Windows Defender, the default security software on Windows operating systems, offers basic protection against common cyber threats. However, when considering comprehensive protection, How Does Windows Defender Compared To Other Antivirus Programs? This article on COMPARE.EDU.VN explores the strengths and weaknesses of Windows Defender, contrasting it with leading antivirus solutions to help you make an informed decision about your cybersecurity needs. Discover which security measures offer superior protection, enhanced features, and better overall value for safeguarding your digital life, ensuring you have the best virus protection for your computer security.
1. Is Windows Defender Good Enough?
Windows Defender, now known as Windows Security, has improved significantly over the years. It provides:
- Real-time threat detection
- Firewall & network protection
- SmartScreen (web protection)
- System performance reports
- Hardware security
- Parental controls
- Ransomware protection
- VPN (only included with Microsoft 365 Personal & Family plans)
Microsoft Defender effectively detects malware, blocks exploits, and identifies phishing sites. It also provides basic PC performance reports and parental controls. Many users now question whether Defender alone suffices or if a third-party antivirus is necessary.
However, after rigorous testing, some issues with Windows Defender were identified:
- Malware detection rates are lower than many third-party competitors, especially when offline.
- Content filters are limited to the Microsoft Edge browser.
- The user interface is clunky and difficult to navigate.
- PC system health report is basic, lacking performance-boosting or system cleanup capabilities.
- It lacks additional tools such as anti-theft protections and a password manager, which are standard in third-party antiviruses.
- Ransomware protections are intrusive and disabled by default.
While Windows Defender and safe online habits offer adequate protection in many cases, premium antiviruses provide enhanced features and more robust protection.
2. Key Features Missing From Windows Defender
Although Windows Defender includes numerous security features, it lacks functionalities found in premium antivirus software:
- Anti-theft protection
- Webcam/microphone protection
- System optimization tools
- Password manager
- Extensive customization options
- VPN (available only with specific Microsoft 365 subscriptions and limited in functionality)
The absence of a VPN in the free version is a significant drawback. A VPN protects your online privacy from trackers and ensures secure access to public networks. Competitors like Norton and Bitdefender offer superior VPN services with better encryption and features. Windows Defender’s paid VPN is limited to 50 GB of data and available only in select countries, making it less competitive.
System optimization tools are also lacking in Windows Defender. While it offers basic PC health reports, it cannot speed up your PC. Competitors offer features to clean up junk files, temporary files, and duplicate files, enhancing system performance.
Windows Defender also has limited customization options. The firewall is difficult to manage, and the malware scanner settings are basic on/off switches. The advanced ransomware protections are disabled by default, leaving users vulnerable.
3. Best Alternatives to Microsoft Defender in 2025
Several antivirus programs provide better protection and features than Windows Defender. Here are some of the top alternatives:
- Norton 360 – Best overall alternative, with perfect malware detection and great extras.
- Bitdefender – Superior anti-malware engine with a wide array of additional features.
- TotalAV – Easier to use, with better malware detection and excellent PC tune-up tools.
- McAfee – Enhanced web protection, including an excellent suite of parental controls.
- Panda – More security features than Windows Defender and affordable plans.
- Malwarebytes – Good anti-malware protection for budget users.
- Avira – More and better free features.
- Kaspersky – More advanced parental controls and good financial protections.
- Trend Micro – Good phishing protection.
- ESET – Advanced malware detection and anti-theft tools.
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4. Norton 360 – Best Antivirus Alternative to Microsoft’s Windows Defender in 2025
Norton 360 surpasses Windows Defender in every aspect. It provides superior malware detection rates, enhanced internet security protections, a broader range of features, and coverage for more platforms.
In malware detection tests, Norton outperformed Defender by achieving a perfect 100% detection rate, blocking tricky spyware and ransomware files that Defender missed. Norton’s full ransomware protections are enabled by default, unlike Defender’s.
Norton 360 includes:
- Stronger anti-phishing protection
- More comprehensive parental controls
- Additional features like an unlimited-data VPN and password manager
Norton’s anti-phishing protections are highly effective, identifying more suspicious websites than Defender, including malicious links in emails and text messages. Norton’s web defenses complement Microsoft’s, providing an extra layer of protection.
Norton offers a wide array of features not available in Windows Defender, such as an excellent unlimited-data VPN with encrypted access to servers in numerous countries and advanced dark web monitoring. It also includes a robust password manager with auto-saving, auto-filling, and biometric login.
Norton’s parental controls are also superior, featuring web filtering for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, and monitoring and blocking capabilities for over 45 website categories. The ability to log and provide information on videos watched on YouTube is another significant advantage.
Norton 360 Deluxe, priced at €39.99 / year, covers 5 devices and includes parental controls with location tracking and app usage management. Norton 360 with LifeLock, starting at €91.64 / year (available in select countries), adds up to $3 million in identity theft insurance. A specialized plan for PC gamers offers an advanced game booster and performance optimizer. All Norton plans come with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Norton 360 is the best Windows security suite, offering significant improvements over Windows Defender’s protections and a wide range of extras.
5. Bitdefender – Better Cloud-Based Scanning Engine (With Excellent Additional Features)
Bitdefender is fast, lightweight, and has a superior cloud-based scanning engine compared to Windows Defender. Its malware scanner detected all test malware during a full system scan, even when offline.
Bitdefender is also more user-friendly. Its “Autopilot” feature automatically analyzes files, networks, and online activity to create default protections that run seamlessly in the background.
Bitdefender’s additional security features include:
- Enhanced web protection
- Simplified interface
- Better parental controls
- Tools like a VPN, password manager, webcam protection, and PC tune-up
Bitdefender offers strong web protection, preventing access to phishing sites and sites containing downloadable malware. Its secure browser, Safepay, provides robust tools to protect online financial information during banking and online purchases. Safepay blocks screenshots and keystroke tracking and automatically fills out credit card information.
Microphone and webcam protection alerts you to unauthorized app access, allowing you to block or allow access. A list of safe websites can be set up for approved access to these tools.
The VPN is exceptionally fast, surpassing many standalone VPNs. The parental controls offer app usage limits, online content filtering, and geo-fencing.
Bitdefender’s premium Total Security plan includes more features than almost any antivirus, priced at €34.99 / year. Budget-conscious users can opt for less advanced packages starting at €19.99 / year. The top-tier Premium Security suite (€73.32 / year) includes all premium features, a VPN with no data limitations, and a fully-featured password manager. Bitdefender’s plans are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bitdefender’s powerful cloud-based anti-malware scanner offers perfect detection rates and a comprehensive suite of internet security features that expand on Microsoft’s basic protections.
6. TotalAV – Easier to Use (With Great Performance Optimization Tools)
TotalAV combines better detection rates with ease of use, surpassing Windows Defender. Its lightweight malware engine is constantly updated to detect the latest threats. In tests, it identified and removed over 99% of malware samples, including ransomware and cryptojackers missed by Windows Defender.
The intuitive dashboard is simpler to navigate and better designed than Windows Defender, making TotalAV ideal for non-tech-savvy users.
System cleanup tools include a junk cleaner, application uninstaller, startup manager, and browser cleanup, all located in the same space for quick PC optimization.
TotalAV’s VPN, Safe Browsing VPN, offers unlimited data, industry-standard security features, and fast speeds. It works with top streaming services and allows torrenting on all servers.
Identity theft protection is comprehensive but limited to US users.
The Total Security plan costs €49.00 and includes all TotalAV’s features. More affordable options are available with TotalAV Antivirus Pro (€19.00 / year) and Internet Security (€39.00 / year). All TotalAV plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
TotalAV is easier to use than Windows Defender and comes with robust malware protection, excellent PC optimization tools, and a top-notch VPN.
7. McAfee – Better Web Protection (With Data Cleanup Tools)
McAfee Total Protection is an excellent internet security suite with superior web protection and network safeguards compared to Windows Defender. Its web protection caught 100% of phishing sites tested, outperforming Microsoft SmartScreen and Edge’s built-in protection. The malware scanner also outperformed Windows’s antivirus, detecting all 1,000 malware files.
McAfee offers significant improvements over Windows 11’s built-in protections, including:
- Firewall
- VPN
- Parental controls
- System optimization
- Personal data cleanup tool
- Identity theft protection
McAfee’s firewall provides greater protection than Windows Defender alone. Safe Family, McAfee’s parental controls app, offers more functionality than Windows’ default controls, allowing for time limits, content filters, and geographical restrictions.
McAfee provides a personal data cleanup service, removing personal data from data brokerages. Identity theft protection monitors the dark web in real-time and alerts you to leaked personal information.
McAfee Advanced, priced at €49.95 / year, offers up to $1 million in identity theft coverage and assistance with canceling and replacing IDs and credit cards. The security freeze feature prevents unauthorized account openings. Identity theft protection is available in over 20 countries.
McAfee Total Protection is available for 5 or unlimited devices, with prices starting at €39.95 / year. Both individual and family plans are covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
McAfee provides an excellent anti-malware engine and internet security extras that Windows Defender lacks.
8. Panda – More Extras (and Flexible Pricing)
Panda Dome is a reliable anti-malware program with high malware detection rates, decent extra features, and extensive customization options. It detected malware as accurately as Windows Defender in testing but missed some newer adware and ransomware files.
Panda includes features not offered by Windows’s free antivirus, such as a free VPN powered by Hotspot Shield, a virtual keyboard, a file shredder, file encryption, PC cleanup tools, anti-theft tools, and a Rescue Kit.
Panda’s Rescue Kit allows you to restart a computer and disinfect the system using cloud-based malware technology. The anti-theft tools allow you to remotely lock devices, erase information, take a photo of the thief, and locate the lost device.
File encryption and file shredding are additional features not available in Defender. Panda offers 5 different packages, including a free plan. Paid plans start at €18.49 / year, with monthly, yearly, 2-year, and 3-year subscription options for 1, 3, 5, 10, or unlimited devices. All plans offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Panda Dome has a good antivirus scanner with an intuitive interface, decent additional features, and flexible payment options.
9. Malwarebytes – Good Anti-Malware Protection for Budget Users
Malwarebytes offers advanced protection against a range of malware threats, including zero-day attacks and ransomware. Its scanning engine is comparable to top competitors.
Malwarebytes’s dashboard is more user-friendly than Defender’s. It has an automatic anti-phishing filter that outperforms Microsoft’s built-in protections.
Scheduling system scans is easier with Malwarebytes. The VPN provides encrypted access to servers globally but is not as fast as Bitdefender’s and doesn’t work with most streaming sites or allow torrenting.
Malwarebytes Plus offers malware protection and a secure VPN for €54.98 / year. Malwarebytes Standard costs €41.23 / year but is just a malware scanner with real-time protections. Both plans offer a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Malwarebytes is an improvement on Defender, providing excellent malware protection and anti-phishing controls with a user-friendly dashboard.
10. Avira – More (and Better) Free Features
Avira Free Security for Windows provides strong anti-malware scanning and many high-quality features in its free version, making it one of the best free Windows antiviruses. Its cloud-based malware scanner detected 100% of malware sample files during testing, with only a slight decrease in offline detection rate.
Avira’s free antivirus includes features not available in Windows’s free antivirus, such as:
- Safe Shopping browser extension
- Free VPN (with 500 MB of data per month)
- Performance optimization tools & password manager
The Safe Shopping browser extension blocks web trackers, ads, and phishing sites. System optimization tools can improve performance, with premium plans including a driver updater.
Avira has a feature-rich free password manager with 256-bit AES encryption, unlimited password storage, and two-factor authentication. Avira Prime is the best package, including an unlimited-data VPN, priced at €59.95 / year, with coverage for up to 5 devices. All Avira plans include a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Avira is one of the better free alternatives to Microsoft Defender, with real-time detection and malware-scanning engines performing much better in tests.
11. Kaspersky – More Advanced Parental Controls + Good Financial Protections
Kaspersky offers a reliable malware scanner and web protections that are more advanced than those offered by Defender. Kaspersky’s parental controls are superior, providing device usage limits, online content filters, a search monitoring filter for YouTube, and geo-fencing controls.
There are also robust financial protections with the Safe Money browser, offering a sandboxed browser window and an on-screen keyboard for secure online transactions. Webcam protection alerts you whenever you visit a website or open an app that uses your webcam, and microphone protection is available for certain apps.
Kaspersky’s cheaper plans include Standard (€24.99 / year) and Kaspersky Plus (€39.99 / year), while families looking for good parental controls will want to upgrade to Kaspersky Premium (€54.99 / year). All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Kaspersky is a comprehensive antivirus suite with a better malware scanner and more customization options than Defender, as well as a number of useful security tools.
12. Trend Micro – Good Phishing Protection
Trend Micro offers improvements over Microsoft’s built-in protections. Its antivirus scanner performed well in testing, catching around the same amount of malware as Defender, but with fewer false positives, faster scans, and reduced resource usage.
Trend Micro’s anti-phishing protection provides color-coded rankings for Google searches and automatically blocks unsafe links.
Trend Micro also offers Pay Guard, a secure browser for online transactions, and Secure Erase, which permanently wipes files from the system.
Trend Micro offers 4 different plans. Antivirus+ Security (€18.28 / year) includes real-time protection, anti-phishing, and an email scam filter for 1 PC. Internet Security (€36.62 / year) adds parental controls and system tune-up for 3 PCs. Maximum Security (€45.78 / year) includes a password manager for 5 devices, whereas Premium Security Suite (€50.36 / year) adds dark web monitoring, priority support, and the VPN for up to 10 devices. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Trend Micro offers good malware detection rates and excellent anti-phishing protection, but its additional features vary in quality.
13. ESET – Advanced Malware Detection & Anti-Theft Tools
ESET includes an advanced anti-malware engine that thoroughly scans Windows systems, detecting malware samples that Defender missed.
ESET’s anti-theft feature allows you to remotely lock devices, track them, display messages, and capture images via webcam. Windows lacks any equivalent feature.
ESET includes a customizable firewall and a Network Inspector that scans your network. Its SysInspector tool creates a detailed Windows system snapshot to help you diagnose issues.
ESET’s Premium plan offers decent value for the price, starting at €54.98 / year for 1 device. ESET comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
ESET provides advanced malware protection, near-perfect detection rates, and a great anti-theft feature.
14. Quick Comparison Table
| Antivirus | Starting Price | Free Version | Money-Back Guarantee | Standout Features | Biggest Advantage over Windows Defender |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇1. Norton | €19.99 / year | ❌ | 60 days | Password manager, dark web monitoring, parental controls, VPN | Excellent malware detection & wide range of additional features |
| 🥈2. Bitdefender | €19.99 / year | ✅ | 30 days | Ransomware remediation, webcam & mic protection, VPN, parental controls | Specialist ransomware protections & file restoration tools |
| 🥉3. TotalAV | €19.00 / year | ❌ | 30 days | Performance optimization tools, VPN | Easy-to-use interface with performance optimization tools |
| 4. McAfee | €39.95 / year | ❌ | 30 days | Parental controls | Advanced internet security tools |
| 5. Panda | €18.49 / year | ✅ | 30 days | Rescue Kit | Enables users to recover PCs blocked by malware |
| 6. Malwarebytes | €41.23 / year | ✅ | 60 days | ❌ | Highly-accurate malware detection |
| 7. Avira | €27.95 / year | ✅ | 60 days | System cleanup tools, password manager | Comprehensive system speedup tools |
| 8. Kaspersky | €24.99 / year | ✅ | 30 days | Parental controls | Includes more advanced parental controls |
| 9. Trend Micro | €18.28 / year | ❌ | 30 days | Phishing protection | Shows phishing sites & malicious links using color-coded warnings |
| 10. ESET | €29.91 / year | ✅ | 30 days | Anti-theft tools, SysInspector | Comes with anti-theft tools that can track, lock, and remotely capture photos via webcam |
15. Testing Methodology: Comparison & Ranking Criteria
To assess and rank the antiviruses, various factors were considered, including malware detection rates, impact on system performance, extra features, and device compatibility.
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Malware Detection and Removal Rates: The ability of each antivirus to detect and neutralize malware was tested by introducing a dataset of over 1,000 malware pieces to various devices. Both online and offline tests were performed.
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Impact on Performance: The impact of each antivirus on system performance was evaluated by monitoring CPU and memory usage during system scans and regular operation.
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Extra Features: The extra features offered by each antivirus, such as VPNs, optimization tools, parental controls, and identity theft protections, were examined for their value and performance.
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Device Compatibility: Compatibility with various operating systems, including Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android, was tested.
16. Is Windows Defender Better Than Free Antivirus Software?
Windows Defender offers decent basic protection but lacks advanced features and has a lower offline detection rate.
Avira’s free plan is a good alternative, offering real-time protection, a password manager, and a Safe Shopping browser extension. However, it lacks specific scanning options available in Windows Defender.
Standalone antivirus products provide more advanced features, higher malware detection rates, and additional functionalities compared to Windows Defender and other free options.
That said, all free antiviruses are somewhat limited in their features, so for comprehensive protection, it’s always better to opt for a premium suite if you can. Norton’s plans start at a very reasonable €19.99 / year.
17. Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- Webroot: Fast and lightweight, but with low malware detection rates and unreliable web protections.
- Quick Heal: Decent virus protection capabilities but overpriced for the features offered.
- PC Matic: Different approach to malware protection with a whitelisting system, but lacks advanced anti-malware engines.
18. Frequently Asked Questions
Is Windows Defender enough to stay protected?
Windows Defender offers decent basic cybersecurity protection, but it is not as comprehensive as most premium antivirus software.
If you have sensitive information that might attract hackers, Windows Defender is not enough. It has issues with online security, multi-device protection, poor updates, and malware protection.
What is Windows Defender SmartScreen? Should I disable it?
SmartScreen is Microsoft Defender’s real-time phishing protection. It blocks malicious file downloads and dangerous websites. While it does a decent job, third-party tools are better. It only works with Edge and Internet Explorer.
Can Windows Defender remove malware?
Yes, Windows Defender can remove malware, but its detection is less reliable, leaving you vulnerable to zero-day threats. It has lower overall detection rates, especially offline.
Does Windows have built-in phishing protection?
Yes, Microsoft’s SmartScreen protects Microsoft Edge users from phishing emails and malicious sites.
If you use a different browser, the SmartScreen browser extension is not as effective. McAfee provides superior phishing detection for all major browsers.
Is Windows Defender free?
Yes, Windows Defender is automatically installed for free on all PCs with Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10, or Windows 11.
Should I replace Windows Defender with another antivirus?
Microsoft’s Windows Defender is not good enough, offering lower malware detection rates, slower scans, and fewer security features than top antivirus competitors.
Options include:
- Choose a better free antivirus to replace Windows Defender.
- Optimize your PC’s protection with a premium antivirus.
Can I use Windows Defender with another antivirus?
It’s not recommended. Windows Defender’s protections can conflict with third-party antivirus software, inhibiting the software’s ability to scan and detect malware.
How to disable Windows Defender?
- Step 1: Click the Start button and use the search bar on Windows 11 to look up Windows Security, or select the Windows Security tab and then click on Virus & threat protection if you’re on an older version of Windows.
- Step 2: Locate and select Manage settings (found underneath the Virus & threat protection settings heading).
- Step 3: Turn off real-time protection by clicking the toggle to Off. A message will appear saying “Real-time protection is off, leaving your device vulnerable” — it’s fine to ignore this message if you have installed a trusted alternative antivirus with real-time protection activated.
How to scan for malware using Windows Defender?
- Open Windows Security: Click the Start button, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Windows Security, and select Virus & threat protection.
- Choose a scan type: Under “Current threats”, you can choose from a quick scan, full scan, or custom scan. A quick scan targets common areas in your system where malware might hide, a full scan checks your entire system, and a custom scan lets you pick a specific file or folder to check for malware.
- Start the scan: Click the Scan now button. Note: If you’ve chosen a full or custom scan, follow the on-screen instructions here to initiate the scan.
- Review results: Once the scan is complete, Windows Defender will display the results. If threats are found, you’ll be guided on how to remove or quarantine them. However, I recommend getting a premium antivirus like Norton for full protection. If you have a premium antivirus, these instructions still apply, but from Virus & threat protection, you’ll be instructed to open up your premium antivirus app.
19. Best Alternatives to Windows Defender – Final Score
| Rank | Provider | Overall Score | Best Deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9.8 | save 61% | |
| 2 | Bitdefender | 9.6 | save 54% |
| 3 | 9.4 | save 80% | |
| 4 | McAfee | 9.4 | save 65% |
| 5 | Panda | 8.6 | save 55% |
Choosing the best antivirus software involves understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each option relative to your specific needs. While Windows Defender provides a baseline level of security, it often falls short when compared to the comprehensive features and superior protection offered by premium antivirus programs. At COMPARE.EDU.VN, we understand the importance of making informed decisions.
Ready to upgrade your digital security? Visit COMPARE.EDU.VN to explore detailed comparisons, read expert reviews, and find the perfect antivirus solution tailored to your needs. Don’t wait until it’s too late – protect your devices and data today.
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