Windows has great protection built-in, so third-party suites come down to the extras. Windows was not the safest operating system in the early days. Back then, malware and viruses were a risk that you were required to avoid and resolve on your own.
As attacks grew, a whole antivirus industry spun up to provide protection for millions of PC users. Suites like McAfee, AVG and Norton were common options people installed to keep their computers safe. Times have moved on, though.
We've had built-in antivirus protection on PCs since Windows 8 launched in 2012. But third-party antivirus software still exists, along with apps offering more complex anti-malware protection. While there can be uses for these other tools, protection is now baked into your PC from the first day you boot, so you don't need to pay for it.
Windows' built-in antivirus protection is now pretty good. It took a few years for Microsoft Defender Antivirus to become something you can rely on. If you roll back 11 years and look at AV-Test's May-June 2015 testing, Defender scored just 0.5 out of six for the quality of its protection.
Compare that to results from July-August 2026, where Defender earned the full six points. It detected 100 percent of threats in both the real-world attack and widespread malware tests, compared with industry averages of 99.9 percent and 100 percent each. Independent testing doesn't guarantee you'll have the same experience, but these real-world scenarios give you an idea of how Defender will react to threats your PC might face.
In Windows 11, Microsoft Defender Antivirus is a core part of the Windows Security suite. It'll scan your PC automatically, checking files and apps as you access them. Regular security updates mean you won't have to remember to download new malware definitions, either.
Defender will work in the background, but if you need to scan a file on-demand right-click it, choose Show more options if necessary, then hit Scan with Microsoft Defender. You're able to check for more threats in the Windows Security app by Virus & threat protection > Quick scan, with other ways to check for malware under the Scan options section. Paid security suites can prove useful in some cases.
In 2026, true viruses aren't the only threat you'll face on your PC. There are fake login pages designed to steal your passwords, scam emails that tell you to pay an invoice and fake security pop-ups claiming you need to call a phone number because your PC is at risk. This is where the modern antivirus industry now lies: extras.
Most third-party antivirus software has a free tier for core protection, but that's just one component in wider security subscriptions that offer various layers of protection. Anti-scam tools, VPNs, password managers and more are all bundled in to give you a reason to subscribe. Malwarebytes, for instance, advertises additional ransomware and anti-exploit protection in its paid plan.
Norton's 360 Deluxe plan, meanwhile, includes a VPN, parental controls and 50GB of cloud backup storage. These plans often cover the whole family, with apps for smartphones and other devices. These aren't completely useless; a full security suite could be useful if you're helping someone who struggles to spot scams and other online dangers.
Those additional warnings and blocks can help, and the additional security layers of a VPN can also help protect your data online, especially if blocks ads and trackers. The question is whether you'll actually use what's included, and a lot of people will likely not. Malwarebytes' free app is good as a second-opinion scanner; combined with 24/7 Microsoft Defender protection, you don't need to pay an extra cent to have a solid level of coverage on your PC.
Source: Engadget · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing