Buyer’s guide: seven steps to sweet security

1 Do you need to pay?

Not necessarily. Several security suites are available in both paid-for and cut-down free editions. Indeed, Windows’ built-in antivirus measures have been getting smarter over the years to the point where they now provide protection that’s at least on par with third-party solutions.

If you do choose to pay, though, most integrated suites are more lightweight and easier to use than the clunky Windows Security app. Some also include extra features, such as a VPN or a password manager – the value of which we’ll discuss below.

If you’re tempted by a commercial package, you can often save money by buying from an independent retailer, rather than from the publisher’s website, and the prices shown in our feature table overleaf assume that’s what you’ll do. After the first year, the software will normally ask you to pay full price to extend