Kaspersky vs. Norton

Key Similarities

• Both services offer rapid, thorough, and efficient malware detection.
• VPN services are available for select subscription plans.
• Services can be conducted on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android platforms.

Key Differences

• Kaspersky’s annual options are much cheaper and typically offer more features than Norton’s main plans.
• Norton offers services outside its subscription plans, such as per-session computer tune-ups.
• Kaspersky is based in the U.K., while Norton is based in the U.S.

When it comes to antivirus protection and internet security, Kaspersky and Norton are two easily recognizable industry leaders. Both platforms have been around for many years and have seen their fair share of praise — and controversy. Kaspersky and Norton have a long history as two of the top antivirus programs, but does one have an edge over the other? Read on to find out.

Kaspersky vs. Norton: Company Overviews

Both companies have been involved in some controversies, and we’ll get into those. But we also want to look at their user experience and customer support.

User Experience

Our experience with Kaspersky showcased a very intuitive and easy-to-follow website. Once you create an account, everything you’re looking for is available right at your fingertips in a simple, well-organized dashboard. Since Kaspersky offers a lot of maneuverability and customization for your malware scans, the ease of access is deserving of praise.

We found Norton to be a bit more difficult to navigate. It’s certainly not the most unwieldy website out there, but it has some fairly clunky and outdated pages. That makes Norton’s website somewhat trickier to navigate than Kaspersky’s site.

Privacy Policies

One area in which Kaspersky and Norton are similar is that both had controversies surrounding how they handle their users’ private data. Kaspersky’s founder and namesake, Eugene Kaspersky, is a Russian cybersecurity expert. Starting in 2012, Kaspersky and his company faced allegations from the United States government that it may be putting its users’ data at risk to foreign entities such as Russia. Those allegations came about because many of Kaspersky’s data centers were based in Russia, but they have since been moved to Switzerland.

Concerns over Norton’s privacy are just as prevalent. The most infamous case was when the company faced a lawsuit in 20181 over potential software vulnerabilities; a second suit was filed in 2023.2 Both suits alleged that Norton’s lack of proper security procedures left its consumers susceptible to the malware and viruses they sought to remove in the first place.

All those controversies are ongoing, and we’re neither confirming nor denying that any party is guilty of wrongdoing. Do Kaspersky and Norton do a great job of cleaning malware off your systems? Yes. Should their legal troubles also be cause for a healthy level of caution? Absolutely.

Customer Support

Norton and Kaspersky have put a great deal of effort into customer support. Both offer several avenues for contact, including phone, email, live chat, and social media.

Both Kaspersky and Norton offer 24/7 access to chat and phone support, but only for current subscribers. If you’re not a subscriber or you have a quick and easy question, both sites also offer extensive FAQ pages for you to peruse at your leisure.

Kaspersky vs. Norton: Detailed Comparison

Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of Kaspersky’s and Norton’s pricing, features, and capabilities.

Plans and Pricing

As is standard for the industry, both Kaspersky and Norton offer significantly reduced pricing for your first year. So get ready to pay more for your second year and onward. We like to think of the lower price as a trial so we can see if we like the software for the first year. If we do, we stick with it until we find something better.

Kaspersky

Kaspersky offers three plans. The Standard plan includes the full antivirus, while the Plus and Premium plans give you additional cyber-protection services such as a VPN and identity protection. You can also try Kaspersky for free for 30 days. Here’s an overview of Kaspersky’s prices and plans.

Norton

Norton’s pricing is a bit more confusing than Kaspersky’s, with four plans to choose from. Antivirus Plus is Norton’s base antivirus solution, whereas Norton 360 plans aim to give you more comprehensive online protections. You can also get identity theft protection from LifeLock bundled with Norton 360. We recommend Norton 360 Standard for individuals, Norton 360 Deluxe for families, and Select + LifeLock if you want identity theft protection.

Features Comparison

Overall, we liked Norton’s features a bit more than Kaspersky’s offerings. Here are the features you get with Kaspersky and Norton.

Security and Protection

When we tested Kaspersky’s malware-detection capabilities, it did better than Norton. It found all five of our test viruses, while Norton detected only three, which is the industry standard. We go over the results of the tests in both our Norton review and Kaspersky review. Below is the protection you can expect from each provider.

Real-Time Protection

The main goal of both Kaspersky and Norton is to remove any harmful software from your computer or phone and keep it off. That includes malware, spyware, phishing scams and more. Real-time protection essentially means the programs will monitor potential security threats on your device even if you’re not currently using the service. It’s an incredibly useful tool to have, since the most dangerous kinds of malicious programs are the ones that slip through the cracks. Both Kaspersky and Norton meet or exceed industry standards.

Scanning

Speaking of scanning, there are various methods by which Kaspersky and Norton scan for unwanted, malicious malware. We already mentioned the automated real-time process that functions in the background of your computer’s operations, but scans can also be performed manually at your leisure for a more thorough examination. The process typically takes a few hours and may cause your device to lag a bit, but extensive manual scans will almost certainly find the malware on your device if there is any.

Firewall Protection

Kaspersky and Norton use two different kinds of firewall tech to further encrypt and protect your private data. Kaspersky uses a two-way firewall, which Kaspersky says “shields you from hacker attacks against your PC by detecting both incoming and outgoing network requests and allowing you to block the suspicious ones.”3

Norton uses its own smart firewall, which “blocks unauthorized users from accessing your computers through the internet, creates a shield that either allows or blocks attempts to access the information on your computer, warns you of connection attempts from other computers, warns you of connection attempts by the applications on your computer that connect to other computers, and blocks your data (passwords, keystrokes, files, tax returns, etc.) from being taken by an outside source.”4

Impact on Device

The impact Kaspersky and Norton will have on your device is likely minimal. Kaspersky’s scanning process can use a bit more of your computer’s power than Norton’s, but neither should devour your device’s energy. If they do, consult Kaspersky’s and Norton’s websites to check for their specs and FAQs.

Recap: Kaspersky vs. Norton

There’s good news and bad news when it comes to Kaspersky and Norton, and both can be found in their similarities. The good news is that both do a stellar job of getting malware, adware, and more off just about every type of operating system in an incredibly efficient way. Norton is a bit more efficient, while Kaspersky is a bit more thorough.

The bad news is that we can’t ignore the ongoing legal woes both companies are experiencing, and we wouldn’t be doing our job as a cybersecurity advice site if we didn’t warn you about Kaspersky and Norton allegedly putting your data at risk. Those legal troubles are ongoing and unconfirmed, however.

Pick Kaspersky if you’d like…

…an affordable malware-removal service. Kaspersky unfortunately offers only annual payment options, but its three plans are still far cheaper than most of Norton’s alternatives. You’re also getting many of Norton’s premium features, including parental controls and a VPN, for a much lower price (not counting Norton’s discounted first-year rate).

Pick Norton if you’d like…

…a diverse and efficient malware-removal service. Norton is a bit on the pricier side and the company needs to be more transparent about its discounted yearly rate, which applies only to the first year of service, but it still gives you a good bang for your buck with a multitude of cybersecurity services beyond malware removal. There are also plenty of other add-ons and subscriptions, such as Utilities and Drive updates that will further ensure your devices’ safety and security.