How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- CrowdStrike Falcon Go publishes small-business pricing: $59.99 per device per year, with a 15-day free trial and a 100-device ceiling.
- Norton Small Business starts at $59.99 for the first year covering 6 devices, with a 20-device Premium plan at $299.99.
- Every major vendor here offers a free trial of 14 to 30 days, so you can test protection on your actual machines before paying.
- Business endpoint products cost more than consumer antivirus for a reason: central management, ransomware rollback, and support you can actually reach.
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Is your product missing or out of date?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 small business computer security software
Small businesses are the favorite target of ransomware gangs, and the data backs it up: SE Labs' September 2025 small business endpoint test scored CrowdStrike Falcon Go at 100 percent protection accuracy, according to CrowdStrike's own reporting. The point is not the award, it is the shift. Attackers automate, which means a ten-person company faces the same threats as a ten-thousand-person one, minus the security team. These ten tools give small businesses enterprise-grade protection without enterprise complexity, compared on price, management effort, and what actually gets blocked.
#1
CrowdStrike Falcon Go
Best for: Small teams that want enterprise-grade protection without complexity
Visit crowdstrike.com
Starting price$59.99 per device per year
Free planFree trial (15 days)
CrowdStrike Falcon Go is the rare enterprise security product that made a real small-business edition. You get the Falcon platform's cloud-native endpoint protection, antivirus, USB device control, and 24/7 Express Support, packaged for companies with up to 100 devices and priced publicly at $59.99 per device per year. A 15-day free trial lets you install it on your actual machines before committing.
The honest limits are the device cap and the price step. If you outgrow 100 devices, you move to enterprise Falcon tiers with custom pricing, and the $7.99 per-device monthly option costs about $96 a year per device versus $60 annual. For a small team that wants the protection the big companies buy, Falcon Go is the most credible option on this list.
What we like- Published small-business pricing at $59.99 per device per year
- Cloud-native platform with no on-premise servers
- 100 percent protection score in SE Labs' September 2025 small business test per the vendor
Watch out for- Falcon Go caps at 100 devices
- Monthly billing at $7.99 per device costs more than the annual plan
#2
Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security
Best for: Multi-platform offices with Macs and PCs
Visit bitdefender.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial (30 days)
Bitdefender's GravityZone is the technician's favorite in the small-business space: strong detection engines, ransomware remediation, and a cloud console that manages every platform your team uses. Business Security covers endpoints across Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile, with optional add-ons for email security and full-disk encryption. The 30-day free trial is generous enough for a real evaluation.
Pricing is the frustration: Bitdefender does not publish small-business starting prices, so you need a quote or a reseller. The management console is powerful but assumes someone technical will run it. For offices with mixed devices and an owner or IT person willing to learn the console, GravityZone delivers top-tier protection.
What we like- Covers Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android from one cloud console
- Consistently strong independent test scores
- 30-day free trial
Watch out for- No public starting price for the business tiers
- The console has a learning curve for non-technical owners
#3
Norton Small Business
Best for: Non-technical owners who want security handled
Visit norton.com
Starting price$59.99 per year
Free planNo
Norton Small Business is the simplest pitch here: one plan, cloud-managed, protecting up to 20 devices on the Premium tier. The standard plan starts at $59.99 for the first year for 6 devices, and Premium covers 20 devices at $299.99 for the first year. Setup is minutes, the cloud console needs no server, and the product bundles antivirus, firewall, and backup.
The catches are standard Norton fare: first-year pricing jumps at renewal, and there is no free trial, only a 30-day money-back window on some purchases. Support quality gets mixed reviews. For a very small business where the owner is also the IT department, Norton's simplicity and published pricing are genuine advantages.
What we like- Published pricing starting at $59.99 for the first year
- Cloud-based management with real-time threat updates
- Includes firewall, backup, and device security in one plan
Watch out for- No free trial advertised
- Renewal prices are higher than first-year pricing
#4
ESET Small Business Security
Best for: Teams that want protection that never slows the machine
Visit eset.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
ESET has spent three decades building security software that stays out of the way, and Small Business Security continues that tradition: fast scans, low CPU usage, and protection that users forget is installed. The package covers antivirus, anti-phishing, firewall, and device control, with a remote administrator console for managing the office's machines from one dashboard. A free trial is available.
Pricing requires a quote, which is annoying for a product aimed at small buyers. The interface is dated compared with CrowdStrike or Bitdefender. But if your team runs older hardware or complains that security software slows their machines, ESET's light footprint is the deciding factor.
What we like- Famously light on system resources
- Strong malware and ransomware detection
- Remote management console for multi-device oversight
Watch out for- No public starting price
- The interface is functional rather than friendly
#5
Avast Business
Best for: Distributed teams managed from a cloud console
Visit avast.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial (30 days)
Avast Business gives small teams a cloud console, the Business Hub, where you set policies, push installs, and monitor threats across the company's devices. The endpoint protection covers the standard set: antivirus, firewall, ransomware shield, and web protection. A 30-day free trial lets you test the console with your real team.
The product carries Avast's consumer heritage: effective protection, but an interface that sometimes pushes upgrades. Pricing is quote-based. For a small business with remote or hybrid workers, the ability to manage every device from a browser, including off-network laptops, is the practical win.
What we like- Cloud-based Business Hub manages devices and policies remotely
- 30-day free trial
- Owned by Gen Digital alongside Norton, with a large threat intelligence network
Watch out for- No public starting price
- Upsell prompts in the product annoy some users
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
ThreatDown is Malwarebytes' business brand: the same detection engine that millions of consumers trust, packaged for companies in four bundle tiers, Core, Advanced, Elite, and Ultimate, with endpoint protection, ransomware rollback, and vulnerability management scaling up the tiers. The Nebula console manages it all from the cloud.
The 2023 rebrand from "Malwarebytes for Business" to ThreatDown still causes confusion, and pricing is quote-only. But the underlying technology is proven, and the tiered bundles mean a ten-person office does not pay for enterprise features it will never use. If your team already runs Malwarebytes at home, the business version is a natural step.
What we like- Built on Malwarebytes' respected detection engine
- Bundle tiers from Core to Ultimate let you buy only what you need
- Nebula cloud console for centralized management
Watch out for- No public starting price
- The rebrand from Malwarebytes for Business still confuses some buyers
#7
Sophos Intercept X
Best for: Companies that fear ransomware above all
Visit sophos.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial (30 days)
Sophos built Intercept X around the threat small businesses fear most: ransomware. Its CryptoGuard technology monitors file encryption behavior and rolls back affected files automatically, while deep learning models handle threats that have no known signature. Managed through Sophos Central, it can synchronize with Sophos firewalls and email security for layered defense. A 30-day free evaluation is available.
Pricing is quote-based, and Intercept X shines brightest inside the Sophos ecosystem, which can pull you toward more Sophos products. As a standalone endpoint product it is still strong, with consistently good independent test results. For a business whose nightmare scenario is encrypted files and a ransom note, start here.
What we like- CryptoGuard anti-ransomware technology with automatic file rollback
- Deep learning models that catch unknown threats
- Sophos Central console with synchronized security across products
Watch out for- No public starting price
- Full value needs the Sophos Central ecosystem
#8
Webroot Business Endpoint Protection
Best for: Older hardware and very small IT footprints
Visit webroot.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial (30 days)
Webroot takes the opposite approach to most antivirus: instead of a heavy local engine, a 670 KB agent sends file data to the cloud for analysis. The result installs in seconds, scans fast, and runs happily on old machines that choke on heavier products. Business Endpoint Protection adds centralized management, and the vendor offers a 30-day free trial.
The cloud dependence is the honest trade-off: offline machines get reduced protection. Pricing requires a quote. Webroot is owned by OpenText, which brings corporate stability. For a small business with aging computers or no IT staff, the install-and-forget lightness is hard to beat.
What we like- Tiny 670 KB agent with cloud-based scanning that barely touches system resources
- Fast installs measured in seconds
- 30-day free trial
Watch out for- No public starting price
- Cloud-dependent scanning needs an internet connection
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial (30 days)
Trend Micro Worry-Free is built for the business with no IT staff: a hosted security service where protection, updates, and policy management happen in Trend Micro's cloud. The XGen engine combines traditional signatures with machine learning and behavioral analysis, and the product covers PCs, Macs, and mobile devices. A 30-day trial is the standard evaluation path.
Pricing is quote-based, and the management console shows its age next to CrowdStrike or Bitdefender. But the product does what the name promises: once deployed, it requires almost no attention. For a small office that wants protection without a part-time admin, Worry-Free earns its name.
What we like- Hosted SaaS option with zero server maintenance
- XGen machine learning blends signature and behavioral detection
- Covers Windows, Mac, and mobile devices
Watch out for- No public starting price
- The console is less modern than newer rivals
#10
Kaspersky Small Office Security
Best for: Micro-businesses with 5 to 25 computers
Visit kaspersky.com
Starting priceSee website
Free planFree trial
Kaspersky Small Office Security is one of the few products sized honestly for micro-businesses: it targets offices with 5 to 25 computers and installs through a setup wizard that assumes no IT expertise. It covers workstations and file servers, adds password management and Safe Money protection for online banking, and Kaspersky's detection engines score well in independent testing. A free trial is available.
The important caveat for US buyers: Kaspersky products face federal government procurement restrictions over national security concerns, which has pushed some US businesses away regardless of the product's technical merits. Pricing is quote-based. For a very small office outside regulated industries, it is capable and affordable protection.
What we like- Designed specifically for 5 to 25 computers with a simple setup wizard
- Includes file server protection and Safe Money for banking
- Strong detection in independent tests
Watch out for- No public starting price
- US buyers should note government procurement restrictions on Kaspersky products
Matching protection to your team size
Count devices before you compare prices. A five-person office with laptops and phones has maybe 12 endpoints; a twenty-person office can easily have 40. Per-device pricing like CrowdStrike's $59.99 per device per year scales linearly, while per-plan pricing like Norton's $299.99 for 20 devices gets cheaper per device as you grow. Do the math for your actual device count, including the phones nobody remembers.
Also decide who manages it. If the owner is the IT department, pick products with simple cloud consoles and good defaults: Norton, CrowdStrike Falcon Go, or Trend Micro Worry-Free. If you have an IT person or a managed service provider, Bitdefender GravityZone and Sophos Intercept X reward the extra attention. The best security product is the one that stays configured correctly, not the one with the best test scores.
Free antivirus is not a business plan
Consumer free antivirus protects one computer. It does not give you a console to see all your machines, push policies, or know when a laptop in a coffee shop gets infected. Business products exist because the management layer matters more than the detection engine once you have more than a couple of devices.
That said, do not overbuy. A ten-person office does not need the enterprise tier with EDR threat hunting; it needs solid endpoint protection, ransomware rollback, a cloud console, and support that answers the phone. Every tool on this list offers a free trial of 14 to 30 days. Install two finalists on your actual machines, run them for two weeks, and buy the one your team forgot was installed.
How we chose
We listed endpoint security products with active small-business editions and live vendor homepages, then checked each vendor's pricing page, trial terms, and device limits. We verified published prices for CrowdStrike Falcon Go and Norton Small Business on the vendors' own sites and cross-checked plan structures against public reviews on G2, Capterra, PCMag, and TechRadar. We included quote-only products where their small-business footprint is well documented and excluded consumer-only antivirus and discontinued business products.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best antivirus software for small business?
There is no single best choice, but CrowdStrike Falcon Go and Bitdefender GravityZone lead on protection quality, Norton Small Business leads on simplicity, and ESET leads on light system impact. Pick based on your device count, who manages IT, and whether you prefer published pricing or a custom quote.
How much does small business antivirus cost?
Expect roughly $60 per device per year at the published end: CrowdStrike Falcon Go is $59.99 per device per year and Norton Small Business starts at $59.99 per year. Most other vendors quote custom prices based on device count and term length. Always compare per-device annual cost, not just the headline number.
Can I just use free antivirus for my business?
Free consumer antivirus lacks central management, which means you cannot see or control protection across all your company's devices. For a business with more than a couple of computers, a business product with a management console is worth the cost. Most vendors offer 14 to 30 day free trials.
What is the difference between antivirus and endpoint protection?
Traditional antivirus matches files against known malware signatures. Modern endpoint protection adds behavioral analysis, ransomware rollback, device control, and cloud management. All ten products on this list are endpoint protection platforms, not old-style signature-only antivirus.
Do Macs need business antivirus?
Yes. Mac malware exists and is growing, and a business with Macs needs the same central visibility as its Windows machines. Bitdefender GravityZone, Trend Micro Worry-Free, and Sophos Intercept X all cover macOS from the same console as Windows.
How many devices does a small business security plan cover?
It varies widely. Kaspersky Small Office Security targets 5 to 25 computers, CrowdStrike Falcon Go caps at 100 devices, and Norton Small Business Premium covers up to 20 devices. Count every laptop, desktop, and phone before buying, and confirm what happens when you exceed the limit.
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 spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.
ThreatDown
Trend Micro Worry-Free