When choosing an antivirus provider, we recommend looking at test results from independent labs such as Virus Bulletin, AV-Test, and AV-Comparatives. We publish many of these scores on our site and update them regularly. Keep in mind that not every vendor joins every test—reasons include scheduling, cost (labs charge vendors for participation), or concern about the outcome.

VirusBulletin is a trusted security information portal, testing lab, and certification body known for providing independent insights into the latest global virus threats. The VB100 certification is awarded to antivirus products meeting essential standards to qualify as legitimate and effective anti-malware solutions. To earn the right to display the VB100 logo, a product must successfully detect at least 99.5% of malware samples identified as active threats ("in the wild") online. Additionally, it must produce no more than 0.01% false positives when scanning an extensive database of verified clean applications.

The Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization (AMTSO), founded in May 2008, is an international non-profit that sets the guidelines used by these labs to ensure objective, high-quality testing. Please note that our rankings consider multiple factors, not just malware-detection scores.

AV-Comparatives is an independent organization dedicated to systematically testing security software, including antivirus solutions for PCs, Macs, and mobile devices, to verify whether they meet their promised standards. Using one of the largest collections of test samples in the world, AV-Comparatives creates realistic scenarios that ensure accurate and reliable results. The test outcomes provided by AV-Comparatives are freely accessible to individuals, media outlets, and scientific institutions. Achieving certification from AV-Comparatives grants software an internationally recognized seal of approval, signifying high-quality performance.

AV-TEST is an independent IT security research institute based in Germany. For over 15 years, experts from Magdeburg have conducted quality-focused comparative analyses and individual tests of nearly all internationally significant IT security products.

The institute maintains one of the largest collections of digital malware samples worldwide. Its dedicated research department, combined with extensive collaboration with other institutions, ensures internationally recognized and cutting-edge testing standards. AV-TEST employs proprietary analysis systems for all testing procedures, ensuring unbiased and transparent results across all major operating systems and platforms.