Our Mission

SecurePick was founded in 2018 by a group of cybersecurity analysts who were frustrated by the state of tech journalism. Too many "review" sites were simply ranking antivirus software based on who paid the highest affiliate commission, rather than which product actually protected users.

We built SecurePick to be different. Our rankings are determined strictly by our in-house lab tests, system impact benchmarks, and real-world usability. If a company pays us a high commission but their software slows down your PC or misses zero-day threats, they will not be recommended here.

How We Test

Every antivirus suite listed on SecurePick goes through our rigorous 40-point inspection process in our isolated testing lab. We don't just rely on vendor claims. We:

Detonate live malware: We expose test machines to thousands of fresh, real-world malware samples, including zero-day ransomware and trojans.

Measure system drag: We use PCMark and custom scripts to measure exactly how much an AV slows down boot times, file transfers, and web browsing.

Test the UI: We have non-technical staff attempt to configure the software to see if the interface is actually user-friendly or just a maze of upsells.

Audit the privacy policy: We read the fine print to ensure the vendor isn't quietly harvesting and selling your browsing data.

How We Make Money

Transparency is core to our business. SecurePick is free to use, and we do not charge users for our reviews. We generate revenue through affiliate partnerships. When you click a "Get Deal" button and purchase a subscription, we may earn a small commission from the vendor at no extra cost to you. This funding pays for our testing lab, our servers, and our editorial team. However, our editorial team operates completely independently of our business team. Vendors cannot pay to improve their review score or their ranking on our site.

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: August 1, 2026

1. Information We Collect

When you visit SecurePick, we automatically collect certain information about your device, including your IP address, browser type, and operating system. We use standard analytics tools (like Google Analytics) to understand how visitors interact with our site. We do not collect personally identifiable information (PII) unless you voluntarily provide it to us via our Contact form.

2. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies to improve your experience on our site and to track affiliate referrals. When you click an outbound link to an antivirus vendor, a tracking cookie is placed on your browser to ensure we receive credit for the referral if you make a purchase. These cookies are managed by our affiliate networks and the vendors themselves. You can disable cookies in your browser settings at any time, though this may affect site functionality.

3. Third-Party Links

Our site contains links to external websites, primarily the official checkout pages of the software we review. SecurePick is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third-party sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any vendor before making a purchase.

4. Data Security and Retention

If you submit a message via our Contact page, your name, email address, and message are stored securely in our support ticketing system. We retain this information only for as long as necessary to resolve your inquiry. We never sell, rent, or share your personal contact information with third-party marketers.

5. Your Rights (GDPR & CCPA)

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data. To exercise these rights, please contact our privacy team at privacy@securepick.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers to common questions about antivirus software, pricing, and our testing process.

For basic users who practice safe browsing habits, Microsoft Defender (built into Windows 10 and 11) is actually quite good at catching standard malware. However, it lacks advanced features like dedicated ransomware rollback, dark web monitoring, secure banking browsers, and robust parental controls. If you handle sensitive financial data, run a small business, or have kids online, a premium suite like Bitdefender or Norton provides a much deeper safety net.

Antivirus companies use aggressive "first-year" discounts to acquire new customers. The prices we list are the promotional rates available through our affiliate partnerships. However, you should always be aware of the renewal price. When your first year is up, the software will usually auto-renew at the standard MSRP (which can be 2x or 3x higher). We always list the renewal price in our reviews so you aren't caught off guard.

No. Running two real-time antivirus scanners simultaneously will almost certainly cause system crashes, massive slowdowns, and false positives, as they will flag each other's background processes as malicious. If you want a "second opinion" scanner, use an on-demand tool like the free version of Malwarebytes alongside your primary real-time antivirus (like Bitdefender or Windows Defender).

It depends on the software and your hardware. In our lab tests, lightweight engines like ESET and Bitdefender use less than 2% of your CPU in the background and feature dedicated "Gamer Modes" that suppress notifications and delay heavy scans while you are playing. Heavier suites like Norton or McAfee might cause slight lag on older, budget laptops during deep system scans.

If you cancel or let your subscription expire, the real-time protection and web-shielding features will immediately stop working. Your PC will revert to using basic Microsoft Defender (if on Windows). Any premium features like cloud backups, password managers, or VPNs included in your suite will also be locked or deleted, so be sure to export your passwords and files before canceling.

Absolutely not. Our editorial and testing teams operate completely independently of our business team. While we do earn affiliate commissions when you buy through our links, a vendor cannot pay us to improve their review score or move them up the list. If a product performs poorly in our lab tests, it gets a low score, regardless of how much commission they offer.

Find the Right Antivirus in 2 Minutes

Best Antivirus Software of 2026

About SecurePick