ESET Home Security Essential is the top choice for users seeking a lean, high-performance security solution. The software barely taxes the system, making it excellent for gamers, freelancers, and older hardware. Protection levels are very high, even though the feature set is slimmer than Norton or Bitdefender. In return, renewal costs are more moderate than many competitors.
Documented product tests and assessments are pending. We therefore currently publish no scores or test winners. Selections use recorded product features.
ESET vs Avast
ESET and Avast compared side by side: protection, performance, pricing, and features. Which antivirus suits you better?
Avast Premium Security is one of the most recognisable antivirus brands and offers solid protection for up to 10 devices. The suite includes web protection, VPN, and anti-tracking features. Platform coverage is broad – from Windows and Mac to mobile devices. Avast has faced past criticism over data privacy practices, which have since been addressed. Pricing is fair but not always the cheapest.
Complete ratings are missing for an overall comparison.
Recorded overall rating: ESET —/10, Avast —/10. The overall score is the average of six criteria.
Performance rating: ESET —/10, Avast —/10. Higher points indicate a better rating for this criterion.
Prices are indicative. Check the current amount, currency, contract term and renewal conditions with the provider. Different contract terms are not directly comparable.
Feature-by-feature comparison
Listed features refer to the product range. They may require a different plan or an additional payment and may vary by platform. Check what your selected plan includes.
| Criterion | ESET | Avast |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time protection | In the product range | In the product range |
| Built-in VPN | Not confirmed | In the product range |
| Password manager | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Anti-tracking / anti-phishing | In the product range | In the product range |
| Parental controls | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Identity protection | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Low system impact | In the product range | Not confirmed |
| Platforms | Windows, Mac, Android | Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone / iPad |
| Number of devices (standard licence) | 3 devices | 10 devices |
| System impact in daily use | — | — |