Kaspersky Alternatives 2026: 5 Options, 4 Free
Kaspersky alternatives: Microsoft Defender Antivirus, Avast Free Antivirus, ClamAV, Malwarebytes and 1 more. Prices and licenses checked October 25, 2026.
•3 min read•Security Software & Testing
Verdict:Leave Kaspersky if you want cover without a yearly subscription or you are rethinking a vendor for non-technical reasons. Kaspersky's product page lists Standard, Plus and Premium for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS; compare against what you actually pay at renewal. On a Windows PC, Microsoft Defender is already installed and costs nothing, and for most home users it is the right default; you give up the extra tiers and mobile apps. Avast Free Antivirus is the closest free swap if you want one tool on several devices, though some features are gated behind its paid plan. ClamAV suits Linux machines and mail servers where you need an on-demand scanner rather than a desktop suite. Malwarebytes works well next to another product, since its free edition scans without real-time protection. Bitdefender is the paid option: $59.99 for the first year across five devices, then a renewal price you should check. The trade-off is simple. Free tools cut the bill to zero but leave you managing fewer extras, such as parental controls and a VPN bundled in the higher Kaspersky tiers. Pick Defender for one Windows machine, Avast for a mixed household, Bitdefender if you still want a paid suite and a different vendor.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Best for | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Defender Antivirus | Free (built into Windows) | Windows | Windows PCs that need no extra subscription | Docs only |
| Avast Free Antivirus | Free (Free antivirus for PC, Mac and mobile; some features need a paid plan) | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Free cover across several devices | Docs only |
| ClamAV | Free | Linux, Windows, macOS | Linux servers and mail scanning | Docs only |
| Malwarebytes | Free (Free malware scanner; per a TechRadar review the free edition has no real-time protection) | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | A second-opinion scanner | Docs only |
| Bitdefender Total Security | Paid from $59.99 per year, first-year price (Individual, 5 devices; $79.99 Family, 25 devices) | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Paying for a full suite on five devices | Docs only |
| Norton 360 Deluxe | Paid from $119.99 per year, first-year price (Norton 360 Deluxe, 5 devices) | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Antivirus | Docs only |
Independent comparison. Paid placements are labelled separately; editorial links earn no affiliate commissions. Learn more.
Good fit if
- You run one Windows laptop and want zero cost (Microsoft Defender Antivirus is the pick)
- You have a Mac, phones and a PC and want free cover (Avast Free Antivirus is the pick)
- You manage Linux servers or mail gateways (ClamAV is the pick)
- You still want a paid multi-device suite from another vendor (Bitdefender Total Security is the pick)
Not ideal if
- You rely on Kaspersky features or integrations that these tools do not replicate
Kaspersky today: See pricing page (Kaspersky pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Why people look for Kaspersky alternatives
Kaspersky's US home-security page lists no free version and shows no prices, and the VPN and password manager only arrive on the Plus tier. The larger issue is regulatory: the US Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security prohibited Kaspersky from entering new agreements with US persons from July 20, 2024, and from providing antivirus signature and codebase updates to US users after September 29, 2024.
Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Compared with Kaspersky: Built into Windows at no cost, so there is nothing to buy or renew. You lose Kaspersky's separate Mac, Android and iOS apps; Defender covers Windows only, and central management needs another paid Microsoft product.
Price: Free (built into Windows) (Microsoft Defender Antivirus pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Windows. Proprietary.
Best for: Windows PCs that need no extra subscription.
Worth knowing: Windows only; central management needs a paid Microsoft product.
Avast Free Antivirus
Compared with Kaspersky: Free antivirus for PC, Mac and mobile, so it covers more platforms than a Kaspersky plan at no charge. Some features sit behind a paid plan, so check its site for paid prices.
Price: Free (Free antivirus for PC, Mac and mobile; some features need a paid plan) (Avast Free Antivirus pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS. Proprietary.
Best for: Free cover across several devices.
ClamAV
Compared with Kaspersky: Open-source GPL-2.0 scanner with signature updates, free on Linux, Windows and macOS. It is a scanner only: Kaspersky adds real-time protection and a consumer interface that ClamAV does not provide.
Price: Free (ClamAV pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Linux, Windows, macOS. GPL-2.0 (open source).
Project activity: 7.5k GitHub stars · latest release clamav-1.5.4 (Aug 7, 2026) · last commit Oct 22, 2026
Best for: Linux servers and mail scanning.
Worth knowing: Scanner and signature updates only; no central console or behavioural EDR.
Malwarebytes
Compared with Kaspersky: Free malware scanner that works on PC, Mac, Android and iOS. The free edition lacks real-time protection, so it complements rather than replaces Kaspersky's paid plans; check its site for paid prices.
Price: Free (Free malware scanner; per a TechRadar review the free edition has no real-time protection) (Malwarebytes pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS. Proprietary.
Best for: A second-opinion scanner.
Bitdefender Total Security
Compared with Kaspersky: Paid suite for Windows, macOS, Android and iOS with a 30-day free trial. The first-year price is $59.99 for five devices, which is a different billing shape from Kaspersky's tiers, and it renews at a higher figure.
Price: Paid from $59.99 per year, first-year price (Individual, 5 devices; $79.99 Family, 25 devices) (Bitdefender Total Security pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS. Proprietary.
Best for: Paying for a full suite on five devices.
Other popular options (paid)
Norton 360 Deluxe
Compared with Kaspersky: Paid-only suite from Gen Digital, a US-based vendor, with no free plan. A common landing spot for former Kaspersky users; check current first-year and renewal prices before buying, because they differ.
Price: Paid from $119.99 per year, first-year price (Norton 360 Deluxe, 5 devices) (Norton 360 Deluxe pricing, checked 2026-10-25).
Which one to pick
- You run one Windows laptop and want zero cost: Microsoft Defender Antivirus
- You have a Mac, phones and a PC and want free cover: Avast Free Antivirus
- You manage Linux servers or mail gateways: ClamAV
- You still want a paid multi-device suite from another vendor: Bitdefender Total Security
Limits of this review
Docs-only for Microsoft Defender Antivirus, Avast Free Antivirus, ClamAV, Malwarebytes, Bitdefender Total Security: we did not install or run them, so feature claims come from vendor pages and we did not test import from Kaspersky. Vendor prices and free limits change; confirm on the linked pricing page before you buy or migrate.
Related guides
More in Security Software & Testing
- McAfee alternatives
- Bitdefender Total Security alternatives
- Norton 360 Deluxe alternatives
- Malwarebytes alternatives
Sources
Kevin Fan
Kevin Fan is a SaaS founder. He runs Free Instead Of, which tracks free and open-source alternatives to paid software and checks each price and free-plan limit against the vendor's own pages.
Methodology
Based on official pricing and product pages checked between 2026-10-22 and 2026-10-25: Kaspersky, Microsoft Defender Antivirus, Avast Free Antivirus, ClamAV, Malwarebytes, Bitdefender Total Security, Norton 360 Deluxe. Prices, free limits and licenses are the figures shown on those pages on those dates. No tool on this page was installed or run. No accounts were created.