Among the various big antivirus names, you will occasionally hear mention of TotalAV – a relatively new UK-based malware protection suite.
And while this little antivirus tool has fewer features than the nortons and mcafees of the world, TotalAV has some big edges of its own.
For users interested in effective real-time malware detection and powerful scans, TotalAV is as good as any top tool. The only difference?
It’s cheaper than any of them!
I’d also say it’s more intuitive than the overwhelming majority of AVs – their interfaces are often overloaded menus, buttons, and checkboxes… but more on that later.
Today, I’ll answer some questions about TotalAV. How much does it cost? How many devices can you use it on? How good is it at finding malware? All will be revealed in this detailed TotalAV review.
Table of Contents
Is TotalAV safe?
TotalAV is a safe antivirus that should increase your overall security. It provides decent protection against all forms of online threats, even for free users. Paid users are getting real-time protection and even more sophisticated methods to safeguard against malware. All the bases will be covered.
TotalAV security features
TotalAV offers quite a lot of security features. It can protect your device from all kinds of threats, including ransomware and phishing attempts. It also has a few extra features that we find really useful. For example, the Safe Browsing VPN and a password manager. You can read all about them in the following sections.
Real-time protection
TotalAV offers real-time protection for your devices by constantly monitoring for potential threats. And you’ll find this feature is enabled by default. You can disable it if you want, but there’s no reason for not having it switched on – the impact on performance is minimal.
Ransomware protection
Ransomware protection is one of the most important features for any modern antivirus security suite. These attacks are actually becoming increasingly common and they’re one of the nastiest threats around.
A ransomware attack can encrypt your data in such a way that you can no longer view it, move it, copy it, save it, change it or even recover it. Once your files are corrupted by ransomware, it’s very difficult to recover them without paying the attacker for the decryption key. Hence the name ransomware.
Of course, this sounds horrible. But how do ransomware attackers target people? Well, the most common method is using embedded email links. Once you click on one of these links, you may be prompted to enable macros. And if you do that, you’ll likely end up with some of your files becoming infected.
TotalAV offers protection against ransomware in the form of its WebShield feature. So long as you have TotalAV’s WebShield enabled, it will automatically block low-trust websites and cryptomining URLs. More on WebShield a bit further down.
Safe Browsing (VPN)
TotalAV’s Safe Browsing VPN is included in its more expensive plans. And as antivirus VPNs go, it’s a pretty decent one.
Safe Browsing VPN comes with unlimited data and it can connect to servers in 60 locations. I tested mine out by connecting to a server in Belgium. It was really easy to do and I was connected within seconds. And even more importantly, it didn’t noticeably slow down the browsing experience.
To access the VPN, just go to Web Security in the sidebar of the TotalAV desktop app. Then, select Safe Browsing (VPN). Provided you’re signed up to a package that supports it, you’ll simply be given a list of regions to connect to. It really is that simple.
WebShield extension
As we mentioned above, TotalAV’s WebShield feature provides excellent protection against ransomware, along with other online threats. It’s a free Chrome add-on that constantly looks out for websites that could pose a threat to your device and redirects searches away from anything it identifies as a potential risk.
It guards you against phishing, malware and malicious websites, which stops hackers from being able to gain access to your personal data. And it does this for all your online activity, including links in emails or on social media sites.
WebShield comes with a Safe Search feature that redirects all web searches through TotalAV’s own web engine for added security. This doesn’t work too well with Chrome, which tries to prevent Safe Search from doing this.
It’s supposed to grade every site it surfaces with either a green tick to show it’s safe to click on, or a red cross to indicate a potential threat. However, in practice, this didn’t work all that well and a lot of search results didn’t have any ticks or crosses next to them. This was a bit disappointing, especially considering the hassle you have to go through to get Chrome to allow it to work. We’d say Safe Search isn’t worth the effort. But apart from that, WebShield is well worth using.
Secure Password Vault (password manager)
otalAV’s Secure Password Vault is yet another feature that’s only available on the most expensive plan. Even if you’re paying for the Pro or Internet Security package, you’ll still need to upgrade to TotalAV’s Total Security plan in order to get access to the password manager.
So, is TotalAV’s Secure Password Vault worth paying extra for? Well, if you’re in the market for a password manager, this one certainly does everything you’d want it to do. It lets you securely store, organise and retrieve all your login details whenever you need them. And it can generate secure passwords for you, so you can choose how many characters and symbols you want to make your passwords extra secure.
As with all password managers, the only password you need to remember is your master password. TotalAV will tell you how strong this password is, which can be very helpful, as it protects all the others.
However, for security reasons, TotalAV will never receive your master password. Which is great if you’re concerned about security, but really annoying if you forget your master password.
Using Total AV's Secure Password Vault
When you’ve set up your TotalAV Secure Password Vault, you’ll be asked to install the Password Vault browser extension for Chrome or Firefox. And while not everyone is a fan of browser extensions, it makes filling in your passwords much easier.
As soon as you’ve installed it, the TotalAV logo will appear next to your address bar. So whenever you go to login to any of your online accounts, or you go to create a new account, you’ll be prompted to use the Secure Password Vault.
Once you’re all set up, TotalAV can import any passwords you have saved in your browser with just one click. And the Password Vault uses icons for most well-known websites, which makes it really easy to find the login details you need.
My only complaint with TotalAV’s Secure Password Vault, besides the fact you have to pay extra for it, is that it doesn’t work with the mobile phone app. This is a real shame as a password manager on your mobile is really useful.
Plans and pricing
As we’ve mentioned already, there are a few different TotalAV price plans. But what are they? How much do they cost? And which one should you sign up for?
Read on for everything you need to know about TotalAV’s plans and pricing,
Note: Total AV prices are the same regardless of currency, which means that, in practice, the service is cheaper in the US than it is in the EU or UK.
| Version | Features | Price |
| TotalAV free | anti-malware scanner, anti-phishing protection, customer support | $0.00 |
| TotalAV Pro | real-time protection, ransomware protection, Cloud scanning, phishing scam protection, disk cleaner, optimisation tools, Web Shield browser extension, browser cleaner, 24/7 customer support | $29.00 |
| TotalAV Internet Security | everything included in the Pro plan, Safe Browsing VPN, licenses for up to five devices | $39.00 |
| TotalAV Total Security | everything included in the Internet Security plan, ad blocker, Secure Password Vault, can be used on up to six devices | $59.00 |
TotalAV Pro plan
The TotalAV Pro plan costs $19 for the first year. This buys you protection on up to three devices. So this is a decent plan if you’re looking to protect your own devices, such as your laptop, phone, and tablet. But it might not be sufficient if you want antivirus software for the whole family.
The TotalAV Pro plan comes with:
- Real time antivirus protection checks every download for viruses whenever you click on a link
- Ransomware protection to help you avoid becoming a victim of attacks that aim to encrypt your files
- Protection against viruses, trojans and malware that promises to remove existing threats and guard against malicious software like Trojan Horses and Worms designed to cause damage to your computer or smartphone
- Phishing scam protection that blocks the latest phishing URLS to protect your machine against malicious threats
- Protection against adware and spyware (PUA) that will defend your computer from software designed to steal your personal information, target you with persistent unwanted ads, or access your card details and login credentials
- An easy way to free up system space with its disk cleaner that promises to identify and reclaim your valuable disc space currently being used by unnecessary files
- System tune up optimisation tools that identify any potential ways in which your devices could be performing better and lasting longer and then optimising them to ensure your devices are running as efficiently as possible
- TotalAV’s Web Shield browser extension that monitors for malicious links and viruses and safely redirects you away from websites that may pose a threat to your system
- Browser cleaner and manager which cleans your browser data to improve both the security and speed of your devices
- iOS and Android support to keep your smartphone safe from online threats with the TotalAV mobile app
- 24/7 customer support that comes with unlimited access to TotalAV’s customer service team via email, live-chat and toll-free phone call
- 30 day money back guarantee, so if you’re not completely satisfied with TotalAV’s offering within the first month of signing up, you can get a full refund
- Cloud scanning that promises the fastest protection against zero-day malware threats
TotalAV Internet Security plan
TotalAV’s Internet Security plan costs $39 for the first year and can be used on up to five devices. As well as coming with two more licences than the TotalAV Pro plan, TotalAV Internet Security also comes with access to TotalAV’s Safe Browsing VPN.
So, to recap, the TotalAV Internet Security plan comes with everything included in the Pro plan, along with access to the VPN and licenses for up to five devices. But it will cost you an additional $10 for the first year compared to the Pro plan. So if you haven’t already got a VPN but you’re looking to sign up to one, then it might be worth upgrading to the Internet Security package.
TotalAV Total Security plan
TotalAV’s Total Security plan costs $59 for the first year and can be used on up to six devices. Six isn’t the most competitive offering on the market but it’s likely to be sufficient even if you’re looking for an antivirus plan for the whole family.
However, an extra licence isn’t the only reason to upgrade to the Total Security package. As well as coming with all the benefits and features included in the other two plans, Total Security also gives you access to TotalAV’s ad blocker and its Secure Password Vault. Again, this might not be worth yet another $20 to you. But if you don’t already have a password manager and you’re thinking about getting one, then it might be worth paying the extra for the Total Security package. It also helps to have the ad blocker, as that’ll prevent you from seeing annoying targeted ads.
TotalAV free plan
Even though the free plan of TotalAV is quite limited, it still gives you a basic level of safety. Download it and you’ll get an anti-malware scanner that will scan your device and remove viruses, and the anti-phishing protection feature that will block phishing sites.
You’ll also be able to contact the customer support in case you need help with your free version of TotalAV.
Is TotalAV good value for money?
TotalAV isn’t the cheapest antivirus solution out there – but it isn’t the most expensive either. While it does offer a lot of excellent features that performed really well in tests, some of its pricing plans are not the most competitive I’ve seen.
However, TotalAV’s cheapest offering is not that expensive. Starting at $19 per year, it is cheaper than Norton 360 and equal to McAfee. So, if you’re looking to save money, you’d better stick with TotalAV’s basic plan.
Ease of use
Once you’ve chosen the plan you want, TotalAV is pretty easy to set up. Downloading and installing the software only took about five minutes or so.
And once you’re up and running, the TotalAV desktop app makes it pretty simple to find your way around the different features. The user interface makes good use of space without feeling cluttered and it categorises everything in a very intuitive way. There are lots of features, but they’re well organised, so you can always find what you’re looking for.
As soon as you fire it up, you’ll see four main icons on the app’s dashboard:
- Antivirus
- System boost
- Disk cleaner
- Web security
Of course, these are some of the most popular functions for antivirus software. So it’s great that you can do a quick antivirus scan with just one click. You’ll also find a very helpful sidebar with more handy options.
The Web Shield browser, however, is another story. While the app is clean and simple, the browser extension is a tad more complicated and a lot less intuitive. But once you’ve got used to it, you should be able to find everything you need.
TotalAV mobile app
The TotalAV mobile app is available for Apple users on iOS 11.3 and above, as well as for Android users on Android Oreo 8.1 and above. Below, we cover how the apps differ from one another.
TotalAV for Android: review
We tested TotalAV out on Android and found that it was very easy to set up. As soon as you open up the app, you’ll be prompted to login or set up an account. And once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to start accessing TotalAV’s security suite of features on your mobile.
So what does TotalAV’s mobile app have to make it worth the price? Well, it comes with pretty much everything included in the desktop version. On the app’s main homepage, you’ll have the following options:
- Security scan that scans your apps for potential threats
- VPN access
- Device tune up to improve speed and remove junk
- Wi-Fi checker to make sure your network connection is safe
- Data breach check to see if any of your data has been compromised
- Protect your devices to keep your phone safe online
All these features are really simple and easy to use on your phone and they work well at protecting your device against threats.
You can continue to use your phone as normal while the TotalAV app is performing antivirus scans. Performance likely won’t slow down enough for you to notice.
TotalAV’s Android app also promises to deliver real time protection to make sure your device is safe at all times. And it also comes with an App Lock feature that lets you add a password or PIN to add an extra layer of protection to the apps you care about.
However, while TotalAV has a lot to like, there are a lot of antivirus mobile apps that offer even more features, and won’t cost you as much money.
TotalAV for iPhone: review
When it comes to antivirus for iPhone, things get interesting. That’s because iOS devices don’t actually need as much protection as the others.
You see, viruses for iPhone and iPad are pretty rare. For this reason, antivirus programs have to implement lots of useful features on their iOS applications to appeal to their users.
So, here’s what you can find on the iOS app of TotalAV:
- Data breach check lets you know whether you email has been compromised
- Device Locator tracks your smartphone in case it gets lost or stolen
- System Security alerts you about iOS updates
- Secure Search Browser lets you browse the web without trackers and ads
- Photo Manager lets you remove unwanted photos more easily
- WebShield blocks dangerous websites
- Private Connection VPN makes your browsing anonymous
As you can see, there is no virus scan feature like on the Android application because iPhones have built-in protection from viruses.
Customer support
So if you have an issue with TotalAV, how easy is it to get help? Well, TotalAV offers a wide range of support options to help you resolve any issue you might have with your account.
Unlike a lot of antivirus companies we’ve reviewed, TotalAV doesn’t hide its direct contact details behind several pages of FAQs and general advice. While there are all the usual troubleshooting guides and links to help you resolve your issue yourself, TotalAV’s customer service phone number can be found on the customer support landing page itself. There’s also the option to open a ticket by filling an online form.
In short, TotalAV makes it much easier to find help if you need it than a lot of its competitors, which usually try to deter people from phoning. If you actually want to talk to a person about an issue, you can phone, email or use the TotalAV live chat.
Phone numbers for TotalAV customer support are available for the following locations:
- Australia
- Canada
- France
- Germany
- Spain
- United States
- United Kingdom
And if you live in another region, you’ll be able to find telephone numbers listed for Europe and International locations to help you reach someone.
Is TotalAV good enough and should I get it?
TotalAV is one of the safest antivirus programs out there. It uses strong antivirus technology to deliver a powerful and extensive security package. It offers robust protection against viruses, trojans, ransomware, phishing scams, and malware. And it also keeps you safe from spyware and has loads of tools to help you clean up your disk and optimize your devices.
Depending on which plan you go for, you can also get access to TotalAV’s Secure VPN, Password Vault and its ad blocker. So it definitely offers one of the most comprehensive security suites on the market.
The TotalAV desktop app is simple and free of bugs. It’s got a very user-friendly design so it’s really easy to use. The browser extension and the mobile app aren’t quite as well designed and have a few issues. But overall, it’s still a very strong offering.
In addition, its basic plan is among the cheapest antivirus options, so you can go for it if you don’t plan on covering more than three devices.
All in all, it is one of the most secure antivirus software programs we’ve tested and it does come with everything you could possibly need to keep your devices completely safe online.
