Zone Alarm vs ESET: Which One is Better? [2024 Top Picks]

Find the best antivirus for you and your devices.
We compare security, extra features, ease of use, and more to help you decide.

Zone Alarm vs. ESET: Which Is Right for You?

Tyler Cross
Tyler Cross
Senior Writer

Zone Alarm vs. ESET: Which Is Right for You?

With so many growing cyber threats, a good antivirus must address all potential risks. Both ESET and Zone Alarm employ innovative systems to ensure real-time protection from recognized and unknown malware attacks. They also include anti-phishing technology, although Zone Alarm does require a browser extension for this to work.

ESET has a near 100% detection rate, and the idle scan option allows you to wait until your computer is in sleep or screensaver mode. The ‘Game Mode’ prevents annoying pop-ups interrupting your gameplay or streaming. The program scans files while they’re downloading so infected items never make it to your device, and the email filtering feature offers similar protection. ESET is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

While Zone Alarm is Windows-only, it has a lot of useful features. The auto-sandboxing technology launches all new programs in a secure environment. Users get 5GB of online backup space for free, but the most impressive tool is the advanced firewall. Developed in-house, it works two-way and even identifies common tricks to circumvent traditional firewalls. You also get a ‘Find My Laptop’ feature which helps in the event of physical theft.

Both companies offer similar customer service channels, including live chat, ticketed messages, and phone support.

Starting Price
Money Back Guarantee
Free Trial
$21.95
30 Days
$12.99
30 Days
Security
Features
Ease of Use
Support
Pricing
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Latest Positive Review*User reviews are not verified
Ottoman Mint
Nov. 5, 2020
Zone Alarm User
I highly recommend ZoneAlarm! I’ve been using Zone Alarm Free Firewall...
Benny
Sep. 22, 2020
A good security product
A very good antivirus with firewall, and it's free !
Mar. 23, 2022
Best antivirus for windows
ESET caught all of the 30,00,000 samples I used in protection of zero-day...
Cyril Bartlam
Mar. 22, 2022
Incorrect Info
In the UK Eset do have a Tech Support telephone number, with Norton you...
Latest Negative Review*User reviews are not verified
Sanjay
Nov. 7, 2018
Use to be good, but not anymore
I've been using this program for a very long time and have always been...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
No reviews yet
Richard Stephenson
Feb. 5, 2023
Awful
False positives, removes legitimate software and when manually selected to...
Sep. 7, 2021
Blocks WSL2 and WSL1 Network interfaces
works great for most things, bit of a CPU hog on startup but most of my...
Our Verdict
Tyler Cross
Tyler Cross
Senior Writer
ESET and Zone alarm both have a lot to offer, so the decision is largely dependent on how you use your device. If it’s mainly for entertainment, gaming, or streaming movies, ESET optimizes your experience and is considerably cheaper. However, the Zone Alarm firewall is ideal for keeping you safe on different WiFi networks. They both promise top-level protection so you can’t go wrong with either one.
Time To Decide Which One Is Best For You

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find the best antivirus for me?

The first thing to do is to understand what you need — all antiviruses come with different internet security tools to help you stay protected, so identifying what level of protection you want will help you figure out which product is right for you.

Some antiviruses have a virtual private network (VPN), some have safe browsing extensions, and some have a password manager. Some only work on certain operating systems, while others cover all operating systems across multiple devices.

It’s important to compare the best antiviruses on the market to find the perfect one with the functionality you need.

What makes an antivirus secure?

A high-quality antivirus suite will detect, flag, and remove viruses and various types of malware. It will also offer real-time protection against all threats, regardless of whether you are browsing the internet, downloading software, shopping online, or opening email. For additional security, many antivirus suites offer a VPN, secure storage, and a password manager — these things all add several layers of protection against various cyber threats.

For more information on how antiviruses work, read this.

What do I need to look for when searching for an antivirus?

An antivirus needs to protect against all types of malware — trojans, rootkits, worms, spyware, viruses, ransomware, and anything else that might cause damage to your devices. This is done in a variety of ways, but the most essential feature of an antivirus is real-time protection — this makes sure that an active threat is effectively stopped before anything serious can happen.

Other things to look for include — excellent detection rates, fast system performance, included extra features (like a VPN, password manager, etc.), easy-to-use interface, good customer support, and overall value.

Go here for a list of the best antivirus software of 2024.

How do I know if one antivirus is better than another?

When researching antiviruses, it’s a good idea to visit a few well-known antivirus software websites such as Norton, McAfee, and Bitdefender to directly compare each antivirus’s features.

You can also look at the expert opinions of our reviewers at SafetyDetectives.com to find the most up-to-date information about the best cybersecurity products on the market today.

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