“Trend Micro antivirus has a great track record of defending against online threats and offers several affordable price tiers.”
- Near perfect protection for 11 years
- Quick and helpful 24/7 support
- Affordable multidevice plans
- Reasonable renewal cost
- Free app lacks real-time protection
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Hackers are learning new tricks so Trend Micro recently updated its antivirus packages with new features like AI app safeguards and browser notification scam protection. I tested the latest version to find out how it compares to the best antivirus software on the market.
I researched Trend Micro’s pricing, noting the features and coverage for each. Next, I reviewed its flagship Premium Security Suite, testing app usability, malware protection ratings, customer service, and more to help you decide whether it’s the best solution for you.
Tiers and pricing
Trend Micro has several price tiers, starting at $15 per year for the basic Antivirus+ subscription for one device. That’s even more affordable than the least expensive Avast antivirus plan. It can scan for malware on your computer, block website threats, and alert you to scams.
You probably own more than one device, so a more expensive plan like the $35 Internet Security plan that covers three devices makes more sense. For $4 more annually, you can install Trend Micro Maximum Security on five computers and mobile devices.
The top tier is Trend Micro’s Premium Security Suite. For $45 annually, it protects up to 10 devices. You get a VPN, $1 million in identity theft insurance, and 24/7 support.
Trend Micro offers free 30-day trials of all four cybersecurity subscriptions, so you can ensure it suits your needs before committing.
Trend Micro also offers HouseCall, a free virus scanner that checks if your computer is infected and clears active malware. However, it’s not as effective as a full antivirus since it can’t prevent malware until it’s installed, potentially harvesting data and damaging your system.
AVG offers a better free antivirus solution, offering real-time protection as well as malware cleanup for one device
Design
Windows installation was quick and the app displayed a QR code to direct me to the iOS App Store or Play Store to get the mobile app and prompted me to install a Trend Micro browser extension.
Switching back to the app, I was greeted with a green checkmark showing I was protected from malware. I used the large green scan button to complete a quick scan to verify my computer wasn’t infected.
Trend Micro’s dashboard is cleaner and friendlier than most antivirus apps. Above the central scan button, four tabs let me see device options like scheduled virus scans and PC health reviews, privacy checking, data protection, and parental controls.
The help and account menus are easy to access at the top right, and a gear to the right of the scan button lets me dig deeper into settings to fine-tune how the app works.
Features
The most important part of antivirus software is how well it identifies threats and blocks them before personal data is at risk. I was impressed by Trend Micro’s near-perfect track record in ongoing evaluations by independent cybersecurity lab AV-Test.
Trend Micro antivirus earned six out of six in 59 of 69 test periods spanning 11 years. Zero-day attacks accounted for the 10 misses, which isn’t a surprise since those are the hardest to block since there’s no advance warning of the threat.
AV-Test doesn’t judge harshly for vulnerabilities of this type and Trend Micro received 5.5-star ratings on those occasions. Trend Micro’s track record is almost as good as leading antivirus solutions like Norton and Bitdefender.
I spot-checked Trend Micro Premium Security Suite by visiting Wicar.org, a malware test website. With my normal browser security disabled, I ran every test. Trend Micro’s browser extension blocked all 13 malware downloads and browser hacks.
Satisfied I was safe from viruses, I moved on to the other features. Trend Micro Premium Security Suite includes a premium VPN. I tried a server in the U.K. and the BBC’s iPlayer thought I was a local.
When antivirus software includes a VPN, it’s rarely fast enough for the best quality streaming, but Trend Micro’s VPN was quite fast, reaching a download speed of 343Mbps overseas. That’s as fast as the best dedicated streaming VPNs.
Trend Micro says its AI app protection feature prevents tampering with AI models. Another new feature identifies and blocks malicious browser notifications.
Overall, Trend Micro Premium Security Suite is a very complete solution for privacy and security concerns, preventing viruses, protecting me from existing malware, and blocking a variety of threats.
Support
Trend Micro offers phone support for all customers and 24/7 live chat support for Premium subscribers. I tried the chat option, and an AI quickly answered with useful information, demonstrating a good understanding of my question about the built-in VPN and providing a link to a support article for more details.
I asked for a human anyway to check the responsiveness. I filled in my name and email address, then a live agent was immediately available to help.
I asked about the difference between quick and full scans and learned the full scan looks for dormant malware as well as active threats. I was pleased with the prompt and helpful replies from both the chatbot and the live agent.
Privacy and security
Trend Micro is a well-known and trusted name in cybersecurity that’s been protecting consumers from online threats for decades and helping businesses secure LANs before the internet began.
The terms and conditions indicate the company only uses your data to provide the service you pay for. For example, a Trend Micro privacy notice during installation suggested I shouldn’t use the anti-spam, anti-scam, or password protection features if I wanted to opt out of data collection. These features require access to email contents and login details to provide more thorough protection.
Regarding Trend Micro’s internal security, I found a minor customer data breach in 2019 caused by a rogue employee who sold data from the support database. This affected less than 1% of all Trend Micro customers. Still, any leak of personal data is worth noting.
I haven’t noticed any increase in spam after using Trend Micro Premium Security Suite, and I trust the company to keep my data private.
Is Trend Micro right for you?
Trend Micro offers several tiers of protection, from a well-rated antivirus app for one computer to a full-featured cybersecurity suite that protects all your devices.
For malware prevention, Trend Micro earned a place among the best antivirus software available. The ease of use, friendly layout, and added features of the Premium Security Suite make it worth the extra investment.
Despite the top protection performance and robust options, it’s one of the least expensive and best values on antivirus software you can find. That said, there are often significant savings available from competitors, so check out the best deals on antivirus software if you’re looking for a bargain.
