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For Android, start by checking Google Play Protect and your specific risk; add a third-party security app only if its tested protection and extra features meet a need you have. Independent tests can help compare Android products, but scores apply to particular versions and dates—not every phone or future release. The evidence covered here does not establish whether a conventional antivirus app is useful on iPhone.
Start with your phone, operating system and region
Security options depend on the device, its operating-system version and where you use it. The current independent product comparisons covered here are for Android, so they cannot be used to rank iPhone security apps.
On supported, certified Android devices, Google Play Protect is built-in malware protection. AV-Comparatives says it checks apps from Google Play and third-party sources. Availability can vary: Google apps and services, including Play Protect, are typically unavailable on some modified Android-based systems—such as HarmonyOS, FireOS or LineageOS—and in mainland China. Check what is actually installed and enabled on your phone rather than assuming it has Play Protect. AV-Comparatives’ 2025 review describes these platform and regional qualifications.
For an iPhone, this evidence does not establish which third-party security functions are currently available or whether a conventional antivirus app is useful. Check Apple’s current official platform-security and App Store documentation before choosing an iOS security product.
#1 Best Overall
- THREAT DETECTION – Stay one step ahead. Suspicious links, risky sites, viruses, and scams, caught automatically before they reach you.
- PERSONAL INFO PROTECTION – Keep your personal info safer. Identity monitoring watches for your exposed info and tells you what to do about it.
- SECURE CONNECTIONS – Just a few easy clicks, and we'll automatically protect your info on public Wi‑Fi, every time you connect.
- GUIDED ACTION – Know what matters and what to do next. Clear alerts and simple guidance make it easy to take action.
- MORE THAN ANTIVIRUS – Scam protection, identity monitoring, VPN, web protection, and antivirus work together to protect you, all in one place.
Match the app to the risk you want to address
Malware scanning is only one possible feature. Mobile-security products may also offer protection against harmful links, anti-theft tools, privacy checks or app audits. The feature set can vary by product and platform; an app’s name alone does not tell you what it does on your phone.
- You install apps outside the official store: check whether built-in protection is available and enabled, then compare current malware-protection results.
- You want help spotting dangerous links: look specifically for web or link protection and confirm it works in the apps and browsers you use.
- You are concerned about losing the phone: compare anti-theft functions with the device’s existing options.
- You want to review app access: look for privacy checks or app-audit features, and inspect the permissions the security app itself requests.
AV-Comparatives’ Mobile Security Review 2025 discusses these Android security functions and notes that feature availability varies by device, Android version and region.
Rank #2
- Android Security & protection
- Daily Virus Database checkup and updates
- Scan Apps and Files
- System Cleaner Integrated
- Virtual Private Network (VPN)
What the latest Android test results show
AV-TEST, July 2026
AV-TEST evaluated 12 Android mobile-security products using default settings and current product versions. It scored protection, performance and usability separately, up to 6 points per category (18 total); a score of at least 10 earns its seal. Bitdefender Mobile Security 3.3 received 6/6 in all three categories. So did Avast Antivirus & Security 26.11, AVG Antivirus Free 26.6, Avira Antivirus Security 7.32, F-Secure Total Security & VPN 26.5, Kaspersky Premium for Android 11.132, McAfee Mobile Security 10.6, Norton 360 26.11, Protected.net TotalAV Mobile Security 3.1, Sophos Intercept X for Mobile 9.8 and Google Play Protect 46.8. G DATA Mobile Security 29.4 scored 5.5 in protection, 6 in performance and 5 in usability. See the AV-TEST Android results for July 2026.
A tie at 18 points does not identify a universal winner. These scores cover AV-TEST’s categories in that test; they do not compare product prices, subscription terms, feature bundles, compatibility, regional availability or privacy practices. Compare those separately against your needs.
Rank #3
- THREAT DETECTION – Stay one step ahead. Suspicious links, risky sites, viruses, and scams, caught automatically before they reach you.
- PERSONAL INFO PROTECTION – Keep your personal info safer. Identity monitoring watches for your exposed info and tells you what to do about it.
- SECURE CONNECTIONS – Just a few easy clicks, and we'll automatically protect your info on public Wi‑Fi, every time you connect.
- GUIDED ACTION – Know what matters and what to do next. Clear alerts and simple guidance make it easy to take action.
- MORE THAN ANTIVIRUS – Scam protection, identity monitoring, VPN, web protection, and antivirus work together to protect you, all in one place.
AV-Comparatives, May 2025
AV-Comparatives tested products on Android 15, using versions from Google Play at the time. Its report, last revised June 10, 2025, evaluated functionality, usability, malware protection and battery consumption. For malware protection it used 3,322 unique malicious apps collected shortly before the test; a separate false-positive test used 500 clean apps. These results belong to that test’s conditions and versions, not to the later AV-TEST run.
| Product(s) | Protection rate | False positives |
|---|---|---|
| Bitdefender | 100% | 0 |
| Avast, AVG, Avira and Norton | 99.9% | 0 |
| Kaspersky | 99.8% | 0 |
| ESET | 99.6% | 0 |
| Securion | 99.5% | 7 |
| G DATA | 99.5% | 10 |
| Google Play Protect | 98.8% | 10 |
All figures in the table are from AV-Comparatives’ May 2025 Android test. The report attributes Google Play Protect’s elevated number of missed samples to a product bug observed during that test. Treat that score as historical evidence about the tested version and conditions, not as a current Google score. More generally, a test rate is not a guarantee against every real-world threat.
Rank #4
- POWERFUL, LIGHTNING-FAST ANTIVIRUS: Protects your computer from viruses and malware through the cloud; Webroot scans faster, uses fewer system resources and safeguards your devices in real-time by identifying and blocking new threats
- IDENTITY THEFT PROTECTION AND ANTI-PHISHING: Webroot protects your personal information against keyloggers, spyware, and other online threats and warns you of potential danger before you click
- ALWAYS UP TO DATE: Webroot scours 95% of the internet three times per day including billions of web pages, files and apps to determine what is safe online and enhances the software automatically without time-consuming updates
- SUPPORTS ALL DEVICES: Compatible with PC, MAC, Chromebook, Mobile Smartphones and Tablets including Windows, macOS, Apple iOS and Android
- NEW SECURITY DESIGNED FOR CHROMEBOOKS: Chromebooks are susceptible to fake applications, bad browser extensions and malicious web content; close these security gaps with extra protection specifically designed to safeguard your Chromebook
In a simulated daily-use scenario, the tested products had only a minor influence on battery life. AV-Comparatives cautions that real mobile-use patterns vary, so that finding does not predict the effect on every phone or user.
Recommended Free Tools
How to compare candidates before installing
- Identify your setup: note your operating system, phone model, Android version if applicable, and country or region.
- Name the problem you want to solve: for example, sideloaded apps, harmful links, device loss or app-permission review.
- Check existing protection: confirm what built-in security is present and enabled on your device.
- Compare recent independent tests: record the test date and product version, and consider protection, false positives, usability and performance together. Do not combine figures from different tests as if they were one ranking.
- Verify practical fit: check the vendor’s current compatibility information, regional availability and included features. Review requested permissions and privacy disclosures; confirm subscription terms and renewal costs directly with the vendor.
- Try one product at a time: avoid installing overlapping security apps without a clear reason. AV-Comparatives recommends building a shortlist from pros and cons and trying candidates individually; products can change frequently.
Why a test score cannot choose for you
Independent test results are useful evidence about defined products under defined conditions. They do not establish which product is best for every device, user or budget. As AV-Comparatives puts it in its 2025 review, “The perfect mobile security product for all devices and all users does not exist.” Use test scores to narrow a shortlist, then decide whether a candidate’s supported features, compatibility, privacy disclosures and terms suit your circumstances.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
