it performs very strongly across the main test categories.

The main difference becomes visible when you look beyond the final score. In the performance details, Kaspersky shows slightly more delay than the other packages in certain everyday tasks, such as opening popular websites.

This does not affect the official result, but it is useful to keep in mind if you want to compare these products more closely in terms of real-world performance.

How does McAfee Total Protection score according to AV-TEST?

McAfee Total Protection is also part of the group that achieved the maximum AV-TEST score, meaning it performs at the same high level in the main categories.

What stands out is its performance in the underlying test details. McAfee shows less delay than the other packages when opening popular websites and also performs slightly better when launching standard software.

So even though the overall score is identical, McAfee appears to be slightly lighter on system resources within this comparison.

How does Norton 360 score according to AV-TEST?

Norton 360 also achieved the top result in the AV-TEST for Windows, placing it firmly among the best-performing antivirus packages in this test.

In terms of performance, Norton is very similar to Bitdefender. The differences between the two are small and do not have a noticeable impact on the overall result.

This means Norton, like the other packages in this comparison, delivers a strong combination of protection, performance and usability according to AV-TEST.

What does the test say about security?

The security category focuses on protection against malware infections such as viruses, worms and Trojans.

Within this category, AV-TEST looked at, among other things:

• Protection against zero-day malware attacks, including web and email threats
• Detection of widespread and common malware from the AV-TEST reference set

For the four packages mentioned, the outcome here is very clear. In the test against zero-day malware, Bitdefender, Kaspersky, McAfee and Norton all score 100%. These brands also all score 100% for the detection of common malware.

So in terms of security, the test shows no difference between these four packages. Anyone looking purely at malware protection will see in this AV-TEST that they all perform equally strongly.

What does the test say about performance?

The performance category looks at the impact of the antivirus package on computer speed during daily use.

This includes areas such as:

• Delay when opening popular websites
• Delay when downloading files
• Slower launch of standard software
• Impact during application installation

On paper, all four packages simply receive 6/6 here. However, there are still differences beneath the surface.

Within this test, McAfee Total Protection shows the least delay when opening popular websites. McAfee also scores slightly more favourably than the others when launching standard software.

Of these four, Kaspersky Premium shows slightly more delay when opening popular websites.

Bitdefender Total Security and Norton 360 sit somewhere in between and are more comparable to each other.

So if you only look at the official report score, the outcome is the same. But if you look a little deeper, you can say that McAfee appears slightly faster within this group, while Kaspersky shows a little more delay. However, the difference is not large enough to change the 6/6 score.

What does the test say about usability?

The usability category is about the impact of the security software on normal computer use.

Here, AV-TEST looks at things such as:

• False warnings
• Incorrect website blocking
• Problems when installing legitimate software
• Error messages during normal use

All four packages also score 6/6 in this category. So within this test, there is no relevant difference between Bitdefender, Kaspersky, McAfee and Norton when it comes to usability.

That is reassuring, because a good antivirus package should not only protect well, but also work smoothly without unnecessary warnings or blocks getting in the way of normal use.

What AV-TEST does not include, but still matters

The AV-TEST score gives a good picture of how strongly an antivirus package performs in security, performance and usability within the package’s default settings. However, that score does not tell the whole story. In practice, many people do not just look at malware protection, but also at extra features that help protect their data, privacy, accounts and files more effectively.

Think, for example, of password management, a VPN, identity protection and cloud backup. These types of features often make a real difference in everyday use. A password manager helps you use strong, unique passwords without having to remember everything yourself. A VPN is useful if you regularly use public Wi-Fi or want extra protection for your internet traffic. Identity protection can warn you if personal data appears in a data breach. And cloud backup is important if you want to restore files after a system error, ransomware attack or accidentally deleted folder.

This is exactly where differences start to appear between packages that score equally in AV-TEST. In this comparison, Norton 360 is the only package with cloud backup. That is an interesting addition if you want extra protection not only for your device, but also for your files. Bitdefender Total Security does include a VPN, but it is limited to 200 MB per day. In addition, this package does not include password management or identity protection. If you are specifically looking for these extra features within the Bitdefender range, Bitdefender Premium Security Plus is the more suitable option. However, that package was not included in this AV-TEST.

If you choose Bitdefender Total Security, Kaspersky Premium or McAfee Total Protection and also want to back up your files securely online, there is a solution for that too. In that case, you can combine the package with unlimited cloud storage from Jottacloud.

So AV-TEST does show how well an antivirus package scores on the tested categories, but for a complete decision, it is wise to also look at the extra features that fall outside the scope of the test.

Conlusion: so which antivirus package comes out best in this comparison?

Anyone explaining these AV-TEST results honestly will arrive at a clear conclusion: Bitdefender Total Security, Kaspersky Premium, McAfee Total Protection and Norton 360 all perform excellently.

So in this test, there is no credible top 1, 2, 3 and 4. All four achieve the maximum score of 18/18, showing that they perform very strongly on Windows in the areas measured by AV-TEST.

That means the best choice depends less on the final score and more on what else matters to you:

• Want the lightest option in the performance details? Then view McAfee Total Protection
• Want antivirus with cloud backup included? Then view Norton 360
• Want more privacy and account protection features within Bitdefender? Then view Bitdefender Premium Security Plus

Buy antivirus software that scores well in AV-TEST?

Are you looking for antivirus software that scores well in AV-TEST on Windows? Then Bitdefender Total Security, Kaspersky Premium, McAfee Total Protection and Norton 360 all belong to a strong category.

At 2GO Software, you not only choose from 100% legitimate software, but also get extra help if you need it. Think of clear tailored instructions, a free installation service and support seven days a week. That way, you are not only choosing a package with a strong test score, but also a solution that genuinely helps you move forward.

Source: AV-TEST