Total AV vs. Norton Antivirus: Which is Better?
When looking for the perfect antivirus, it’s important to compare the leading brands and find the one that will best suit your needs. But with so many options available, this can be incredibly time-consuming. In this article, we’ll review two of the leading brands, Total AV and Norton, side-by-side to help you decide which one is best for you.
Total AV vs. Norton Service Options
Both Norton and Total AV offer different plans for their customers. Naturally, the more basic plans will cover less and have fewer features, while the more expensive plans will include many added features for extra protection.
Total AV offers three levels of service:
- Antivirus Pro
- Internet Security
- Total Security
While the Antivirus Pro package acts as basic protection, it does cover everything you need for protection against online threats for up to three devices. If you want more security and added features, then the Total Security package may be the option for you.
Norton, on the other hand, has four separate plans that differ drastically in features:
- Norton 360 Standard
- Norton 360 Deluxe
- Norton 360 LifeLock Select
- Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus
Norton’s most basic plan does cover everything you need for online protection for just one device. If you want more devices protected, you will have to upgrade to a more expensive plan.
Total AV vs. Norton Features
When it comes to antivirus, it’s the features that you are paying for. While basic versions tend to have fewer features, premium plans usually have more features to make your computer activities as safe as possible. But how do Total AV and Norton compare in the features they offer?
To make it as easy as possible, we’ve listed the different features offered by each company. While the regular text signifies the features that are the same across both companies, the bolded text represents the features that are different.
Total AV Antivirus Features
- Anti-malware for protection against online threats.
- Anti-ransomware for protection against attacks against your files.
- Anti-spyware to make sure you are not being watched online.
- Anti-adware for protection against aggressive advertisements.
- Real-time protection that constantly scans your computer.
- Remote firewalls so that you can block or unlock connections.
- Safe Site for protection against suspicious websites.
- Compatibility for protection across all devices.
Total AV also offers optimization for your devices to ensure that your computer operates at its full potential. Additionally, you will have access to a VPN for anonymous internet use and added security enhancements which means you’ll notice:
- Faster processing speeds.
- Extra disc space and memory.
- Increased battery life.
Additional optimization features include:
- Browser management.
- Password vault.
- Ad Block Pro.
- ID protection.
- Safe browsing.
With Total AV, you get quite a bit for what you are paying.
Norton Features
- Anti-malware for protection against online threats.
- Anti-ransomware for protection against attacks.
- Anti-spyware to make sure you are not being watched online.
- Anti-adware for protection against aggressive advertisements.
- Real-time protection that constantly scans your computer.
- Remote firewalls so that you can block or unlock connections.
- Safe Site for protection against suspicious websites.
- Compatibility for protection across all devices.
As you can see, both Total AV and Norton have similar antivirus protection features. However, Norton does have more notable features that go further to protect your devices. It should also be noted that Norton only offers many of these added features for its more expensive plans. Additionally, you will potentially need to pay an extra $4.99 a month for a secure VPN.
However, the extra features for Norton include:
- 500GB Cloud Backup
- Password Manager
- Virus Protection Promise 2
- Parental Control
- School Time
- Secure VPN*
- SafeCam5
- Dark Web Monitoring
- LifeLock Identity Alert™ System
- Credit Monitoring 3
- Million Dollar Protection Package
- Privacy Monitor
- Identity Lock 3, 12
- Phone Takeover Monitoring 13
- Bank & Credit Card Activity Alerts
- Fictitious Identity Monitoring
- Court Records Scanning
- 401(k) & Investment Activity Alerts
- Home Title Monitoring
Keep in mind, that many of these extra features are only available if you use the most expensive monthly plan. With Total AV, the only features that you will pay more for each month are safe browsing, ad blocker, and password vault. But with Norton, the basic plan will only cover basic antivirus protection while the more expensive plans will start to include the added features.
So when it comes to extra features. Norton does offer more than Total AV. If features are important to you for antivirus software, Norton may be the choice for you as long as you are willing to pay more (more on this in the next section).
Total AV vs. Norton Price
Typically, you want to pay as little per month as you can for protection. After all, saving money should be everyone’s goal. So which one of these services offers the best protection for the best price?
Total AV Prices:
Antivirus Pro: $29/year
Internet Security: $39/year
Total Security: $59/year
Norton Prices:
Norton 360 Standard: $39/year
Norton 360 Deluxe: $49/year
Norton 360 LifeLock Select: $99.48/year
Norton 360 with LifeLock Ultimate Plus: $299.88/year
While some of these prices look rather tempting, keep in mind that most places will charge more after the first year. Yet, you can still take advantage of the discounted prices and decide at the end of your plan if you want to continue using that service.
When it comes to pricing, Total AV is the obvious winner. Even their premium service has incredibly competitive prices. So if you are looking for antivirus software for the most affordable prices, then Total AV may be your best option.
However, that is not to say that Norton is completely out of the picture. In fact, their basic plan is only $10 more per year than Total AV. The only true differences are clear when you get into the more comprehensive packages that include extra features.
Total AV vs. Norton Number of Devices
If you have a big family or a business that needs to be covered, you don’t want to spend tons of money on individual services. Instead, you should look for a plan that covers multiple devices.
When it comes to covering numerous devices, Total AV is a true winner. With just their basic plan, up to three devices will be covered. When compared to Norton’s basic plan that only covers one device, it’s easy to see which antivirus software is the best.
However, Norton’s most expensive package will cover unlimited devices, and they do offer affordable plans for small businesses. Total AV, on the other hand, will only go up to 6 devices covered with their most premium plans.
The winner of this category is not exactly clear. But if you want more devices covered for a cheaper monthly price, then Total AV is the better option. If you have a lot of devices to cover or need protection for your small business, then Norton may be the best for you.
Total AV vs. Norton Customer Service
What sets many antivirus companies apart from others is their customer service. After all, if you have any trouble with your antivirus software, bills, or set up, you want to have the option to fix the issue as fast as possible. That is where quality customer service comes in.
Total AV offers numerous customer support options. On their website, they have a phone number you can call 24/7, a live chat feature to instantly talk to a representative, an email the support team button for less pressing questions, and several articles that you can click on to try to fix problems yourself.
While the articles serve as excellent ways to try to fix problems without having to contact customer service, the most important feature that Total AV offers is their live chat option. With this option, you can ask questions and instantly get answers. Additionally, the option to call a customer service representative is perfect for when you truly cannot figure something out. All in all, Total AV seems to have excellent customer service features.
But what about Norton? Similar to Total AV, Norton has a 24/7 phone service, live chat feature, articles and FAQ sections for support, and an option to email an agent. However, what Norton has that Total AV doesn’t have is a community forum where customers and agents can work together to solve common problems. Like the articles, the forum can be used to help you solve problems that other users have.
When it comes to comparing the two on their customer service features, they both seem to have strong options. Even though Norton has community forums, they both have the option to talk to a customer care representative to instantly solve an issue. For this reason, customer service is a tie, and you could not go wrong with either.
Total AV vs. Norton Ease of Use
Besides the actual protection, ease of use may be one of the most important aspects of antivirus software. After all, if you can’t figure out how to use your antivirus, what was the point in getting it?
Total AV’s interface is very easy to navigate. When on your account profile, you instantly see your level of protection and are given the option to scan for viruses. Additionally, you can easily access your features with their user-friendly system. Simply put, Total AV is incredibly user-friendly and makes using their product easy.
Norton also has a very user-friendly system that many customers have said works well. When installing, Norton makes it super easy to access your account to install protection on your new device. In fact, even the more advanced features are said to be easy to use. So when it comes to user-friendliness, Norton also rates high.
Because both of these brands have such good reviews, it’s safe to say that either would be a good choice for those who are not familiar with computers and systems.
Total AV vs. Norton Computer Speed and Performance
No one wants their antivirus software to slow down their computer. Your antivirus should work to optimize your computer so that it runs at peak performance. While some companies have had known issues that impact computer speed and performance, many have developed ways that actually enhance computer performance.
Total AV offers real-time antivirus scanning and protection, so the system will do its job to figure out why your computer has slowed down and work to remedy the problem. Plus, Total AV recognizes that as computers get older, their performance will slow down. Instead of contributing to the slow, Total AV will work to enhance your computer’s performance.
In some cases, Norton has been known to slow down computer performance. But if you use Norton without any other antivirus software running alongside it, your computer’s performance may actually increase. Norton antivirus software will work in the background to continuously scan for online threats that could potentially slow down your computer’s speed. So while some people may have problems with Norton and computer performance, there are ways to get around this issue.
Final Thoughts
It’s clear to see that both of these companies offer a spectacular service. Both of them have great features, although Norton does offer more. Yet, Total AV has better prices for protection. So when it comes to choosing the best antivirus, you really can’t go wrong with either of them.
But just because you read this review does not mean you are done with your research. Before you make your decision on the best antivirus for your situation, make sure to check out our expert guides on all the available antivirus options.