AV-Comparatives is pleased to present the results of the March 2026 Malware Protection Test for consumer security solutions. As part of our ongoing Consumer Main-Test Series, this evaluation examines how effectively leading anti-malware products protect users from today’s rapidly evolving threats.

Test Focus and Methodology

This test goes beyond simple detection metrics. Our primary focus is on each product’s ability to prevent real-world system compromise caused by malicious files.

For this assessment, we evaluated 20 widely used security solutions against a diverse set of 10,000 recent malware samples. In addition to measuring protection rates, we closely analyzed false positives to ensure that strong security does not come at the cost of usability or unnecessary user disruption.

Products Evaluated

The March 2026 test included the following consumer security products:

Avast Free Antivirus, AVG Antivirus Free, Bitdefender Total Security, ESET HOME Security Essential, F-Secure Internet Security, Fortect PC Suite, G Data Total Security, K7 Total Security, Kaspersky Premium, Malwarebytes Premium, McAfee Total Protection, Microsoft Defender Antivirus, Norton Antivirus Plus, Panda Dome Advanced, Quick Heal Total Security, Sophos Home Premium, TotalAV Premium, Total Defense Essential Anti-Virus, Trend Micro Internet Security, VIPRE Advanced Security

Recognizing Top Performers

Many products delivered outstanding performance, earning AV-Comparatives’ highest distinction, “Advanced+.”

The top-rated solutions for this test are:

Avast, AVG, Kaspersky, Norton, Fortect, Bitdefender, G Data, Microsoft, Total Defense, VIPRE

These products demonstrated excellent protection rates combined with very low false-positive levels, providing strong and reliable defense against modern malware threats.

Full Report Available

The complete March 2026 Malware Protection Test report is available on the AV-Comparatives website. As always, the report can be downloaded free of charge and without registration.

We invite readers to explore the full results for deeper insights into how leading antivirus solutions perform—helping consumers make informed decisions about their digital security in 2026 and beyond.