TotalAV Review: Quick Expert Summary
TotalAV is a premium antivirus program with near-perfect malware detection rates and a wide range of top-quality security features. It provides advanced real-time malware detection, good web security features, and various data privacy protections, all inside an easy-to-use and intuitive interface.
TotalAV’s malware scanner was excellent in my tests — catching virtually all of the malware I downloaded to my Windows computer, MacBook, Android, and iOS phones. It scored a 99.6% detection rate, which places it among the top antivirus scanners of 2024.
TotalAV also has:
- Real-time malware protection.
- Anti-phishing protection.
- System clean-up.
- VPN (virtual private network).
- Password manager.
- Data breach monitoring.
- Identity theft monitoring (US only).
- And a lot more…
While I like most of TotalAV’s features, the lack of a firewall is disappointing. It also lacks parental controls and cloud storage, which top brands like Bitdefender include. And I certainly don’t like how TotalAV tries to upsell you after the checkout process.
That said, TotalAV is reasonably priced, offers a 7-day free trial (8 days for some users), and comes with a 30-day risk-free money-back guarantee (14 days for monthly subscribers). If you’re looking for a simple-to-use antivirus with near-perfect malware detection rates and a couple of really useful internet security features, TotalAV is a good choice.
🏅 Overall Rank | #3 out of 71 antiviruses |
🔥 Firewall | ❌ |
🌐 VPN | ✅ (with unlimited data) |
🎁 Free Plan | ✅ |
💵 Pricing | Starting at $19.00 / year |
💰 Money-Back Guarantee | 30 days |
💻 Operating Systems | Windows, Android, Mac, iOS, Fire OS |
Try TotalAV (30 Days Risk-Free)
TotalAV Full Review — Secure & Intuitive (The Most User-Friendly Antivirus in 2024)
TotalAV is an intuitive, powerful anti-malware solution with great additional features. It scored near-perfect malware detection rates in all of my testing, and it also provides some really helpful extras inside an easy-to-use interface. I really like TotalAV’s VPN and identity theft protection (only available to US-based customers).
TotalAV offers a variety of affordable plans that cover all major operating systems, are reasonably priced, and come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
TotalAV Plans & Pricing — Excellent Value Plans + Wide Range of Features
I’m happy to say that TotalAV’s plans are very user-friendly, with competitively priced features and an easy-to-navigate store. The website has an intuitive design that makes it easy to see what’s included in each plan and how much each plan costs.
In the past, TotalAV’s storefront used to be full of pop-ups and advertisements that made it difficult to find the right plan. You’ll still have to click through a few windows encouraging you to get questionable add-ons after checking out, but it isn’t too obtrusive. At least they saved the upselling until after I made my purchase, but I didn’t like knowing that the most expensive antivirus plan doesn’t come with every feature. Competitors like Norton and Bitdefender bundle all of their premium features with their premium plans. If you’re buying Norton’s top-tier product, you’re getting all of Norton’s top-tier features. It’s a simple, one-click process to get the product you want. So, I would really like to see TotalAV create a more comprehensive plan that includes all features, including Total Cleaner and the advanced identity protection tools.
All TotalAV products have a 30-day money-back guarantee. I’ve even tested the refund process, and I can confirm that it’s genuine. I got my refund 1 business day after requesting it!
TotalAV has 3 basic pricing tiers:
It doesn’t offer a family plan, but you can add licenses to any plan to suit your needs. This is done through the web dashboard. Naturally, you get a bigger discount the more licenses you add. There’s even an option to add unlimited licenses to your account.
Here are the features that each plan provides:
TotalAV Total Security | TotalAV Internet Security | TotalAV Antivirus Pro | TotalAV Free Antivirus | |
Platforms | PC, Mac, Android, iOS | PC, Mac, Android, iOS | PC, Mac, Android, iOS | PC, Mac, Android, iOS |
Price | $49.00 / year | $39.00 / year | $19.00 / year | Free |
Number of device licenses | 8 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
Advanced ransomware protection | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
Real-time antivirus protection | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
Anti-malware scanner | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Anti-phishing protection | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
System clean-up tools | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
Cloud-based malware scanning | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Virtual private network (VPN) | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
Password manager | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Ad Blocker | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ |
Email and live chat customer support | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
Mobile app | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
30-day money-back guarantee | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | N/A |
TotalAV Free Antivirus — Free On-Demand Scanner
The free version of TotalAV is a good on-demand antivirus scanner with anti-phishing protection. If you’re just trying to get malware off of your computer, TotalAVs free plan isn’t a bad option, but the lack of real-time protection means that you won’t be protected from any future malware infection. Avira Free Internet Security, on the other hand, offers real-time protection, system optimization tools, and good mobile protection.
TotalAV Free Antivirus is a good introduction to TotalAV’s software, and if you need to get malware off of your device, it will do the job. It’s also really easy to upgrade your TotalAV plan once you’ve downloaded Free Antivirus.
TotalAV Antivirus Pro — Basic Paid Plan (Lots of Features)
This plan offers all of TotalAV’s essential features for up to 5 devices for just $19.00 / year, including:
- Malware scanner.
- Real-time protection.
- Anti-phishing protection.
- System tune-up.
- Ad blocker.
- Web protection.
- Total Browser.
Antivirus Pro is a good plan — but that said, it doesn’t offer as many features as Norton 360 Standard, even though it covers more devices.
Antivirus Pro is a good choice if you need a solid antivirus package for up to 5 devices, and the iOS and Android plans that come with it are pretty good, too.
TotalAV Internet Security — Best Value Plan (Adds the Best Antivirus-Bundled VPN on the Market)
To get the VPN, you’ll need the Internet Security plan. The VPN comes with unlimited browsing data, and you get all of TotalAV Antivirus Pro’s features for up to 6 devices — and it costs $39.00 / year. It’s more affordable than McAfee’s Total Protection plan for 5 users.
TotalAV Total Security — Most Additional Protections (Covers up to 8 Users)
This plan costs $49.00 / year — it brings your total licenses up to 8, and it also offers priority tech support and the password manager feature.
I’m not a big fan of this plan — it charges too much extra money while only adding the password manager and priority tech support. By comparison, Bitdefender covers more devices and adds more useful additional features with its top-tier plan. If you want to get coverage for more devices with TotalAV, you can purchase additional devices with the Internet Security plan.
TotalAV Security Features — Comprehensive Protection + Solid Feature Set
Virus Scan — Powerful Malware Scanner With Excellent Detection Rates
TotalAV’s malware scanner is a whitelisted version of Avira’s powerful anti-malware engine — this is very good news, because Avira’s malware scanner is one of the best on the market. There are 4 virus scan types on offer:
- Quick Scan. Scans temporary files where viruses are usually found.
- System Scan. Scans the full system for malware.
- Smart Scan. Scans for malware, junk files, and tracking cookies.
- Custom Scan (Windows only). Scans a single file, a folder, or your entire disk.
During my tests, I first ran the System Scan, which took around 1 hour on my PC and didn’t noticeably impact my computer’s performance — which is pretty great. Many competitors can put a pretty big strain on the CPU during system scans.
TotalAV’s antivirus scan results were impressive. I downloaded a large repository of test files to my device, including viruses, trojans, ransomware, rootkits, spyware, and keylogging malware.
TotalAV detected nearly all of my test files (99.6%) in my System Scan, including ransomware files and spyware files. Some competitors don’t treat spyware as malware, so I was glad to see that TotalAV detected these files.
I cross-referenced my TotalAV test results with several of my colleagues’ tests, and the average detection rate was over 99%. However, competitors like Norton and Bitdefender scored 100% detection rates in our testing.
In case you don’t have time to run a full System Scan, you can also run a Smart or Quick Scan — during my tests, both of these scans took around 10 minutes to complete. I particularly like the Smart Scan, which combines malware detection with system optimization. As well as malware, it identifies junk files, duplicates, cookies, and programs that auto-run on startup. You can identify these issues using the System Tune-Up tools as well, but the Smart Scan is a simple and quick way to cover all the bases.
Once TotalAV’s scan is finished, it offers you several actions to take on any found malware files — delete, whitelist, quarantine, or ignore. If you’re unsure about what to do with a file, or if you don’t know where it came from, it’s best to leave it quarantined. If you know that a program is good, you can choose to whitelist it (and the good news is that TotalAV didn’t turn up any false positives during my tests).
These are great results from TotalAV— if you’re looking for an antivirus with good malware scanning, TotalAV is an excellent choice.
Real-Time Protection — Stops a Wide Variety of Malware Files, Including Ransomware
TotalAV’s real-time malware protection is always on and running in the background, scanning downloads and analyzing programs to make sure that viruses cannot make any changes to your device.
To test TotalAV’s real-time scanning engine, I downloaded a wide variety of malware files, from ransomware to backdoors to rootkits, onto my PC from a secure Google Drive folder. When I downloaded my first malicious .exe file, TotalAV immediately caught it and placed the file in quarantine before I could even try to run it.
For the next test, I downloaded even more virus samples contained within a compressed (.zip) folder. TotalAV let me download the compressed files, but it issued an alert the moment I tried to extract the data from the zipped folder.
When I ran a ransomware simulator, TotalAV detected the file’s encryption-process signature and blocked the execution before the malware could lock up a single one of my system files.
Overall, TotalAV’s real-time protection is just as good as top premium competitors like Norton 360. And this is great news, as real-time protection is one of the most important parts of any malware scanner.
Anti-Phishing Protection — Highly Customizable + Blocks Low-Trust Websites
TotalAV’s WebShield is an anti-phishing tool designed to block phishing sites and online malware distributors. It blocked most phishing websites that I tested it against on PhishTank. However, in one instance, it let me access a page, issuing a notification warning me that the website might be fraudulent. I appreciate the warning, but I don’t understand why it didn’t just block that site or let me whitelist it. TotalAV claims it uses frequently updated blacklists of dangerous websites as well as its own AI-based dangerous website detection system but competitors like Norton have much more advanced and reliable anti-phishing protections.
I do appreciate the customization options in TotalAV’s WebShield, though. You can choose to automatically block low-trust websites or cryptomining URLs and also pick particular domains you want to whitelist — which is great!
WebShield will also warn you if a website you visit has been involved in a dark web data breach. It will tell you the exact date the breach happened, so you can change your credentials for that account if you haven’t already.
Ad Blocker — Blocks the Majority of Ads + There’s a Free Version!
I’m a big fan of TotalAV’s ad blocker. It works exactly as advertised, blocking ads and trackers with impressive efficacy. During my tests on ad-heavy websites, it successfully blocked the vast majority of ads, including video ads on YouTube, which many ad blockers struggle with.
TotalAV’s ad blocker is available for free on Edge, Chrome, iOS, and Android, but keep in mind that the free version doesn’t block ads on popular websites — you’ll need the premium version for that. Compared to Private Internet Access’s ad blocker (which is the best ad blocker in 2024), TotalAV’s tool performs well, but PIA’s ad blocker blocked a wider range of ads across various platforms.
What sets TotalAV’s ad blocker apart, however, is its ease of use combined with a high level of customization. You can easily set rules for different websites, manage your blocklist, and more, making it suitable for both beginners and more advanced users.
System Tune-Up — Provides More Optimization Tools Than Most Competitors
TotalAV’s system tune-up features help clear out junk files and speed up computer performance. In my tests, I found the system tune-up to be one of the best PC optimizers of any antivirus software I’ve tested, providing more options than both Norton and McAfee.
System Tune-Up includes the following tools:
- Startup Manager.
- Application Uninstaller.
- Browser Cleanup.
- Junk Cleaner.
- Duplicate File Finder.
The Startup Manager feature lets you control which applications you want to automatically run when you boot your computer. While the Windows operating system includes an almost identical feature with a similar interface, it’s buried deep in the Control Panel — I appreciate that TotalAV offers this feature in an easy-to-access location and that it’s easy to use, functional, and works exactly as intended.
TotalAV’s Application Uninstaller can help you create space and remove unwanted or obsolete software from your computer. Again, the Windows operating system provides the ability to uninstall applications. However, I’ve always hated the Windows “Add or Remove Programs” tool, which frequently doesn’t work as intended. TotalAV makes it really easy to see your applications, uninstall them, and even remove several applications at once.
The Browser Cleanup tool helps you keep your online activity private. Your browsers store cookies that can track your behavior and sell your personal information — but with TotalAV, you can clear all your cookies at once.
TotalAV’s Duplicate File Finder can find and delete duplicate files that take up unnecessary space — Windows’s standard Disk Cleanup application doesn’t have this function.
Finally, the Junk Cleaner cleans up junk files left behind after you uninstall or update an application. These can take up a lot of space on your computer. I was surprised to find nearly 1 GB of junk on my computer. For comparison, Windows Disk Cleanup only found 30 MB — around 3% of what TotalAV discovered.
TotalAV does offer additional optimization tools through its Total Cleaner app, but unfortunately, it isn’t included in any of the antivirus plans. It does come with useful features that can free up RAM, fix registry issues, and more — but the price is pretty steep for an add-on that doesn’t offer many new features compared to the system optimization tools already included in most TotalAV plans. It would be great if they could include it with the Total Security package.
TotalAV’s System Tune-Up features aren’t revolutionary, but they all work really well. They’re easy to use, and I appreciate the convenience of having all of these tools in one easy-to-access location on my computer.
Safe Browsing (VPN) — The Best Antivirus-Bundled VPN in 2024
TotalAV’s Safe Browsing VPN is an excellent security option for users looking to protect their internet activity against internet service providers (ISPs), surveillance agents, and hackers. It works like any other virtual private network (VPN) — by rerouting all internet traffic to another server located somewhere else in the world, thereby replacing a user’s IP address with a shared IP address from one of TotalAV’s servers.
TotalAV’s VPN is fast, but it’s not the fastest out there (standalone options like ExpressVPN and Private Internet Access are faster). VPNs will always slow down your connection a little bit because they encrypt your connection and reroute your data to another server — both the encryption process and the distance you are from a server will slow your speeds.
The good news is that TotalAV’s VPN is pretty fast — faster than a lot of VPNs included with other antiviruses — with 50+ server locations in 30+ countries.
Neither my download nor my upload speeds were badly affected by TotalAV’s VPN. It slowed down my ping a lot (the amount of time it takes information to travel from your computer to a server), but that’s not such a big deal.
Another great thing about TotalAV’s VPN is that it works with all popular streaming services — Netflix, Disney+, and many other streaming platforms. TotalAV’s VPN is also good for torrenting, as it supports P2P file sharing on all of its servers and works with all major torrenting clients, like uTorrent.
I also like that the VPN comes with a few customization options. For example, there’s a kill switch, a choice of protocol (IKEv2 or OpenVPN), and the ability to automatically connect to the VPN on public Wi-Fi networks.
Overall, TotalAV’s Safe Browsing VPN is quick and reliable, with unlimited data and a pretty good number of server locations. During my tests, TotalAV’s VPN provided me with a fast connection, and I was able to stream content on all major streaming sites, including Netflix. TotalAV’s VPN is one of the best I’ve tried — comparable to some of the biggest names in the VPN industry (which is why it’s ranked as the best antivirus with a VPN in 2024).
Identity Theft Protection (US Only) — Uses a Popular Third-Party Service to Protect Your Data
TotalAV provides a comprehensive identity theft protection plan, which is powered by the popular Aura identity protection service. There are several layers of identity protection for US users:
- Monitoring credit reports, dark web forums, and breach databases.
- $1,000,000 coverage for identity theft losses.
- Live agent assistance for identity recovery.
TotalAV’s identity protection monitors a wide network (including credit reports from bureaus like Experian) for a ton of different personally identifying details, including social security numbers, credit card numbers, driver’s license numbers, and much more. Any time your information is used to make a purchase, apply for a loan, open an account, or log in online, you will receive a notification from TotalAV.
You can follow up with an agent to resolve any issues that come up because the identity theft protection service is backed by real people — TotalAV’s staff were really helpful in my testing, demonstrating deep knowledge of the tricks and tools of mitigating identity theft.
My only issue is that TotalAV’s identity theft protections aren’t bundled with any of its plans. However, you can add identity theft protection to your existing TotalAV plan for a low annual price. If you’re looking to secure your data in 2024, TotalAV’s identity theft protections are an excellent option.
TotalAV also offers a basic data breach check for all users, where you can input your email addresses (up to 10 of them) to see if they’ve been involved in a breach. If they have, TotalAV gives you full details of what the breach was and when it happened and advises you to change your password using Total Password.
Total Password — Protect Your Passwords + Remotely Log Out of Accounts on All Devices
Total Password is a secure password manager with a good range of features to help you manage and protect your digital identity. The auto-save and auto-fill features worked great in my tests. Though it lacks some of the bells and whistles provided by the best standalone password managers like 1Password and Dashlane, it’s a great option for anyone looking to bundle their antivirus with a solid password manager.
Total Password secures your data with the best encryption method available — 256-bit AES encryption, the same technology used by banks and governments the world over. Additionally, it follows a zero-knowledge policy, ensuring that even the company’s developers cannot access your stored information.
For extra security, you can enable two-factor authentication (2FA). This will make it so you need to provide more than just your master password to unlock your vault. I had the option to choose between a few different authenticator apps, all of which worked seamlessly.
Though Total Password’s 2FA works great, I wish there were more options. Users with the highest security needs prefer hardware-based 2FA tools (also called U2F security keys) like Yubikeys. 1Password supports several types of U2F keys. That said, the app-based 2FA options that Total Password supports are secure and quite practical.
Another plus is seamless biometric logins. This makes it so mobile users can get into their vaults using facial recognition or a fingerprint scanner. For added security, you can lock the mobile app behind a PIN or pattern code.
Beyond that, Total Password provides a basic but easy-to-use vault. You can store an unlimited number of entries, including passwords, secure notes, credit card details, and more. It lacks some customization options found in other password managers (RoboForm, for example, provides extensive form customization), but the vault is easy to use and reliably auto-saves passwords.
Other standard features include password auditing and a password generator. The generator creates 16-character passwords, but it’s quite customizable if you need something longer or want to exclude certain types of characters. And with Security Reports, users can instantly generate reports that point out weak or compromised passwords.
The one standard feature that Total Password lacks is password sharing. Most of the best password managers provide some way to share specific passwords with trusted associates (1Password is particularly advanced in this area). It also doesn’t have an emergency access function, though, to be fair, few password managers do.
That said, my colleague did report some issues getting Total Password set up. Even though he had an antivirus that included the plan, the browser extension didn’t recognize this fact and kept prompting him to subscribe even after he logged in to his TotalAV account. Ultimately this issue was resolved by customer support, but it did take a few days. Personally, I had no issues.
If you’re interested in specialized features, Total Password has a few. My favorite is Secure Me, which you can use to remotely log out of your account on all devices and clear browsing data. It’s a handy security measure, especially if you’re concerned about leaving your device unlocked in public places.
Finally, Total Password offers account recovery in the form of recovery keys. I got one as soon as I set up my account and was encouraged to write it down. You can use this key to get back into your account if you ever forget your master password. LastPass has a lot more options when it comes to account recovery, but Total Password’s recovery key worked fine when I tested it out.
In conclusion, Total Password offers great encryption and essential security features. It isn’t as customizable as some of its competitors, but it’s easy to use and is a good antivirus-bundled password manager. You can get Total Password as a bundled product with Total Adblock or as part of the comprehensive Total Security package.
Total Browser — Secure Browser for Added Privacy (Has TotalAV’s Protections Built-In)
TotalAV also offers a secure browser called Total Browser, and I must say, I’m a genuine fan of it. It’s a convenient way to improve your security and privacy while generally streamlining the way you use the internet.
Total Browser has the following features baked in:
- Ad and tracker blocker.
- Suspicious download checker.
- Data breach warnings.
- Malicious site blocker.
Most of these features worked remarkably well in my tests. The ad and tracker blocker blocked the majority of ads across a wide variety of sites. It was even able to stop video ads from playing on YouTube, which made my day much brighter.
By default, Total Browser will block notifications and request that every site you visit refrain from sharing or distributing your data, which is great. All of this can be changed with ease. It’s also simple to whitelist sites or allow ads on certain websites (though during my tests not a single one was able to detect that I was using an ad blocker).
Total Browser is bundled with all premium plans. It’s also available as a standalone purchase and as a 7-day free trial. You can continue using it after the free trial expires, but I wouldn’t recommend this — all of the features that make it a better option than a standard browser will be gone, except for phishing protection. If you want a free browser with security features, check out Norton’s Private Browser.
TotalAV Ease of Use & Setup — Well-Designed User Interface + Online Dashboard With Video Tutorials
TotalAV is easy to set up and use, and installation takes less than 5 minutes. Overall, I really like TotalAV’s user interface. It’s well-designed, attractive, and bug-free. While the apps are quite feature-rich, I never felt overwhelmed or confused. One thing to note is that it’s only available in dark mode — while I like dark mode, some users might miss the light mode option.
How to Install TotalAV (Just 3 Simple Steps):
- Select a TotalAV plan. Pick a plan that works for you from TotalAV’s website. Consider whether you need the add-ons offered.
- Download and install the app. Follow the instructions on the next page. You’ll find a link to download the antivirus, plus information on how to make an account and set up other products.
- Open the app and get protected. Once it’s finished installing, TotalAV will automatically run a scan and enable real-time protection.
TotalAV’s main features each have their own icons in the sidebar, including Malware Protection, Internet Security, and System Tune-Up. And if you want to customize your antivirus experience, all of the advanced options are found in TotalAV’s settings menu.
I really appreciate how easy TotalAV makes it to schedule antivirus scans — some programs hide their scan customization options behind a lot of unintuitive settings menus, but TotalAV’s are easy to access and adjust.
TotalAV users also get their own online dashboard, which is easily accessed from the settings menu. It has video tutorials and FAQs, but it doesn’t provide remote device access, which some competitors like Norton offer in their online dashboard. You can also purchase extra features from the TotalAV Online Marketplace.
The only issue I had with setting up TotalAV on my devices was that it didn’t recognize I had a premium license when I installed it on a second device — even though I had previously logged into my online account and downloaded the app from there. Instead, it treated me like a free user, automatically giving me access to premium features and warning me every once in a while that my free trial was about to expire. It eventually corrected itself, but it was pretty annoying.
Overall, though, despite some occasional glitches, TotalAV provides a straightforward user experience, with conveniently laid out features, easily accessible settings, and a great online dashboard.
TotalAV Mobile App — Great Range of Security Features + Extras Like a Duplicate Contacts & Photo Finder
TotalAV offers complete internet security apps for both Android and iOS users. I tested them on my Samsung Galaxy and iPhone 15, both running the latest versions of their respective operating systems.
These are TotalAV’s mobile features:
- Malware scanning (Android only).
- App Lock (Android only).
- Anti-phishing.
- Wi-Fi checker.
- VPN.
- Junk photo and video cleaner.
- Secure in-app browser.
- Data breach monitoring.
- Device tracking (iOS only).
TotalAV’s virus scanning is only available for Android — this is because iOS devices can’t get viruses (but there’s plenty of other malware threats that target iOS!).
During my tests on my Android phone, TotalAV’s antivirus scan was accurate, quick, and easy. I was able to use my phone normally throughout the scan without any noticeable performance issues, but there was a significant drain on my battery.
TotalAV detected all of the Android-specific malware files I had downloaded onto my Samsung Galaxy in just a few minutes — I was pretty impressed.
The TotalAV Android mobile app also provides real-time protection — it detected all of the test malware I placed on my phone (great), but it also drained my battery life very quickly (not great). Competitors like Norton provide good Android protection without draining battery life as quickly as TotalAV.
The TotalAV mobile app also offers tools to help free up space on your device and keep it running smoothly. It scans your phone for duplicate contacts as well as photos and videos that are blurry, dark, or similar. I really liked this tool. I had hundreds of junk photos and videos and TotalAV let me deal with them in mere minutes, freeing up over 2 GB of space on my phone.
TotalAV’s VPN for mobile users is also really good — it worked well in my testing, providing encrypted access to servers around the globe through 2 VPN protocols.
Having a VPN for your mobile devices is crucial if you use public Wi-Fi on your phone (coffee shops, libraries, airports, etc.). It keeps your browsing data from being spied on by hackers that prey on public Wi-Fi users (however, standalone VPNs like ExpressVPN provide a lot of additional functionality that TotalAV’s VPN lacks).
The TotalAV mobile app offers some decent features, and the malware scanner worked well on my Android device, but I think there are some better security apps out there for both iOS and Android. For example, TotalAV doesn’t have anything comparable to Norton’s App Advisor.
Still, TotalAV’s mobile protections will keep your device safe from hackers and web-based threats.
TotalAV Customer Support — Excellent Email Support & Easy-To-Navigate Knowledge Base
If you need to contact customer support, TotalAV provides 3 options:
- Live chat.
- Email.
- Help pages.
The 24/7 live chat was a mixed bag. To start, once I got connected with an agent, the agent was professional and answered all of my questions fairly quickly. What I didn’t like was that requesting live chat first brings you to a virtual bot that takes a few minutes to load, meaning I waited as long for a virtual agent as I did for the live representative.
There’s also a handful of support pages covering each TotalAV product. It’s very easy to navigate to the app you’re having trouble with to find answers to basic questions. I found information about how to install and manage the settings of every program in the TotalAV suite.
The email support team at TotalAV is outstanding. Each representative I interacted with was friendly and efficient, and they were able to address all of my inquiries. The only problem I faced was the slightly extended time they took to respond to me. I faced a problem while configuring VPN access and reached out to them through a form on my dashboard. They did provide a detailed response, but it took approximately 18 hours — significantly more than the time I had to wait with Norton and McAfee, whose email representatives answered my questions within just a few hours.
TotalAV does operate a US phone line that you can call to resolve a specific set of account issues (like unexpected charges to your account or requesting a refund), but when I entered the extensions for tech support and sales, all I got were messages giving me email addresses. I’m honestly disappointed at the lack of technical phone support. It’s something many competitors, including Norton, provide.
Overall, TotalAV’s customer support is pretty good. While I’m disappointed about the lack of technical phone support and while the live chat was a mixed bag, the email support is excellent and I could easily navigate the knowledge base to find any answers I needed.
What TotalAV Can Do Better — It Sometimes Tries to Upsell You Products You Don’t Need
TotalAV is pretty good, but there are a few things I’d like to see it do better. For example, it doesn’t quite have a perfect malware detection rate. It scored a 99.6% malware detection rate in my tests which is excellent, but I have to point out that Norton managed to score 100% when I put it through the same tests. The difference is small, but if TotalAV improved its scanner by just a bit, it would be an excellent improvement.
Also, while TotalAV has great cybersecurity products, it has an annoying habit of upselling you. Even if you subscribe to one of the more expensive plans, you’ll have to deal with a lot of pop-ups encouraging you to buy add-ons. I understand the need to include these messages in free apps, but I think TotalAV takes it too far by bombarding paying customers with ads, even in the app.
Finally, its password manager could certainly use a little bit more work. It’s not bad by any means, but it lacks basic password sharing and support for hardware-based 2FA tools (like Yubikeys). Honestly, just these basic features would make it competitive, especially since it already includes advanced features like biometric scanning. Norton and Bitdefender both have better password managers. And, unlike TotalAV, which only includes the password manager with the most expensive plan, Norton and Bitdefender include a password manager in most plans.
All of that said, none of these issues stop TotalAV from being a great antivirus overall. The most annoying issue I ran into was a bit too much upselling, but none of TotalAV’s issues are severe enough to make me even consider not recommending it.
Is TotalAV a Good Antivirus & Internet Security Product?
TotalAV offers a good, user-friendly internet security package, with near-perfect malware detection rates and cybersecurity extras like a VPN, password manager, and a secure browser.
TotalAV’s desktop and mobile apps are well designed and bug-free, and all of the features are intuitive, reliable, and easy-to-use. The device optimization tools are excellent for improving system performance, and the VPN is one of the best on the market — fast, reliable, and compatible with Netflix and other streaming services.
However, I’m not too happy with TotalAV’s password manager, which is too basic, and I was frustrated with TotalAV’s pricing options — even if you pay for the most expensive package, you still won’t get access to every feature, and the company is constantly trying to upsell customers, which I think is pretty annoying. But TotalAV is reasonably priced, and it has both a 7-day free trial (8 days for some users) and a 30-day risk-free money-back guarantee.
Overall, TotalAV has impressive malware detection rates, well-designed mobile apps, and an easy-to-use interface — all of these things make it a great piece of cybersecurity software.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is TotalAV a good antivirus?
Yes, TotalAV is one of the best antiviruses on the market in 2024. Its malware detection rates are excellent (though not quite perfect like Norton and Bitdefender), and its system clean-up tools are great, too. Plus, it has one of the best antivirus-bundled VPNs out there (with no data limits). It’s not perfect — the password manager is underwhelming, and the attempts to upsell you after you purchase a plan are annoying. But overall it’s a secure and intuitive antivirus with a range of useful features.
Is there a TotalAV free trial?
Yes, when you download the free version of TotalAV, you’ll be given a free trial that lets you explore the full version of the software. After using the free app for a bit, I was told that a trial had been activated, granting me access to premium tools including real-time cybersecurity protection and system optimization tools. However, you won’t have access to the VPN or password manager.
The free trial expires after 7 days (8 days for some users). However, if you want to test TotalAV for a longer period to ensure it’s the right antivirus software for you, you can purchase the full version with a 30-day full money-back guarantee. I tested the money-back guarantee, and I was reimbursed in just 24 hours.
Do I have to run virus scans manually with TotalAV?
No. You do have the option to run antivirus scans manually, but you can schedule automatic antivirus scans to happen on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly basis. You can also select the hours you want the scan to occur in.
Is TotalAV compatible with my operating system?
To install TotalAV, you’ll need to have installed either Windows 7 or above or OS X 10.9 or above. To use the TotalAV app on your iPhone or iPad, you’ll need to have iOS version 9.3 or higher. For Android users, you’ll need to have Android 6.0 or higher. TotalAV is also one of the rare antiviruses compatible with Fire OS devices (Fire OS 5 or higher).
Note: TotalAV has stopped supporting certain versions of Windows and macOS operating systems, including Windows XP and Vista, and OS X 10.8 (even though the official TotalAV applications page still lists Windows XP and Vista).
Is TotalAV easy to use?
Yes, TotalAV is easy to use even if you aren’t technically inclined. All major tools are included in the main sidebar and everything is well labeled. There are some customization options, but these aren’t too tricky to understand. Beyond the main antivirus app, extras like the VPN and password manager are likewise very straightforward. There are some antiviruses that I only recommend for tech-savvy people, but TotalAV isn’t one of them.
Does TotalAV cause system slowdown?
No, TotalAV does not cause system slowdown. TotalAV operated efficiently in my tests without significantly affecting my system performance. It also lets you schedule automatic scans at convenient times, which is pretty handy.
Are TotalAV’s mobile apps good?
Yes, TotalAV’s mobile apps are good. They offer excellent protection against malware and other mobile threats, and they’re super user-friendly with a very intuitive interface. While there are some more feature-rich options out there, TotalAV’s mobile apps are a solid choice for mobile device protection.
How do I install TotalAV?
Installing TotalAV is pretty simple, but TotalAV’s purchasing page can be pretty confusing. Follow these steps to get the best deal on TotalAV:
- Purchase TotalAV. By clicking on this link, you’ll see all of the available TotalAV purchase options.
- Avoid unnecessary upgrades. Once you’ve clicked on the “Get Protected Now” button after following the link for the plan you want, TotalAV will prompt you to purchase tons of upgrades — make sure to only select the ones you think you’ll actually need.
- Download & install TotalAV. Click the “Download” button. Once the file has downloaded, locate the file and open it. The installation wizard will appear and prompt you to install the software. Once the installation is complete, you’ll need to sign into your TotalAV account to activate the full version of the software.