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Best for Device Optimization
High level of antivirus protection
Protection from malicious viruses, malware and dangerous websites
User-friendly interface and overall app
Lacks firewall protection
Best for Increased Privacy & Security
Easy-to-install antivirus protection
Secure VPN and password manager included
Parental control features
Multi-tab navigation may be overwhelming at first
Picking an antivirus is personal. Whether you’re looking strictly for highly rated antivirus software that guarantees malware protection or you need a complete package with lots of extras, TotalAV and Norton both have offerings to meet your needs.
Based solely on test scores, functionality, features, and customer service, Norton is a step ahead of TotalAV. However, TotalAV takes a different approach than Norton does and pairs its antivirus with device optimization tools, so it may be more worth it for you. Let’s take a deeper look at these two antivirus choices to see what additional features they offer.
Norton and TotalAV are both highly-rated antivirus programs with a variety of features. TotalAV’s additional features focus more on device optimization and system tune-ups in addition to security features. Norton, on the other hand, offers a broader range of tools for complete privacy across the web, including a VPN, dark web monitoring, and parental controls.
 TotalAV |
 Norton 360 Antivirus |
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| Starting price | Starts at $29.00/first yr | Starts at $14.99/first yr |
| Free version | ||
| Max number of protected devices | Up to 6 | Up to 10 |
| Compatibility | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS |
| Phishing protection | ||
| Ransomware protection | ||
| Firewall | ||
| Real-time protection | ||
| Learn more | Get TotalAV
Read TotalAV Review |
Get Norton
Read Norton Antivirus Review |
TotalAV and Norton do a lot of things the same way. They both protect against viruses and malware, they both offer additional features on all plans, and they both have a variety of price points.
TotalAV focuses more on offering diagnostic as well as web protection tools with its antivirus product while Norton is focused more on broad safety with identity protection.
If you’re wondering about Norton vs. TotalAV in regard to essentials like a full system scan or defense against online threats, both did well in independent third-party testing. As far as protection for your wallet, TotalAV offers a 30-day money-back guarantee while Norton offers a 60-day guarantee.
Pricing is close, but Norton does offer a less expensive starting price for the Norton AntiVirus Plus plan at $14.99/first yr as opposed to TotalAV’s $29.00/first yr price for the Antivirus Pro plan. While Norton tops out at $99.99/first yr for the Select + LifeLock plan, the Norton 360 Deluxe - 3 devices plan is comparable to TotalAV’s Total Security plan — both are about $50.00/yr. Each of these includes a ton of extra features. Be mindful of your renewal date, however, because renewal pricing is much higher than the first-year costs listed here.
While Kaspersky excels in third-party testing, the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) required it to be removed from all government computers. This was due to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) declaration of a potential security risk since Kaspersky is based in Russia. For that reason, we cannot recommend Kaspersky antivirus.
TotalAV |
Norton 360 Antivirus Our Pick
|
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| Price range | $29.00–$49.00/first yr | $14.99–$99.99/first yr |
| Best value plan | Internet Security for $39.00/first yr | Norton 360 Deluxe - 3 devices for $29.99/first yr |
| Money-back guarantee | Yes — 30 days for annual plans, 14 days for monthly plans | Yes — 60 days for annual plans, 14 days for monthly plans |
| Learn more | Get TotalAV
Read TotalAV Review |
Get Norton
Read Norton Antivirus Review |
TotalAV prices range from $29.00–$49.00/first yr. We chose the middle plan, Internet Security, as the best value because it includes a VPN. While the Total Security plan, TotalAV’s top tier, was only $10 more per year (for the first year), we felt the device security portion wasn’t great since TotalAV isn’t as strong on Apple products.
Norton told us the Norton 360 Deluxe - 3 devices plan was the “Best Value,” but if you’re looking for identity theft protection on top of an antivirus, you might disagree. It doesn’t include LifeLock like the next choice up, but it does have parental controls and a privacy monitor to help keep you and your family safer online.
Norton’s renewal rate isn’t such a leap from the starting cost either. The Norton 360 Deluxe - 3 devices plan begins at $29.99/first yr and jumps to $114.99 for the renewal, whereas TotalAV’s Total Security plan starts at $49.00/first yr and then leaps all the way to $179.00 for year two.
| Feature | TotalAV |
Norton 360 Antivirus Our Pick
|
| Manual and scheduled scans | ||
| Real-time protection | ||
| Phishing protection | ||
| Ransomware protection | ||
| Firewall | ||
| Parental controls | ||
| Cloud storage | ||
| Password manager | ||
| VPN | ||
| Ad blocker | ||
| Device optimization tools | ||
| Learn more | Get TotalAV
Read TotalAV Review |
Get Norton
Read Norton Antivirus Review |
Both TotalAV and Norton offer a quick scan and a full system scan.TotalAV's quick scan took a couple of minutes and its full system scan took over 10 minutes. During the full scan, TotalAV also seemed to slow down significantly when it encountered threats.
When testing Norton, its quick scan took under one minute and its full scan analyzed over 600,000 files in less than 10 minutes. While both products scanning tools were easy to use, we thought Norton was better due to speed and performance.
TotalAV offers real-time protection with a feature called WebShield. Its a phishing protection browser extension that can verify if the websites you're browsing are safe and protect against miseleading activity, like scams or spoofed sites.
With Norton, you can turn on the Intrusion Prevention System and Proactive Exploit Protection. The Intrusion Prevention System detects and scans all network traffic for security vulnerabilities and works with your firewall to detect and block malicious attacks. Proactive Exploit Protection works by recognizing malicious behaviors and then blocking any software that mimics those behaviors. Ultimately, Norton's real-time protection is more comphrensive.
TotalAV's phishing protection is the WebShield extension, which will deem websites safe for browsing and flag any suspicious websites it might encounter so you can browse securely.
TotalAV protects you as you surf the web.
Norton's phishing protection is the Norton Safe Web extension, which also analyzes sites you browse to help detect malware and other online threats. Similar to WebShield, it'll give you site ratings depending on whether a site is safe, potentially unsafe, or unsafe. TotalAV and Norton are evenly matched on phishing protection.
One way TotalAV stands out from Norton is by including an ad blocker. Total Adblock not only blocks ads, it can also help speed up your browsing since ads are known to slow down webpage load times. It also promises to block third-party trackers, which can help give you more anonymity online. Total Adblock and many other ad blockers have free versions, so we don't feel like this is a make or break feature, just something that's nice to have.
TotalAV also comes with device optimization tools like a duplicate file finder, large and old files locator, and disk usage analytics. Norton sells these tools separately, so TotalAV may be a better choice for you if you're looking to optimize your device.
TotalAV and Norton share a variety of features like ransomware protection, a password manager, anti-phishing, and malware detection including spyware and adware. Norton, however, has a few additional features that helped it take the lead. Parental controls, cloud backup, and dark web monitoring are all useful features that will increase your security.
Diagnostic tools are available for free across the web, so that’s why we felt Norton’s additional features added more value to its antivirus product than TotalAV’s features. Products like Fortect help with PC health and tune-up while CCleaner speeds up your device and deletes your history. IObit Advanced SystemCare Pro uses AI to clean and speed up your computer.
Features are the most subjective part of antiviruses and are valuable or not based on your personal needs. We do feel that Norton offers a broader range of features for more than just antivirus protection, so we chose it as our winner.
Norton monitors your identity to alert you in the case of an identity theft attempt.
If you’ve ever received a product that didn’t work the way it was advertised, you can appreciate the need for third-party testing. It’s an important part of the cybersecurity landscape because it tests products to make sure they use the most recent technologies and block the newest threats.
While you may not be as concerned about a product’s performance in regards to slowing down your machine, you should always strive for products that excel in protection against cyber threats.
TotalAV |
Norton 360 Antivirus Our Pick
|
|
| Windows protection score | 5.0/6.0 | 6.0/6.0 |
| Windows performance score | 5.5/6.0 | 5.5/6.0 |
| Windows usability score | 6.0/6.0 | 6.0/6.0 |
| Android protection score | 6.0/6.0 | 6.0/6.0 |
| Android performance score | 6.0/6.0 | 6.0/6.0 |
| Android usability score | 6.0/6.0 | 6.0/6.0 |
| Learn more | Get TotalAV
Read TotalAV Review |
Get Norton
Read Norton Antivirus Review |
For Windows, TotalAV had some issues with both protection and performance. In the protection arena, TotalAV was tested against 306 real-world malware examples from web pages and email.
The industry standard in these tests is to pass with 99.3%. In July, TotalAV passed with 97.9%, but in August, it only passed with 97.5%. These two numbers resulted in TotalAV being docked an entire point in this category. What that means is that, when tested against real-world examples of malware, TotalAV didn’t have total protection and was docked one point in this category.
In regards to performance, TotalAV met or exceed download of frequently-used applications, launch of standard software applications, and copying of files, locally and in a network. However, TotalAV was below the industry standards for launching popular websites and familiar application installation. That means TotalAV slowed the loading of web pages and the installation of familiar applications in Windows machines more often than was considered acceptable by industry standards. While some slowdown is expected, this was significant enough to dock TotalAV a half point.
Norton also experienced significant enough performance issues to merit a half-point loss in the same categories of launching popular websites and familiar application installation. But TotalAV’s scores for familiar application installation actually got worse from July 2023 to August 2023, while Norton’s improved. This shows that Norton is actively working on improvement, while TotalAV didn’t hit the same mark.
Both TotalAV and Norton scored perfect testing scores on their Android apps. But unfortunately, TotalAV didn’t submit itself for testing recently for macOS. The last macOS test was in March 2022. In the world of cybersecurity, it’s important to keep up with independent testing as new threats are constantly being released.
Given TotalAV’s worsening performance from July to August, we aren’t confident that its Mac product is as robust as consumers would prefer in their security products.
TotalAV |
Norton 360 Antivirus Our Pick
|
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| Windows | ||
| macOS | ||
| Android | ||
| iOS | ||
| Browser extensions | Yes — Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Opera | Yes — Firefox, Chrome, Edge |
| 24/7 customer support | ||
| Customer support options | Live chat, online guides | Live chat, phone, email, support forums, online guides |
| Learn more | Get TotalAV
Read TotalAV Review |
Get Norton
Read Norton Antivirus Review |
There isn’t a ton of difference in compatibility when it comes to TotalAV and Norton. We found that both products delivered on promises for not just Windows but also their limited Mac functionality. Our product testers found each antivirus offered a lot of helpful features. Each one also works with Apple and Android mobile devices.
Originally we found both TotalAV and Norton had browser extensions for Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Microsoft Edge. TotalAV also added the Opera browser to its compatibility list. Because both products are so similar in functionality and compatibility, the addition of the Opera browser gives TotalAV a slight advantage.
TotalAV scans and flags potential malware.
Norton scanning a clean Macbook.
As far as customer support, there’s a different feel for TotalAV than there is for Norton. Norton seems much more accommodating with a variety of options for customers. When we tested TotalAV, we found more options in the portal of the product than we found on the website. If you’re looking for more than online guides with TotalAV, you won’t necessarily find them on the site.
Yes, you can trust TotalAV as much as any other tested and verified antivirus program. TotalAV has strong third-party testing scores as well as many useful features including device optimization. While there is less testing done on the Mac and Android products, the Windows version is tested regularly.
The strength of your antivirus may not be in a single tool but rather in the ability to layer or stack your security products together. Using a highly rated and well-tested antivirus like Norton or TotalAV in conjunction with a firewall and VPN gives you a significant advantage over someone who is using just the antivirus.
This is why it’s important to find a security tool that offers many of these additional features that add layers of protection.
TotalAV is owned by Protected.net Group Ltd. Protected.net Group Ltd. is a software company located in Fareham in the UK. Protected.net’s website redirects to Total Security’s website, which is part of the security offerings the company provides.
Norton is one of the highest-rated antivirus software on the market. If you’re unhappy with your Norton product, we recommend contacting support to help with the problem.
If you’re still unhappy, many other antivirus products are on the market. We’ve compiled a list of what we find to be the best antivirus software to help you decide. Whatever you choose, make sure you have some sort of protection on your computer — especially if you use public Wi-Fi.
Yes, as long as you have an active Norton subscription, the 100% virus protection promise covers you and any infection you may receive. If you’re looking for a virus removal tool only, Norton offers a free tool called Norton Power Eraser that you can download.
Unfortunately, we would have to say “no” to this question. While TotalAV is a completely valid and safe choice for an antivirus program, Norton does edge it out in almost every category.
Norton has better customer service, stronger testing and test scores, and a wider variety of extra features like dark web monitoring and cloud storage. We also were impressed with the fact that Norton’s renewal pricing wasn’t as severe a difference from year one to year two as TotalAV’s pricing structure.
If you decide to go with TotalAV, you’ll still get a good product that’s done well in third-party testing. You may not have as many features, but you will have solid protection. Our only strong suggestion would be to keep an eye on your renewal date. That price jump is significant!
Whichever you choose, just make sure you use an antivirus on your computer. Viruses and ransomware are no joke, and a good piece of security software can ensure you’re safe.
Still not sold on TotalAV or Norton? That’s ok, we have other options for you. We’ve tested all these products and can recommend them with confidence.
Easy-to-install antivirus protection
Secure VPN and password manager included
Parental control features
Multi-tab navigation may be overwhelming at first
