Best Antivirus for Small Business (2026): 7 Plans Priced for 10 Devices

Not every product on the market. Links go to each vendor’s official site unless marked as partner links. How we rank Not ranked: Norton Small Business (no central management console, per Norton); ThreatDown Core (no 2026 AV-Comparatives or AV-TEST business result); Sophos Intercept X (no published price); WithSecure Elements (no published price).

Bitdefender’s price is a first-year discount, so budget for the list price of $324.99 in year two. If your business already pays for Microsoft 365 Business Premium, you may not need to buy anything: Defender for Business is included.

How we ranked

We ranked by the lowest published first-year cost for one scenario, a 10-person business with 10 devices on a one-year term, for plans managed from a central console. Microsoft prices per user, so we count 10 users with one device each; an office with fewer users pays less, because each user can cover up to five devices. A product is ranked only if its vendor’s business antivirus earned AV-Comparatives’ Approved Business Security Product award for July 2026 (Business Security Test, March–June 2026) or AV-TEST’s business certification in August 2026. Prices come from each vendor’s own store, checked October 24, 2026, before tax.

Two caveats matter. The labs tested a named product, which is sometimes a higher tier than the cheapest plan ranked here; the table below prints exactly what each lab tested. And several first-year prices are discounts that renew higher.

AV-Comparatives tested 16 business products against 400 real-world attack cases between March and June 2026; the protection rate is the lab’s own figure. AV-TEST tested 15 business products in July and August 2026 and scores protection out of 6.

Is Microsoft Defender enough for a small business?

Microsoft Defender Antivirus, the engine built into Windows, is not the weak point, but central management, EDR and Mac and phone coverage come only with Microsoft Defender for Business at $3 per user per month. AV-Comparatives tested Microsoft Defender Antivirus from March to June 2026 and gave it the Approved Business Security Product award for July 2026.

Defender for Business adds wizard-based onboarding, monthly security reports and one place to manage every device, Microsoft says. Defender for Business covers up to 300 users with up to five devices each, and Microsoft 365 Business Premium ($22 per user per month, or $18.79 without Teams) includes it along with Intune device management. For one home PC, see whether built-in Windows Defender is enough.

The 5 ranked plans

Bitdefender GravityZone Small Business Security

Bitdefender GravityZone Small Business Security is the cheapest ranked plan, at $227.49 for 10 devices in the first year. That price is a discount from $324.99, and Bitdefender’s page doesn’t state what the plan renews at.

• Evidence: AV-Comparatives tested Bitdefender GravityZone Business Security Premium from March to June 2026: 99.8% protection rate, Approved.
• Covers: laptops, desktops and file servers, 1 to 100 devices, managed from one GravityZone console.
• Add-ons: web access and device control, and network attack defense, each $41.99 extra for 10 devices.
• Skip it if: you want one stable price every year without checking renewal terms.

Avast Essential Business Security

Avast Essential Business Security costs $296.72 for 10 devices in the first year and renews at $370.90. Every Avast business plan includes the Avast Business Hub, a cloud console you open in a browser.

• Evidence: AV-Comparatives tested Avast Ultimate Business Security from March to June 2026 (99%, Approved), and AV-TEST tested it in July and August 2026 (protection 6/6).
• Missing on Essential: USB protection, web control and the personal VPN start at Premium Business Security; patch management only comes with Ultimate.
• Terms: 30-day money-back guarantee; 30-day free trial for up to 100 devices.
• Skip it if: you need to block USB drives; Essential doesn’t.

Microsoft Defender for Business

Microsoft Defender for Business costs $360 a year for 10 users, and each user can cover up to five devices. A 10-device office with only five staff would pay for five users. Of the ranked plans, only Defender for Business lists EDR.

• Evidence: AV-Comparatives tested Microsoft Defender Antivirus (managed with Microsoft Endpoint Manager) from March to June 2026 (98.8%, Approved); AV-TEST tested it in July and August 2026 (protection 6/6).
• Covers: Windows, macOS, iOS and Android; servers need a separate add-on.
• Skip it if: you don’t use Microsoft 365 and don’t want another Microsoft admin portal to learn.

ESET PROTECT Core

ESET PROTECT Core costs $549 for 10 devices for one year, and the price includes firewall, web and device control, which other vendors sell as extras. ESET doesn’t state the renewal price on its plan page.

• Evidence: AV-Comparatives tested ESET PROTECT Entry with ESET PROTECT Cloud from March to June 2026: 98.8% protection rate, Approved.
• Covers: computers, servers, phones and cloud virtual machines, 5 to 99 devices, from the ESET PROTECT cloud console.
• Cheaper option: ESET Small Office Protection costs $204.99 for 10 devices, but it is managed in the consumer ESET HOME app and covers 25 devices at most.
• Skip it if: you want EDR; ESET’s 24/7 MDR starts at the pricier PROTECT Premium plan.

CrowdStrike Falcon Go

CrowdStrike Falcon Go costs $59.99 per device per year, or $599.90 for 10 devices. Falcon Go adds device control and phone protection, but EDR only comes with Falcon Enterprise. Our CrowdStrike pricing breakdown covers every Falcon plan for 10 and 50 devices.

• Evidence: AV-Comparatives tested CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise from March to June 2026: 98.5% protection rate, Approved.
• Limits: Falcon Go purchases stop at 100 devices; 30-day refund window; 15-day free trial.
• Skip it if: you want the lowest price for basic antivirus; three ranked plans cost less.

Not ranked, and why

Norton Small Business is cheaper than every ranked plan but has no business dashboard, by Norton’s own description. Norton Small Business costs $149.99 in the first year for up to 10 employees (two devices each), then renews at $249.99; the five-employee tier is $99.99, renewing at $179.99. AV-Comparatives approved Norton Small Business after its March–June 2026 test, and AV-TEST tested it in August 2026 (protection 6/6). It suits a very small office where each person looks after their own devices.

• ThreatDown Core ($69 per device per year) has no 2026 result in AV-Comparatives’ business test or AV-TEST’s business test, so we couldn’t apply our lab rule.
• Sophos Intercept X and WithSecure Elements are sold through partners with no published price. WithSecure Elements Endpoint Protection holds an August 2026 AV-TEST protection score of 6/6; Sophos Intercept X Advanced was not approved in AV-Comparatives’ March–June 2026 test.
• Webroot and Trend Micro business products don’t appear in either lab’s 2026 business tests.

Business antivirus vs consumer antivirus

Business antivirus lets one person manage every device from one console; consumer antivirus protects devices one account at a time.

Do you need EDR as a small business?

You need EDR only if someone will read its alerts, because EDR (endpoint detection and response) records device activity for a person to investigate. An office with no IT staff usually gets more from antivirus with a console. Microsoft Defender for Business includes EDR at $3 per user per month; elsewhere it costs more, as our SentinelOne pricing guide shows with EDR packages from $179.99 per endpoint.

What to avoid

Avoid Kaspersky, consumer plans used for business, and pop-ups that sell “antivirus”.

• Kaspersky: a US Commerce Department final determination barred new US sales from July 20, 2024 and updates from September 29, 2024.
• Consumer plans: Norton says Norton 360 is not intended for commercial use, and Avast says its free antivirus is not designed for organizations.
• Fake antivirus pop-ups: buy only from the vendor’s own site or a known reseller, never from a browser warning that asks you to pay.

How to choose antivirus for small business

1. Already on Microsoft 365 Business Premium? Turn on Defender for Business before buying anything.
2. Want the lowest first-year bill with a console? Bitdefender, then check the renewal price before year two.
3. Need USB and web control included? ESET PROTECT Core.
4. Each person manages their own laptop, under 10 staff? Norton Small Business is cheaper, without central management.
5. Want EDR with someone to review alerts? Microsoft Defender for Business, or CrowdStrike Falcon Enterprise; EDR vs MDR covers paying someone else to watch.

Antivirus protects the device; a team password manager and a small business VPN cover logins and remote access, and our cybersecurity guide for small business covers the rest.