ESET vs Sophos: Which One is Better? [2023 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.
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Latest Positive Review*User reviews are not verified
Cyril Bartlam
Mar. 22, 2022
Incorrect Info
In the UK Eset do have a Tech Support telephone number, with Norton you...
David
Mar. 23, 2021
It brings all the features I need
- Great Product, easy to use - Excellent Password Manager - many features...
Luke
Jul. 26, 2020
Great software but Strange result on EICAR
I've used Sophos for a number of years now with no issues and nothing...
Brent
Jul. 5, 2020
Trust us...it works
Hello, I have been using Sophos home premium for years now and I gotta...
Latest Negative Review*User reviews are not verified
Cmike
Nov. 19, 2020
Worst business practice ever
Two years ago, I lost all my information on the hard drive. After checking...
Dave Gann
Apr. 30, 2020
ESET Customer Service - Linux AV NOD32
I had a trial version of Eset AV for Linux. I purchased the product but...
Feb. 10, 2021
The main cause of my iMac crashes...Planning to erase from all devices
I have used the Premium edition of Sophos for a couple of years. Since...
Dan H
Jan. 2, 2021
Garbage Antivirus
This is complete junk, It blocks sites saying it has malware but they are...
Our Verdict
Katarina Glamoslija
Katarina Glamoslija
Head Content Manager

ESET has one of the best anti-malware scanners I’ve used, but its additional features aren’t great. In addition to performing perfectly in terms of malware detection, ESET’s main advantage is that it has a lot of advanced diagnostics tools — which are excellent, but most home users won’t get much use out of them. The rest of ESET’s extra features are okay at best and don’t stand up against other top antivirus suites on the market, like Norton. Ultimately, ESET is a good choice for anybody looking for a streamlined but highly reliable antivirus engine (and for more technical users wanting advanced diagnostics tools), but if you’re after a full-featured internet security suite, there are better options available.

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 2023.

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 and unbiased information about the best cybersecurity products on the market today.

We rank vendors based on rigorous testing and research but also take into account your feedback and our commercial agreements with providers. This page contains affiliate links.