Kaspersky Review
Kaspersky has topped independent lab protection tests for years, and its 2026 results keep that streak alive. It pairs some of the highest detection rates we track with one of the lowest false-positive rates in the category, and it does it at a lower price than most of the competitors it keeps beating.
- Consistently top-tier protection scores across years of AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives testing
- Low false-positive rate, so it rarely blocks legitimate software
- Light performance impact on everyday tasks like launching apps and browsing
- Safe Money secure browser adds real protection for online banking and shopping
- Competitive entry pricing compared to other top-scoring suites
- VPN is throttled on the Standard and Plus tiers; unlimited VPN requires Premium
- Full system scans can take longer than some lighter-weight competitors
- Some advanced identity-protection features are limited to certain regions
- Renewal pricing rises well above the first-year promotional rate
Protection Rate
Kaspersky remains one of the most consistently high-scoring products in independent testing. In AV-TEST's 2026 Windows rounds it earned full marks for protection, and AV-Comparatives placed it in the Advanced+ tier for real-world protection with a near-zero false-positive rate, a detail many labs do not emphasize enough when a security suite blocks a file you actually needed.
Performance Impact
Kaspersky's scanning engine is built to run quietly in the background, and both AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives regularly rank it among the lightest suites on everyday tasks like launching applications and copying files. Full system scans take longer than some rivals, but real-time protection during normal use is barely noticeable.
Features
Kaspersky Standard covers core antivirus and ransomware protection. Plus adds a VPN, a password manager, and Safe Money, a hardened browser mode for online banking and shopping. Premium adds identity theft monitoring, remote IT support, and unlimited VPN without the throttling found on Plus, plus parental controls for the whole family.
Pricing
Kaspersky Standard currently starts at $21.99 for the first year, the lowest entry price among the top-rated products on this list. Plus and Premium cost more but bundle the VPN and password manager rather than charging for them separately. As with nearly every vendor here, renewal pricing is higher than the first-year offer, so confirm the renewal rate before you commit.
UI / UX
Kaspersky's interface groups scans, VPN, Safe Money, and account settings into a single dashboard that is easy to navigate without digging through menus. The tradeoff is that Premium's added identity and remote-support tools introduce more screens than Standard users will ever need, which can feel like extra clutter if you only want core antivirus protection.
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FAQ
Is Kaspersky a good antivirus?
Yes. Kaspersky has consistently earned top scores in independent AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives testing for protection, with an especially low false-positive rate.
Does Kaspersky have a free version?
Yes. Kaspersky Free offers basic real-time antivirus protection on Windows, Mac, and Android, without the VPN, password manager, or Safe Money features found in the paid plans.
Does Kaspersky include a VPN?
Kaspersky Plus and Premium include a VPN, though it is throttled on Plus. Unlimited, unthrottled VPN access requires the Premium tier.
Is Kaspersky safe to use?
From a security-testing standpoint, yes: its detection and protection results are consistently among the best of any vendor we test. Some organizations and governments restrict Kaspersky software for geopolitical reasons unrelated to its technical performance, which is worth knowing if that matters for your situation.
How much does Kaspersky cost?
Kaspersky Standard currently starts at $21.99 for the first year, one of the lowest entry prices among the highest-scoring products we test.