How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- The category has moved past classic antivirus. Every serious product here is endpoint protection with behaviour monitoring, ransomware defence, and a cloud console.
- Microsoft Defender for Business at $3 per user per month is the value baseline for small companies, and it is already included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium.
- CrowdStrike and SentinelOne are the EDR leaders for companies that need detection depth and incident response, priced by quote at the serious tiers.
- Sophos, Bitdefender, and ESET serve the small and mid market with managed friendly consoles and published or partner led pricing.
- Buy the console your team or IT provider will actually watch. An unmonitored premium agent protects less than a monitored mid range one.
Quick comparison
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best antivirus software for business
#1Microsoft Defender for Business
Best for: Small firms on Microsoft 3654.5/5 on
G2 (30 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit microsoft.com
Starting price$3 per user per month
Free planNo
Defender for Business is the rational default for a Microsoft 365 shop: enterprise grade endpoint protection, threat and vulnerability management, and attack surface reduction, at $3 per user per month or bundled into Business Premium. Independent test labs rate its detection at the top of the market it once trailed.
The trade off is ecosystem against best of breed independence. Mixed estates and companies wanting a separate security vendor for defence in depth look elsewhere. Defender fits small and mid size businesses on Microsoft 365 that want strong protection without another console or contract.
What we like- Standalone at $3 per user per month and included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium
- Strong protection in independent tests
- One console with your existing Microsoft admin
- Covers Windows, Mac, and mobile
Watch out for- Best inside the Microsoft estate
- Advanced EDR features live in the enterprise Defender tiers
- Configuration quality decides real world results
#2Sophos Intercept X
Best for: SMBs and their IT providers4.7/5 on
G2 (837 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit sophos.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Sophos is the channel favourite: the product IT providers deploy when they will be the ones answering the alerts. Intercept X combines strong prevention, CryptoGuard anti ransomware that rolls files back, and a console that scales from one client to hundreds for an MSP. Human led MDR services are available if nobody in house can watch it.
The trade off is breadth against simplicity and price clarity. Expect a partner quote rather than a checkout page. Sophos fits SMBs with an IT provider, and providers themselves, who want one vendor from endpoint to firewall with managed detection on top.
What we like- Deep learning malware detection and anti ransomware with file rollback
- One agent for endpoint, encryption, and device control
- Loved by managed service providers
- XDR and MDR services stack on top
Watch out for- Pricing is partner and quote led
- The full suite's modules add up
- Console depth can overwhelm a tiny team
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Bitdefender's GravityZone platform has spent a decade near the top of independent test results while underpricing the famous names, which is the whole pitch. The console covers protection, risk analytics, and patch management in upper tiers, deployed through a large reseller and MSP network.
The trade off is value against buying friction. The right bundle at the right price usually arrives via a partner, not a web page. Bitdefender fits cost conscious SMBs and mid market firms that want test leading protection and can work through a reseller.
What we like- Consistently top scores in independent protection tests
- Layered features including patch and risk management in higher tiers
- One light agent
- Good value through partners
Watch out for- Tier naming and bundles confuse buyers
- Pricing is partner dependent
- Some advanced features need the top tier
#4CrowdStrike Falcon
Best for: Detection depth and response4.7/5 on
G2 (585 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit crowdstrike.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
CrowdStrike defined modern EDR, and Falcon remains the platform security teams name first: one light agent streaming telemetry to a cloud that hunts across all its customers at once. For small businesses, Falcon Go packages the essentials at published per device pricing; the full platform is quoted and priced like the enterprise tool it is.
The trade off is capability against cost and staffing. The platform rewards someone who hunts, or the budget to buy CrowdStrike's own response service. CrowdStrike fits companies with real security obligations: regulated data, cyber insurance demands, or a board that asks about ransomware by name.
What we like- The EDR benchmark: deep telemetry, strong threat hunting, and fast investigation
- Cloud native single agent
- SMB bundles such as Falcon Go publish simple per device pricing
- Elite threat intelligence included at upper tiers
Watch out for- Serious tiers are premium priced by quote
- Power assumes a security team or their MDR service
- Overkill for a ten person office
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
SentinelOne's bet is autonomy: the agent decides and acts on the device itself, killing a malicious process, isolating the machine, and rolling back its changes without waiting for the cloud or an analyst. For companies with thin IT cover outside office hours, that design is the argument.
The trade off is automation against predictability: autonomous response must be tuned and trusted, which takes a bedding in period. SentinelOne fits mid market and enterprise teams, and the MSPs serving them, that want response speed a human rota cannot match.
What we like- Autonomous detection and response acts even when the device is offline
- One click rollback of ransomware changes on Windows
- Storylines make incidents readable
- Strong in independent evaluations
Watch out for- Quote based pricing
- Autonomy needs tuning to your environment
- Partner and tier structure takes decoding
#6ESET Protect
Best for: Lightweight agent, strong admin control4.6/5 on
G2 (1,002 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit eset.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
ESET has protected businesses for three decades with an agent known for staying out of the machine's way. The Protect platform layers endpoint security, file and mail server protection, and cloud app coverage under detailed policy control that veteran administrators appreciate.
The trade off is control against approachability. A non technical owner will prefer ThreatDown's plainness. ESET fits organisations with an actual IT admin, older hardware that resents heavy agents, and a preference for European data handling.
What we like- Famous for a light, fast agent
- Granular policy control admins respect
- Covers endpoints, servers, mail, and cloud apps
- Strong in European and education markets
Watch out for- Pricing by bundle and partner
- Interface rewards experienced admins over beginners
- XDR depth sits in higher tiers
#7ThreatDown
Best for: Simple protection for small teams4.6/5 on
G2 (1,090 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit threatdown.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
ThreatDown is what Malwarebytes built for business: the remediation engine that home users loved, behind a cloud console simple enough for an office manager to run, with tiers that add EDR behaviour and a managed response service at the top.
The trade off is simplicity against depth. There is less here for a security team to hunt with. ThreatDown fits small businesses with no IT staff that need reputable protection deployed this week, and a number to call when something fires.
What we like- Malwarebytes heritage in remediation, now packaged for business
- Console a non specialist can run
- Bundles scale from a handful of devices to MDR backed cover
- Quick deployment
Watch out for- Feature depth trails the enterprise platforms
- Pricing by bundle and device count needs a quote check
- Brand is newer than its Malwarebytes roots
#8Trend Micro Worry-Free
Best for: Set and forget small business cover4.5/5 on
G2 (13 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit trendmicro.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planNo
Worry Free is Trend Micro's small business line, and the name is the product strategy: cloud managed protection for endpoints and Microsoft 365, sold in simple bundles through the resellers small firms already use. It has served this segment for years without demanding attention.
The trade off is quiet competence against cutting edge depth. Trend Micro fits small businesses that want a known vendor, a simple bill, and protection that runs itself, and who will never staff a security function.
What we like- Designed for small businesses with no server to manage
- Protection spans endpoints, email, and cloud apps in higher tiers
- Long track record
- MSP friendly licensing
Watch out for- Test results are good rather than leading
- Pricing and tiers vary by region and partner
- Console feels older than rivals
How we chose
We compared the endpoint platforms businesses actually deploy in 2026, weighing independent test performance, console quality, and fit by company size, because the right answer for ten people is wrong for ten thousand. We published pricing only where it is stable and public, such as Microsoft's per user rate, and marked partner and quote led pricing as See website. Every product here includes behaviour based ransomware defence, which we treated as table stakes rather than a feature.
How to choose antivirus software for your business
Count what the agent must cover: laptops, servers, and any Mac or Linux machines, then check the platform protects all of them in one console. Decide who watches the console. If the honest answer is nobody, buy simplicity or a managed service: Sophos MDR, ThreatDown's managed tier, or your IT provider's bundle will protect you better than a premium platform alerting into an empty room. Match depth to obligation: cyber insurers and regulated clients increasingly name EDR as a requirement, which points to CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, or Defender's higher tiers, while a low risk small office is well served by Defender for Business or Bitdefender. Trial on real machines, including the oldest laptop in the building, and run the ransomware behaviour test every vendor offers in demo. Finally, price per device per year across three years including the MDR or support tier you will actually renew, because the renewal, not the trial, is the relationship.
Frequently asked questions
Is Windows Defender enough for a business?
The built in consumer Defender is not the same product as Defender for Business. The business version adds central management, vulnerability reporting, and response tools at $3 per user per month, and at that price it is a strong default for Microsoft 365 firms. The free built in version leaves you managing machines one by one.
What is the difference between antivirus and EDR?
Classic antivirus matches files against known malware. EDR watches behaviour, records what processes did, and lets you investigate and roll back an incident. CrowdStrike and SentinelOne are EDR first; every business product here includes at least basic behaviour blocking, because signature only tools miss modern attacks.
How much does business antivirus cost?
Small business cover runs roughly $3 per user per month at the Microsoft end to $60 or more per device per year for SMB bundles from EDR vendors, with enterprise platforms quoted above that. MDR human monitoring is an added per device cost on top.
Do Macs in the office need it too?
Yes. Every platform here covers macOS, and Mac malware and phishing aimed at business users grow each year. One console for both fleets is the practical reason to pick a cross platform vendor.
Can antivirus stop ransomware?
Modern endpoint tools block most ransomware by behaviour and can roll back encrypted files, as Sophos and SentinelOne advertise. None is a guarantee. Offline, tested backups remain the control that decides whether an attack is an incident or a catastrophe.
Should we buy through an IT provider or direct?
If you have an IT provider, their standard platform usually wins: they monitor it, their pricing bundles the licence, and one throat is accountable at 2 a.m. Buy direct when you have internal IT who will own the console themselves.
Sources we checked (0)
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.
Bitdefender GravityZone
SentinelOne