TotalAV Antivirus Review 2024: Safe for Windows/Mac?

Our Score
9.4
OUTSTANDING!
Ranked 3rd from 74 antivirus companies
Updated on: March 27, 2024
Fact Checked by Katarina Glamoslija
Kate Davidson
Kate Davidson
Published on: March 27, 2024

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, and 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 was disappointing. It also lacks parental controls and cloud storage, which top brands like Bitdefender include. And I certainly didn’t like how TotalAV tried to upsell me during the checkout process.

That said, TotalAV is reasonably priced, offers a 7-day free trial, 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 74 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

Try TotalAV Risk-Free For 30 Days

TotalAV Full Review

TotalAV Full Review

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 web protections, 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.

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TotalAV Security Features

Virus Scan

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 different 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.

TotalAV Security Features

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 like McAfee can put a pretty big strain on CPU during system scans.

TotalAV’s antivirus scan results were impressive. I downloaded almost 900 test files to my device, including viruses, trojans, ransomware, rootkits, spyware, and keylogging malware.

TotalAV Security FeaturesTotalAV detected nearly all of my test files (99.6%) in my System Scan, including ransomware files and spyware files that I had encrypted on my disk. 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.

TotalAV Security Features

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

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 on your device.

To test TotalAV’s real-time scanning engine, I download 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.

TotalAV Security Features

For the next test, I downloaded around 500 viruses 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.

TotalAV Security Features

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

TotalAV Security Features

TotalAV’s WebShield is an anti-phishing tool designed to block phishing sites and online malware distributors. It performed pretty well in my testing — detecting more phishing sites than Chrome or Firefox. TotalAV claims it uses the best-known blacklists of dangerous websites as well as its own AI-based dangerous website detection system. I found this worked pretty well, but that said, I still think that some competitors like Norton and Avira have slightly more advanced/user-friendly anti-phishing protections.

Despite this, I appreciate the customization options in TotalAV’s WebShield. You can choose to automatically block low-trust websites or cryptomining URLs and also pick particular domains you want to whitelist — which is great!

One good thing about TotalAV’s WebShield is that you can download it for free as an extension or an app, with no purchase necessary. Overall, TotalAV’s anti-phishing tool is also really good – better than most competing brands and definitely a valuable tool in the overall package.

System Tune-Up

TotalAV Security FeaturesTotalAV’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 feature 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.

TotalAV Security Features

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 Security Features

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’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)

TotalAV Security Features

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.

TotalAV Security FeaturesThe good news is that TotalAV’s VPN is pretty fast — faster than a lot of VPNs included with other antiviruses — with 48 server locations in 30+ countries.

TotalAV Security Features

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 — during my tests, I was able to watch Netflix, Disney+, and other streaming platforms available in my location. And thanks to the VPN’s fast speeds, videos loaded instantly and there were no interruptions. TotalAV’s VPN is also good for torrenting, as it supports P2P file sharing on all of its non-US 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)

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 address to see if it’s been involved in a breach. If it has, 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

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.

I found Total Password to be a huge improvement over Password Vault, TotalAV’s old password manager. Though secure, it was very basic in terms of features. It looks like TotalAV is phasing out Password Vault in favor of Total Password, a change that I don’t think anyone will complain about!

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.

TotalAV Security Features

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.

TotalAV Security Features

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.

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. There’s also an effective ad blocker. It comes as a separate browser extension, but it’s included with all Total Password plans.

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 standalone product or as part of the comprehensive Total Security package.

TotalAV Plans and Pricing

TotalAV’s antivirus is a well-made piece of internet security software, and it’s priced competitively for most of its features. So, it’s bizarre to me that TotalAV’s website contains very little useful information, and the company constantly tries to upsell users who are already buying their product.

When I was buying my subscription for TotalAV, I had to close 6 different pop-up windows asking me to pay for more features — including an offer to sell me an “Antivirus eBook” for 12 dollars! (If you’re looking for helpful resources to learn about internet security, allow me to recommend our 100% free website!)

TotalAV obstructs your purchase with flashy offers for all kinds of features, from unlimited device coverage to a cloud-based malware scanner and a subscription for Ad Block Pro.

I decided to make a little collage out of all the annoying pop ups:

TotalAV Plans and Pricing

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 offer a more streamlined purchasing experience.

It’s totally possible to get an affordable internet security suite from TotalAV despite all my frustration. The company just makes it a little harder than necessary! That’s why I listed out TotalAV’s plans with their included features so you don’t have to worry about getting upsold during purchase.

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 actually got my refund only one business day after requesting it!

TotalAV has 3 basic pricing tiers:

It doesn’t offer a family plan, but it does have Family & Friends Sharing. This involves your family members creating their own accounts and adding them to your subscription. However, their devices still count toward the device limit on your individual plan.

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 6 5 3 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
Phone and email customer support
Mobile app
30-day money-back guarantee Free

Free On-Demand Scanner: TotalAV Free Antivirus

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, a web shield, 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.

Basic Paid Plan: TotalAV Antivirus Pro

This plan offers all of TotalAV’s essential features for up to 3 devices for just $19.00 / year, including:

  • Malware scanner.
  • Real-time protection.
  • Anti-phishing protection.
  • System tune-up.

As mentioned above, I tested all of these features and I found them to be excellent. Antivirus Pro is a good plan — but that said, it doesn’t offer as many features as Norton 360 Standard, which covers the same number of devices.

The Antivirus Pro plan is a good choice if you need a solid antivirus package for up to 3 devices, and the iOS and Android plans that come with it are pretty good too.

Best Value Plan: TotalAV Internet Security

This plan offers access to the “Antivirus eBook”, a VPN with unlimited browsing data, and all of TotalAV Antivirus Pro’s features for up to 5 devices — and it costs $39.00 / year. It’s more affordable than McAfee’s Total Protection plan for 5 users, but TotalAV Internet Security doesn’t offer quite as many features as McAfee does.

The eBook is basically worthless, containing the same basic internet security advice you could get from reading our website. But the VPN and multi-device support make this the best value TotalAV plan for pretty much everyone.

Most Additional Protections: TotalAV Total Security

This plan costs $49.00 / year — it brings your total licenses up to 6, and it also offers priority tech support, an ad blocker, and the password manager feature.

I’m not a big fan of this plan — it charges too much extra money for features that are just not very important. 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 Ease of Use and Setup

TotalAV is easy to set up and use, and installation took less than 5 minutes. Overall, I really like TotalAV’s user interface. It’s well designed, attractive, and bug-free. While there are many features in the software, 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.

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.

TotalAV Ease of Use and Setup

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 Ease of Use and Setup

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.TotalAV Ease of Use and Setup

Overall, TotalAV provides a straightforward user experience, with conveniently laid out features, easily accessible settings, and a decent online dashboard.

TotalAV Mobile App

TotalAV Mobile AppTotalAV offers complete internet security apps for both Android and iOS users. I tested them on my Samsung Galaxy and iPhone 8, 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.
  • Device tune-up.
  • Secure in-app browser.
  • Data breach monitoring.
  • Device tracking (iOS only).

TotalAV’s virus scanning is available only for Android — this is because iOS devices can’t get “viruses” (but there’s plenty of other malware that targets 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.

TotalAV Mobile App

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 system tune-up to help free up space on your device and keep it running smoothly. TotalAV found over 1,000 MB of junk on my Android, and it also cleared out a ton of duplicate photos on my iPhone.

TotalAV Mobile App

TotalAV’s VPN for mobile users is also really good — it worked well in my testing, providing encrypted access to servers around the globe.

TotalAV Mobile App

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.

Still, TotalAV’s mobile protections will keep your device safe from hackers and web-based threats.

TotalAV Customer Support

If you need to contact customer support, TotalAV provides a few different options:

  • Live chat.
  • Email.
  • 24/7 phone support.
  • Help pages.

At first, I encountered some difficulty accessing TotalAV’s live chat support. As it turned out, the service was blocked in numerous countries, including the USA. However, I managed to connect with the live chat team by accessing it through Incognito mode on Google Chrome. Thankfully, this workaround was simple and easy to use, and I found that TotalAV’s live chat support team was both responsive and helpful in addressing my concerns.

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.

TotalAV Customer Support

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.

That said, I was very impressed with TotalAV’s phone support.For phone assistance, TotalAV provides country-specific support and in-country phone numbers for the following locations:

  • United States.
  • United Kingdom.
  • Australia.
  • Canada.
  • France.
  • Germany.
  • Spain.

If you live outside of these countries, there are also telephone numbers listed for “Europe” and “International”.

I received prompt, informative, and efficient assistance each of the 5 times I connected with TotalAV’s phone support team. My calls covered a variety of issues, from technical queries to billing concerns, and also included follow-up on my cancellation and refund procedures. Conversations took place with team members based in both the UK and Jamaica, and impressively, I never experienced hold times that lasted more than 15 minutes.

TotalAV’s 24/7 phone support is really impressive, and I think it more than makes up for the slow response of the company’s email support team.

What TotalAV Can Do Better

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 antivirus 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 (like a $12 eBook!). 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.

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, most Norton and Bitdefender plans include a password manager.

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 anti-phishing protection, a VPN, and a password manager.

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 anti-phishing protection is better than Chrome and Firefox’s built-in protections, 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 and a 30-day risk-free money-back guarantee.

Overall, TotalAV has impressive malware detection rates, useful internet security tools, and an easy-to-use interface — all of these things make it a great piece of cybersecurity software.

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If there’s something we haven’t covered in our TotalAV review that you’re curious about, send us a message — we’ll be happy to carry out extra tests and answer any questions.

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 web protections and 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 when 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. 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 5.0 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.

TotalAV Products & Pricing

Free Antivirus
$0.00 / year
Antivirus Pro
$19.00 / year
Total Security
$49.00 / year
Bottom Line

TotalAV is a well-designed internet security product — it comes with an excellent malware scanner, a rich set of features, and an intuitive user interface. In my tests, TotalAV’s malware scanner had an impressive detection rate, the anti-phishing protection detected most of my test phishing sites, and the VPN worked seamlessly. However, I wasn’t impressed with TotalAV’s pricing options — I found the company’s practice of trying to upsell customers very annoying. But overall, TotalAV is a good, easy-to-use antivirus program for protecting all of your devices and data.

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About the Author
Kate Davidson
Kate Davidson
Chief Editor

About the Author

Kate Davidson is a Chief Editor at SafetyDetectives. She has many years of experience as a journalist and communications professional, and has worked for media organizations, government agencies, and NGOs in multiple countries. Kate has always had a deep interest in cybersecurity, which has — together with her passion for crafting quality content — allowed her to bring complex topics about antiviruses, password managers, and overall online security closer to our readers. In her spare time, Kate enjoys spending time with her family, cooking Italian food, and doing yoga by the sea.

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9.8
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TotalAV User Reviews

*User reviews are not verified

1120 538
Based on 1658 reviews in 23 languages 7.1
Language
You can trust the Community! Companies can't ask us to delete or change user reviews.
John
John
United States
10.0
Total Protection
Windows User
It works perfectly. Better than Norton or McAfee. Especially if your a novice user like me.
Joe Voros
Joe Voros
Canada
10.0
Fairly simple to use
Windows User
Have not had any issues in the past year using this anti virus program
Larry
Larry
United States
10.0
QUICK NOTIFICATION
Windows User
Total AV is always monitoring to protect the user from many diverse mal ware spy ware cookies and unsafe sites that try to inflict harmful hardware to the browser user of sites known and unknown to the user for safe and accurate web site usage with their quick response to harmful sites notified on screen is one of the best.
United States
10.0
User friendly
Mac User
The best protection against malware and viruses!
milt eugene doyle
milt eugene doyle
United States
10.0
total protection
Windows User
i love total av very good service
R McCanney
R McCanney
United States
10.0
totalav experience
Windows User
easy install, price was super not expensive
B RAJENDRAN
B RAJENDRAN
India
10.0
TotalAV can accurately detect Malware Files & Secure Internet Banking
Windows User
TotalAV has extra features than other antivirus program. TotalAV is better for speed & ease of use & it has a better VPN. Total AV helps to keep iOS photo library clear of junk, removing unnecessary duplicate pictures, filtered photos & screenshots you forgot you even had. Our scan searches you iPhone photo library & highlights the photos that you might not want, allowing you to remove them at the click of the button. TotalAV is perfect to all if you need to free up storage space to download an operating system update or get the latest apps, but it can also serve as a great addition to help manage customers photos &its features are 1. Secure Internet Banking 2. Encrypt & hide your online activities. 3. Multi-Device compatiblity. By Lion B Rajendran
Bryce
Bryce
United States
10.0
cheap
Windows User
easy to set up and cheap!
Good
Windows User
Good antivirus for reasonable price!
William Van Cauwenbergh
William Van Cauwenbergh
Belgium
10.0
first review
Windows User
excellent support par Chat avec traduction automatique
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