Kaspersky is a Global cybersecurity company and has been in business since 1997. Kaspersky has always been successful in finding innovative solutions to cyberthreats. When there are multiple other companies competing for the top suit, has Kaspersky been able to top the charts? Has Kaspersky been able to create the best antivirus suite in the market? Let’s find out.
Before we move any further, let’s first understand what are the things that matter the most in an antivirus suite.
What makes the Best Antivirus in 2024?
Also Read: Best Antivirus For Windows 10 (Free & Paid)
Malware Protection:
Malware protection is the primary task of any antivirus. Malware accounts for the most cyberthreats that occur on any device at any given point of time. Malware (Malicious Software) are the files which contain malicious codes that are programmed to fetch and snatch data from the user’s computer and provide it to hackers.
For the above given reason, Malware protection is of utmost importance. Malware protection provided by all the Kaspersky Products is the same; be it Kaspersky Antivirus, Kaspersky Internet Security, or Kaspersky Total Security. With this fact considered, let’s move forward.
Kaspersky Antivirus, in my 7 days usage, worked well against all the test malware websites I tested it against. It was able to detect and eliminate all the risky files that I tried to run on my PC Intentionally. To quantify the results of Kaspersky Antivirus, we have the results of the evaluation conducted by AV-Test Lab in August, 2020.
The results don’t disappoint us. Kaspersky Antivirus was tested against around 14000 Malware samples out of which it was able to detect and eliminate all 100% of the Malwares. Out of these 14,000 Malware samples (Approximate) 13,571 Malware samples were related to the most prevalent antiviruses which were discovered in the last 4 weeks of testing. This signifies that the Kaspersky Antivirus is updated regularly and is effective against most of the malware out there in the wild.
Download Kaspersky Antivirus Here
What review would it be if it doesn’t compare the product? To compare with Kaspersky, we have AV-Test Lab results of McAfee Antivirus:
Norton Antivirus:
From the results given above, you must have already figured out that though Kaspersky Antivirus has been successful in detecting 100% of the malware attacks, it isn’t something out of the world. All the admirable antiviruses have managed to pull that feat. Hence, malware protection scores aren’t enough evidence to judge the performance of the antivirus.
Tools Offered with Kaspersky:
Kaspersky has multiple plans with different names: Kaspersky Antivirus, Kaspersky Total Security, Kaspersky Internet Security, and Kaspersky Cloud Security (Not a part of this discussion). All these different Antivirus suites offer different features, of course.
Kaspersky Antivirus has nothing much to offer and hence, I haven’t made it a part of the list above. Kaspersky Antivirus consists of just the Malware protection suite and that’s it. So, if you are not looking for an antivirus to stop Creeper worms, you shouldn’t go with Kaspersky Antivirus.
Kaspersky Internet Security vs Total Security
Moving forward to Kaspersky Internet Security and Kaspersky Total Security, Kaspersky hasn’t made it easy for us to choose one. The difference isn’t massive. The only difference between Kaspersky Internet Security and Kaspersky Total Security is availability of a Password Manager and Parental Control.
Download Kaspersky Internet Security
However, the difference may seem small, but the availability of Password Manager and parental control can make a big difference. In current times, where all the people who use the internet have multiple accounts, remembering passwords can be hell of a task. People often turn towards using similar passwords for all their online accounts which is incomprehensibly risky.
In addition to this, Parental Control can be of utmost importance for people with kids. It can help them keep track of their kids’ activities and block malicious and adult websites on their devices.
Hence, in my point of view, Kaspersky Total Security provides a better deal than Kaspersky Internet security.
Download Kaspersky Total Security
Features Comparison:
| Norton 360 Deluxe | Kaspersky Internet Security | Kaspersky Total Security | McAfee Total Protection | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malware Protection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Online Threat Protection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Device Compatibility | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud Storage | 50 GB | No | No | No |
| VPN | Unlimited Usage | Up to 300 MB/Day | Up to 300 MB/Day | Unlimited Usage |
| Parental Control | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Password Manager | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| File Shredder | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Other Features | Smart Firewall, Dark Web Monitoring System | Gamer Mode, Webcam Protection, Two-way Firewall, Anti-Ransomware | Gamer Mode, GPS Child-Locator, Web-cam protection, Two-way firewall | Performance Optimization, Encrypted Storage |
If we compare the tools offered by Kaspersky with the tools offered by other Antiviruses, Norton 360 Deluxe has absolutely the best line of tools available with any Antivirus. However, Kaspersky Total Security doesn’t lag behind either. It also provides a wide range of tools to make use out of. Let’s dig deeper into some of its important tools:
Kaspersky VPN
VPNs are an extremely important piece of software because they ensure security of your online identity and data. They help protect your IP address and all the data you send and receive over the internet.
Kaspersky VPN offers mere 18 servers around the world. Limited number of servers turns down the security and speed offered by VPN. Greater load on the limited number of servers makes the Internet speed slow because of the higher number of users on a given server. Other VPN service providers like Systweak VPN offer over 5000 servers worldwide, NordVPN also offers around 5000 servers. When you compare the numbers, the difference is outrageous.
In addition to that, the daily data limit offered by Kaspersky VPN is limited to 300 MB/day while the other options like McAfee VPN offer unlimited usage.
Due to these limitations, Kaspersky VPN lags far behind its competitors.
Password Manager:
Another important piece of tech is a Password Manager. Password managers aren’t limited to business people now. In 2024, you probably have multiple passwords for your multiple bank accounts, Social media websites, etc. Remembering so many passwords becomes a daunting task and hence, people move towards using generic passwords and similar passwords for their multiple accounts. To deal with the situation, it is really necessary for people to use a password manager.
Addition of Password manager with Kaspersky Total Security is a nice and valuable addition. However, if you go with Kaspersky Internet Security, you lose this advantage.
Parental Control:
Parental Control too is a very valuable addition in the tool list of Kaspersky Total Security. However, again you do not get it with Kaspersky Internet Security.
Parental Control in Kaspersky Total Security offers a lot of important features and advantages. The features include GPS locator for your child, adult content blocking, Screen-time management, etc.
These applications can come in handy if you want to keep an eye on your children’s activity while still allowing them their privacy.
So, though the Kaspersky Antivirus features a lot of functionality, Kaspersky Total Security can’t be acclaimed to be the best Antivirus available because it lags in some of the most important criterions such as VPN.
System Impact.
Antivirus Software aren’t just malware protection anymore, they rather are a suite of different applications combined together to provide the desired security and protection. Hence, they can have a really dramatic effect on any system’s performance.
Therefore, it becomes very crucial to quantify the impact of the antivirus software on the system performance.
Talking about the Kaspersky Total Security, which I used during my trial of 7 Days, I did notice a lag in my system’s performance. I use Intel i5 8265 Processor which is a mid-tier CPU in the market. The drop was noticeable and quantifiable. I noticed lag while opening different applications and also while surfing the web.
To better express the lag in quantifiable terms, let’s use the results published by AV-Test lab.
Norton Antivirus
McAfee Antivirus:
In the results given above, you must have noticed that Kaspersky Total Security has made the least impact on system performance. Although the scores up until the downloading and opening of the application are pretty similar, installing applications is way easier and hassle-free with Kaspersky Antivirus.
Price:
Because I liked the Kaspersky Total Security more, I guess the plan with 10 Devices provides the most value for money. But this wouldn’t be a review if we don’t compare.
Norton Antivirus:
McAfee
Looking at the prices of different Antivirus solutions above, we can surely come to a decision. So, if you are looking for a plan for 5 devices, Kaspersky isn’t the cheapest among all. McAfee antivirus and Norton 360 Provide the best value for money at $39.99/year.
However, if you are looking for a whole family solution and 10 devices, McAfee provides the best value for money at $44.99/year. With the prices and comparison, we can factually say that Kaspersky Total Security isn’t the most cost-effective solution out there.
Final Verdict
With all the things considered above, Malware protection, tools, System impact, and prices, Kaspersky Total Security isn’t the most effective and efficient Antivirus solution available in the market. Where on the one hand it made a blunder with only 18 servers available on the one hand and on the other hand providing just 300 MB/day, it has also managed to keep the prices high when compared with its competitors.
As already mentioned earlier, if you are looking for the best antivirus solution in the market, I would suggest you to either go with McAfee or with Norton. You can read their reviews here:
So, this was our review of Kaspersky Total Security and Internet security. We hope we were able to help you out in deciding whether to go for Kaspersky Total Security and Internet security or not.
Next Read
Norton Antivirus Plus and Norton 360 Full Review (The Best Antivirus)
McAfee Total Protection: The Best Antivirus (Full Review)
Amara Smith
Your Infographic make it more clear.