Norton vs Adaware: Which One is Better? [2024 Top Picks]

Find the best antivirus for you and your devices.
We compare security, extra features, ease of use, and more to help you decide.

Norton vs. Adaware: Which Is Right for You?

Eric Goldstein
Eric Goldstein
Chief Editor

Norton vs. Adaware: Which Is Right for You?

Norton is a veteran in the antivirus industry, and its exploit protection (PEP) keeps you safe from malware and zero-day attacks. The company even offers a 100% protection guarantee and the added benefit of a free two-way firewall. However, the Norton security system does come with a fairly high price tag compared to other titles on the market.

On the other hand, Windows-only antivirus solution Adaware offers an extremely good value for money, costing about half the price of Norton. The customizable scans and real-time protection earned the security company top scores from various testing labs. There are notably fewer features in Adaware—although both come with parental controls and spam blocks—but Norton provides automatic backups, updates, and crowdsourced insights into potential threats.

Starting Price
Money Back Guarantee
Free Trial
$29.99
60 Days
$49.99
30 Days
Security
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Ease of Use
Support
Pricing
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Latest Positive Review*User reviews are not verified
NYC
Sep. 28, 2022
Better than McAfee
If your a MAC user and are using the latest Tech with OS - use Norton.
Ian
Apr. 8, 2022
Satisfactory For Me
I have seven devices using this product , and find it very effective ...
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No reviews yet
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Latest Negative Review*User reviews are not verified
Oct. 3, 2023
Now I Remember
I got Norton Antivirus again. The program is fine, but now I remember why...
P I Williams
Aug. 1, 2023
norton will not support windows 7
Dispite being a loyal customer of Norton for many years and only renewed 3...
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No reviews yet
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Our Verdict
Eric Goldstein
Eric Goldstein
Chief Editor
If you invest in Norton, you’ll get a broad range of protection that goes beyond standard antivirus. If you’re looking to keep costs down, Adaware is still a strong option that guarantees malware protection without a lot of additional features.
Time To Decide Which One Is Best For You

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find the best antivirus for me?

The first thing to do is to understand what you need — all antiviruses come with different internet security tools to help you stay protected, so identifying what level of protection you want will help you figure out which product is right for you.

Some antiviruses have a virtual private network (VPN), some have safe browsing extensions, and some have a password manager. Some only work on certain operating systems, while others cover all operating systems across multiple devices.

It’s important to compare the best antiviruses on the market to find the perfect one with the functionality you need.

What makes an antivirus secure?

A high-quality antivirus suite will detect, flag, and remove viruses and various types of malware. It will also offer real-time protection against all threats, regardless of whether you are browsing the internet, downloading software, shopping online, or opening email. For additional security, many antivirus suites offer a VPN, secure storage, and a password manager — these things all add several layers of protection against various cyber threats.

For more information on how antiviruses work, read this.

What do I need to look for when searching for an antivirus?

An antivirus needs to protect against all types of malware — trojans, rootkits, worms, spyware, viruses, ransomware, and anything else that might cause damage to your devices. This is done in a variety of ways, but the most essential feature of an antivirus is real-time protection — this makes sure that an active threat is effectively stopped before anything serious can happen.

Other things to look for include — excellent detection rates, fast system performance, included extra features (like a VPN, password manager, etc.), easy-to-use interface, good customer support, and overall value.

Go here for a list of the best antivirus software of 2024.

How do I know if one antivirus is better than another?

When researching antiviruses, it’s a good idea to visit a few well-known antivirus software websites such as Norton, McAfee, and Bitdefender to directly compare each antivirus’s features.

You can also look at the expert opinions of our reviewers at SafetyDetectives.com to find the most up-to-date and unbiased information about the best cybersecurity products on the market today.

The listings featured on this site are from companies from which this site receives compensation and some are co-owned by our parent company. This influence: Rank and manner in which listings are presented. 
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