TotalAV is a malware detection and removal program with real-time protection and on-demand scans. It can be purchased as a standalone antivirus or as part of a security bundle that includes an ad blocker, phishing protection, a secure browser, a VPN, and a browser extension that blocks malicious websites and trackers. Plus, you also get 2 GB of secure cloud storage for free.
One of TotalAV’s biggest strengths is its WebShield effectiveness, which blocks malicious sites before they load. This reduces the risk of phishing scams and drive-by downloads. Another major advantage is that TotalAV has minimal impact on system resources. This means you can run scheduled scans without experiencing significant slowdowns.
Beyond security, TotalAV offers a password manager, a system tune-up feature, and a built-in ad blocker to enhance your privacy and improve device performance. It has custom apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, ensuring you can protect all your devices with one plan. This antivirus also represents excellent value for money. You can get a year of its advanced TotalAV Premium plan for $19. This makes it a highly cost-effective online security bundle packed with an antivirus, system optimization features, and many useful extras.
In this review, we’ll examine TotalAV’s malware detection capabilities, the speed and efficiency of its scans, and whether extra features like the password manager and VPN add value. We’ll also check the effectiveness of TotalAV WebShield, assess how TotalAV impacts system resources, and check whether its customer support is up to scratch.
Keep reading to find out:
- How much does TotalAV cost?
- What features does it have?
- How effective is TotalAV against malware?
TotalAV review: Pros and cons
TotalAV is a decent choice for users seeking affordable pricing, robust malware detection, additional privacy protection, and 2GB of cloud storage. The service is now considered one of the most effective antiviruses for Windows and Android. However, Mac users may prefer an alternative.
Below, I’ve listed my top pros and cons based on careful testing and analysis:
What I liked about TotalAV:
- Effective malware detection and removal: TotalAV offers high malware detection rates. It can effectively scan devices and accurately detect harmful files and programs. The scans run efficiently when scheduled or on-demand.
- Top scores awarded by independent testing labs: TotalAV has received impressive scores from testing labs like AV-Test Institute and AV-Comparatives. In the most recent December 2024 evaluation by AV-TEST, TotalAV received perfect scores of 6/6 for protection, performance, and usability.
- Useful digital security suite: TotalAV includes features that not all antivirus programs offer. This includes privacy and online protection features designed to prevent tracking and phishing.
- User-friendly interface: TotalAV is excellent for beginners. It is easy to use and has little impact on device performance. The apps are easy to navigate across different devices and platforms. Plus, the customer support is outstanding via live chat.
- Real-time protection: TotalAV offers real-time protection. It actively scans all incoming files and programs as you download, open, or create them. This prevents you from downloading threats long before you ever need to remove them.
- Additional features: TotalAV offers a range of extra features, such as a VPN, system tune-up tools, a password manager, and an ad blocker.
- No false positives: TotalAV resulted in zero false positives out of the 1,022,137 samples it was tested with. This puts it in line with the very best antiviruses on the market.
What I didn’t like about TotalAV:
- Renewal rate: Although TotalAV offers unbeatable value for money in the first year, the renewal rate significantly increases the cost. Auto-renewal is automatically switched on by default, so you must switch it off to avoid paying more.
- Lack of behavior-based detection: TotalAV lacks heuristic analysis. This type of malware prevention uses behavioral pattern analysis rather than signature-based malware detection.
- No firewall: Some antiviruses come with an advanced firewall that scans outgoing and incoming traffic. This can allow the antivirus program to detect traffic from trojans. Always remember to enable your system-level firewall.
- Mac antivirus is slightly less robust: The Mac version of TotalAV was still decent but not as powerful as the version for Windows and Android.
Do I recommend TotalAV antivirus?
Yes, TotalAV is a highly effective antivirus. Pricing is competitive, and it comes packed with features like real-time protection, robust malware detection and removal, a VPN, WebShield, a password manager, a system tune-up, and an ad blocker.
TotalAV has a low impact on system resources, allowing you to continue using your PC or mobile device while scans run. It also has an impressively low false positive rate, ranking among the best antivirus options for Windows and Android.
Total VPN lets you switch your IP address to 30 different countries and works for watching Netflix. Thanks to its awesome WebShield extension (available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS users), TotalAV also helps protect against phishing attacks.
For those concerned about auto-renewals, the new management has made opting out of the second year much easier. However, the renewal price is quite steep, so I’d recommend canceling and resubscribing to get a lower rate.
TotalAV VPN keeps your browsing private, which helps make this service even better value for money. The Total Adblock helps speed up page load time and ensures a smooth, ad-free experience. Overall, this antivirus is a great choice for most users. The only caveat is that it didn’t get a max score for protection on Mac, so Mac users may prefer to shop elsewhere.
Total AV features
Below, I’ve outlined all the features included with each TotalAV plan so you can see exactly what you get for your money.
Since each higher-tier plan includes all the features of the lower-tier one, I’ve only listed the additional features in each plan to avoid repetition.
TotalAV Premium features list
This plan is valid for use on three devices. These are the features you get:
- Real-time antivirus protection
- Eliminate viruses, trojans & malware
- Zero-day cloud scanning
- PUA protection
- Phishing scam protection
- Ransomware protection
- System tune-up tools
- Disk cleaner
- Browser manager & cleaner
- iOS & Android protection
- Total Adblock
TotalAV Internet Security additional features
This plan is valid for use on six devices. These are the features you get:
- Everything you get with TotalAV Premium
- Safe Browsing VPN
Total AV Total Security additional features
This plan is valid for use on eight devices. These are the features you get:
- Everything you get with TotalAV Internet Security
- Total Password
Other useful features
TotalAV has gone out of its way to pack its antivirus with valuable features you rarely see in competing apps:
- Gaming mode: This helpful feature monitors your device for gaming activity and frees up system resources to ensure the game isn’t interrupted by the antivirus, making TotalAV a popular antivirus for gaming.
- Breach scan: This awesome feature scans your email address for data breaches. It organizes results by year and offers useful advice for improving your security, such as updating passwords.
- Total coupon: This browser extension automatically applies discount coupons when shopping on over 30,000 websites. If you love a bargain, Total Coupon can help!
- Startup manager: Displays startup apps and lets users enable or disable them. It helps speed up your computer’s boot time.
- Safe search: This feature is integrated within WebShield. It redirects searches through TotalAV’s engine to grade sites with a green tick or red cross. This lets you quickly identify dangerous websites, such as scam stores.
- Photo manager (iOS): The iOS app includes a photo manager that helps you quickly delete unwanted photos.
- Device locator (iOS): The iOS app provides a device locator for tracking your smartphone if it is lost or stolen.
- System security (iOS): The iOS app includes a system security tool that alerts you when there is an iOS update you should install.
Those wondering about malware definition updates: TotalAV lets you manually set how often the updates occur. This ensures your antivirus is always ready to protect you against emerging threats. You can set this as low as every 1 hour if you are extra safety-conscious.
TotalAV price and plans
TotalAV offers three main subscription plans, each with varying levels of protection and features. Introductory prices are significantly lower for the first year, but renewal rates increase automatically afterward.
TotalAV Premium pricing
- $29.99 for the first year – or get $10 off with our exclusive link, making it $19.99. It then renews at $99 per year.
- Covers up to five devices
Internet Security pricing
- $39.99 for the first year, renewing at $129 per year afterward
- Covers up to six devices
Total Security pricing
- $49.99 for the first year, renewing at $149 per year afterward
- Covers up to eight devices
The best value plan is Internet Security, thanks to the inclusion of the VPN. However, some users may find upgrading to Total Security worth it if they have more than six devices and want a password manager.
Additional Total AV licenses
If you need more than the eight licenses you get with the Total TotalAV plan, you can purchase additional device licenses inside the app. This option isn’t available at checkout, so you’ll need to purchase additional device licenses within the app or member’s area.
Below, I’ve included the cost of this upgrade:
- +1 device: $40/year
- +2 devices: $49/year
- +5 devices: $69/year
- Unlimited licenses: $198/year
As you can see, the cost to add an extra device ($40) is the same as purchasing the Internet Security plan for the first year. ($39.99). The additional device cost seems excessive, but this is because of the generous first-year discount. Once renewed at $129 per year, $40 for another device is 70% cheaper than a separate subscription.
TotalAV discounts: How to get the best deal
We have agreed on a special discount coupon code for our readers. This guarantees that using our link gets you an even bigger discount on any of TotalAV’s plans. For example, you can get the TotalAV Premium plan for just $19.99. This is an extra $10 off.
That said, the real bargain hunters out there will probably be most impressed by TotalAV Internet Security. This includes a highly effective and fast VPN that suffers no buffering while streaming. Total VPN comes bundled with the antivirus for just $39.99, which is cheaper than many similar standalone VPNs.
Auto-renewal & payments
It is important to note that auto-renewal is enabled by default. All users must “cancel” their accounts to prevent recurring charges. TotalAV makes its renewal policy clear on product pages and at checkout. So, this process is transparent.
To disable auto-renewal, simply head to Dashboard > My Services> Manage. Now click Cancel. Following this, you will receive an email with a code. Enter that code to confirm that you want to cancel your account. This will prevent any further charges from being made when the current subscription period terminates. (And you will still get full use of your current subscription until it ends.)
If you have any issues canceling from inside the dashboard, you can request TotalAV’s support to cancel your auto-renewal on your behalf. You can do this by contacting them at:
- Email cancel@totalav.com
- Call customer support via telephone.
- Contact the live chat to request auto-renewal be turned off.
Pro tip: When signing up, it is better to use PayPal. PayPal allows you to cancel recurring payments directly from your PayPal account, giving you better control and visibility over your cancellation. Using PayPal will also give you additional peace of mind if you are concerned about the complaints on Reddit regarding auto-renewals.
Money-back guarantee
TotalAV offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. To claim a refund, simply contact TotalAV via live chat, phone, or email. The team will be happy to process your refund.
If you paid via PayPal, refunds are typically processed within three working days. If you paid by card, you may need to wait up to 5 business days for the refund to be processed.
Note: TotalAV previously faced complaints regarding its cancellation, renewal, and refund policies. However, under new management, these processes have been completely overhauled. Users can now request refunds and cancel auto-renewals far more easily than in the past.
FAQs
Does TotalAV protect against phishing attacks?
Yes. TotalAV’s WebShield is designed to block phishing sites. It is included with all paid plans, and can be installed as an extension into all popular browsers (Edge, Opera, Chrome, and Firefox). WebShield also offers Safe Search which flags malicious websites inside of Google searches with a red tick.
Can I turn off auto-renewal in TotalAV?
If you want to turn off auto-renewals, you will need to cancel your account. This will ensure you don’t get any unexpected charges when your subscription period ends. We provided details on how to cancel your subscription earlier in this review. And yes, if you cancel your account to prevent renewals, you can still use the antivirus for the entire period you paid for.
Does TotalAV VPN keep my browsing private?
TotalAV Internet Security includes a highly reliable VPN, which will stop local networks, ISPs, and government agencies from tracking your web activities. The encryption provided by TotalAV VPN also ensures that you are safe against public wifi surveillance and protected against hackers on public wifi, including Evil Twin attacks.
Conclusion: Should you use TotalAV?
Yes. If you are looking for a reliable, versatile, and highly featured antivirus with all the bells and whistles, TotalAV is excellent. Whether you opt for the Premium plan or the Internet Security plan, they are both priced fairly. This is especially true if you use our link, which will catch you Premium for just $19.
That said, anybody in the market for an antivirus and a VPN should definitely upgrade to the Internet Security plan. The VPN that comes bundled is totally impressive. If your chief reason for getting a VPN is to unblock Netflix and get privacy on public Wi-Fi, Total VPN will not disappoint.
The performance results for TotalAV speak for themselves. This antivirus offers superb protection across all devices. Its ability to run in the background without affecting your device’s performance is awesome.
MacOS users may decide that there is a better option out there. It’s hard to argue with that point based on its ability to detect and remove malware alone. But when you consider how little strain TotalAV for Mac puts on your system, there is an argument in favor of the service, too.
Finally, it gets a little pricey when the introductory rate expires. However, you can easily cancel to prevent auto-renewals and then get a new discounted subscription. So, as long as you are savvy, there are no drawbacks to TotalAV.
