Between Kaspersky and ESET, which of the two antiviruses comes out on top? These two antivirus are well-known in the market, and we’re going to compare these two products! It’s important to know how each product differs within security features, pricing points, performance, and overall popularity. As there are so many products that are out in the market today, it can be overwhelming for first-time users to study each one. Thankfully, we will have all the information you need regarding these two softwares in this article!
Key Takeaways
- ESET is lighter on the data it collects from its users than Kaspersky and it is also less resource-heavy on system resources.
- When it comes to interfaces, they’re both simple, intuitive, and easy to use.
- In terms of value for money, Kaspersky wins due to lower official prices and a free version of their software, which is absent in ESET.
- They are both great products, and you won't go wrong with either of them, but ESET provides better overall performance and includes some useful features like a file shredder and secure data encryption.
The importance of having an antivirus installed on any electronic device is key in maintain internet safety. As we increase technology in our lives, the risk of having internet attacks also increases. Every 14 seconds, someone will run into a virus issue that can have detrimental effects on their personal data, and in worst cases, it can be irreversible.
Reports indicate that virus attacks will increase exponentially by the year 2021- there are currently 12 billion malware programs that could put your device at risk.
Every time you browse the Internet, open an email, watch a video online, or download a file online, you’re giving the hacker an opportunity to penetrate into your system. No matter where you are, you are at risk for an attack! So it’s fortunate that you are here as we will compare two antiviruses and see which of the two is the best for you!
We have compared both Kaspersky and ESET before with other antivirus programs, you check them out below:
Kaspersky vs. other Antivirus:
ESET vs. other Antivirus:
There’s no free antivirus that will truly get rid of all virus attacks. Your data should be secure, so it should have the best antivirus installed to keep it fully secure.
Kaspersky Vs ESET: A Short Antivirus Review
If we jump to the detailed concluding point, it’d take for you to read the whole article. So therefore, we’ll go through a short comparison of Kaspersky and ESET before we go into a more detailed section. The categories that we will be going through in this section will be explored more later on in the article.
Now, let’s begin our short comparison between Kaspersky and ESET:
Features
Features are important aspect when choosing an antivirus. The security-related features will determine how well your antivirus can detect and remove actual viruses. With security related features that have anti-phishing, antispam, and malware detection and protection test, Kaspersky dominates this category. In addition to the these features, it’s cross-platform usage and the fact you can get more than one device protected shows how flexible this antivirus is.
Winner: Kaspersky
Malware Protection
Malware protection will depend on the security-related features that your antivirus has. We can measure how well an antivirus protects your device by referring to test results run by a security test firm called AV-test. These tests push antivirus to its limits by sampling thousands of files and analyzing how many infected files a program can detect. Between Kaspersky and ESET, it’s clear that Kaspersky won due to the perfect 6.0/6.0 scores by AV-test. In addition to the perfect score, Kaspersky was able to do better than industry averages so it’s reliability on doing its job gives more assurance to customers. ESET did not receive a perfect score, so it indicates that there could be some future issues you can run into if you have ESET installed.
Winner: Kaspersky
System Performance
How will the antivirus affect your device? An ideal antivirus program delivers exceptional system performance without causing the lagging issue. Lagging issues result in slowing down your system’s performance which could therefore decrease your productivity. Performance can be measured using tests from AV-test and AV-comparatives. With these tests, it tests device performance with downloading simultaneous programs, opening multiple programs, and browsing multiple sites. Providing minimal impact on a device, Kaspersky takes the win on this category. It scores another 6.0/6.0 due to its efficiency of being able to run in the background of a device. ESET does poorly with a 4.0/6.0 score which indicates that there will be a significant drop in performance while using this program.
Winner: Kaspersky
UI:
What about the User-Interface (UI ) of the software? Is it user-friendly? Is the menu or navigation properly laid out? How many steps are you required to take to reach utility you need?
A good antivirus allows consumers to navigate the program with ease. Meaning that utilities are easily represented, and an organized lay out will keep you from wasting time on trying to figure out the program. User-Interface considers not only functionality, but layout aesthetics and how utilities are indicated. In this category, Kaspersky is able to provide that consumer-friendly lay out because this company understands that not everyone is a pro at using technology.
Winner: Kaspersky
Cost of Antivirus
Investing in an antivirus is important because having free versions doesn’t mean your device is secure. These types of programs are limited in features so it’s important to download a paid version to fully use the security features. Make sure you’re receiving the maximum benefits of an antivirus that you are paying for! So in this category, Kaspersky is able to have a decent pricing point that gives users assurance that their device is protected in an all-around manner. On top of that, Kaspersky is a cheaper option compared to ESET so you’re definitely getting a bargain if you download their programs.
Winner: Kaspersky
Popularity
If an antivirus offers good features, that means it should be popular amongst the people, right? Popularity is a category that only defines how well it’s known, but it doesn’t define how well the program actually performs. Between the two antivirus, ESET is more popular in this category taking 13.1% of the pie, but it only beats Kaspersky by 5% which is actually quite slim.
Winner: ESET
Short Verdict for Kaspersky Vs ESET 2020
As a result, Kaspersky has won more rounds than ESET. ESET is a good software, but Kaspersky’s features and price just can’t be beat. Kaspersky has demonstrated that their software performance is beyond perfect and is capable of dealing with any antivirus issues that you may come across.
Overall Winner: Kaspersky
Our recommendation: McAfee
With so many antivirus products in the market, there is none that’s like McAfee. With over 18.9 billion devices protected on a consistent basis, McAfee’s ability to deal with malware attacks come unmatched! McAfee has a dedicated database that is adept to deal with all sorts of virus attacks whether they may be online or offline. To browse their programs, check out their programs here!
Kaspersky Vs ESET: Who Wins the Final Antivirus Battle?
Now we will get into the nitty gritty details between the two antiviruses. Both Kaspersky and ESET differ in each of their suites, so let’s see what each suite has to offer and we’ll explain on how these features can affect the safety of your personal data.
Let’s begin with Kaspersky:
Kaspersky’s Free Edition:
If you’re looking for very basic protection on your device, Kaspersky offers a freemium of their software. Keep in mind that this type of antivirus program is very limited in features because of course, it’s free! It will protect you from most viruses but won’t guarantee an automatic fix if your device stumbles upon the malicious network traffic.
What’s nice about this suite is that you can protect up to three devices and it’s valid for 1 year when you register your account. Again, this suite is more so giving consumers an insight on how Kaspersky handles viruses, it’s recommended you purchase antivirus to have a full safety net.
Kaspersky’s Anti-Virus:
This is an entry-level antivirus suite offered by Kaspersky. With this suite, you can protect up to 5 devices at a time depending on which offer you choose. These offers vary in the amount of years you want to purchase the device and how many devices you want to connect.
This suite comes with basic safety features from virus, malware, spam and other cryptic viruses. It offers an easy install and set-up system and also maintains your device’s performance which will not hinder your productivity. This suite provides real word protection test and will therefore give you that peace of mind whenever you decide to browse on your device.
Something to keep in mind with this suite is that this is capable only running on computer devices, in order to upgrade to mobile or macOS devices, you have to upgrade to the next suite.
Kaspersky’s Internet Security:
Kaspersky Internet Security suite is the level-up of the Anti-Virus suite. Kaspersky Internet Security suite comes with the previous features but in addition to several other features. Downloading this suite gives you access to combine different operating platforms for up to 5 devices. This suite also comes in various pricing points depending on the number of years and devices connected.
VPN encryption is also in this suite which will allow you to browse and filter outgoing traffic keeping you safe from malware attacks. You also get hardware protection which will protect your privacy and keep hackers from obtaining access to your webcams that are on your devices.
With a pay safeguard, you have the ability to encrypt your browser and protect online purchases that are being made on your device. This is important as markets begin to move to an online platform, it’s easy for your data to get leaked so having this type of protection will give you identity protection from identity fraud.
This suite is an all-around suite for online and offline safety.
Kaspersky’s Total Security:
Kaspersky Total Security is the company’s full-fledged antivirus suite that again comes with all the features that were mentioned in previous suites. What differs in Kaspersky Total Security suite is the ability to have parental controls setting which helps you to keep an eye on your children’s activity. You can monitor which applications they are using on their smartphones, which websites they are visiting, and filter out inappropriate content they can interact with.
In addition to that, a password manager has been equipped in this suite. This allows you to easily store your passwords in a password manager online vault so that you could access them anywhere, anytime.
This package also comes with file shredder which will ensure that all your files that are on your device will be protected with utmost care, and can ensure users that hackers will not be able to access any of their device’s information. Files that can be protected include photos, music, documents and other types!
Kaspersky Security Cloud:
There’s a new adaptive technology suite that Kaspersky added, and it’s called the Kaspersky Security Cloud. It has a minimum impact on your system performance, and maintains speed on your browsing sessions.
You can utilize this on different operation systems and best of all, you can participate in their 30-day free trial. This suite also lets you choose what type of profile you want from personal to family. For family plans, you can connect up to 20 devices at a time! c
Now, let’s talk about ESET’s antivirus programs (suites/packages):
ESET’s Free Trial:
Like other software companies, ESET doesn’t offer freeware, however, it does bring a 30-day free trial to the table which should give you the basic familiarity of what ESET can do for your device’s protection or the data living inside it. From the date of download, you can try the free trial for 30 days and, there won’t be any commitment not will there be any requirement of the credit card.
ESET’s NOD32 Antivirus:
The entry-level antivirus package is for Windows PC only! It provides you basic security features that are needed to protect your device. You can purchase several options with this suite depending on the number of years and how many devices you want protected!
A safeguard is added in this suite which protects you from any sort of malware, spyware, and trojan virus attacks. But this suite does not cover for hardware protects as it only protects online safety.
This suite also comes with a silent mode which allows users to mute their notifications.
ESET’s Internet Security:
Eset Internet Security package is above NOD32. With an addition of an advanced “two-way firewall”, users have an added layer of advanced protection from any sort of infected traffic that they can encounter. Again, this suite comes with pricing options depending on how many devices and how many years you want to be protected.
You won’t have to deal with anymore spam attacks with the “Anti-spam filter”, which filters out any unwanted messages in your mail box.
This suite also features some hardware protection with its “Webcam protection”, which prevents any hacker from spying on your camera.
So with this suite, you are able to get hardware and online safety.
ESET’s Smart Security Premium:
ESET Smart Security Premium features all the aspects that were mentioned in the previous suite, but with an addition to several things.
With an addition of password manager, you will be able to keep track of all of your passwords used on your online profiles. It’s important to have multiple passwords for different accounts because if you keep the same passwords, you’re asking for a domino effect to happen because having one password allows hackers to access other accounts you may have.
The “Secure Data Module” will give you online shopping protection by encrypting your personal data.
Users also get parental controls option which monitors browsing sessions and filters out inappropriate content. This is key to keeping your children safe from any sort of bad influence on the internet.
ESET’s Multi-platform Security:
If there are many devices in your family, odds are you will need a suite that offers multi-device protection. ESET solves this by providing this suite option!
With this suite, you can install to up to 10 devices that operate on different platforms. This is a good value package if you have a plethora of devices.
Kaspersky or ESET: Which Antivirus Offers Better Malware Protection?
Which antivirus, between ESET and Kaspersky, offers the better protection from malware?
Malware is a serious issue that more people everyday are becoming victims of these types of attacks. It happens on all sorts of devices, from computers to smart phones, every personal tech is susceptible to these attacks.
There are two types of malware attacks: known and unknown. Now, it’s easy to detect and prevent the “known” malware from happening in our devices using computer scan that are already installed on your device. The “unknown” could become a pain in the neck as it’s not detectable and can therefore lead to zero day attacks which are more difficult to fix.
Both antiviruse can detect and remove threats which will give you that peace of mind. Let’s see which software does a better job at detecting these types of attacks using results from AV-test.
Kaspersky:
Kaspersky scores a 6.0/6.0 which is the perfect score that any antivirus can obtain. Kaspersky’s malware protection features are able to sustain over hundreds to thousands of types of malware attacks ensuring users that they will not come across one of the most powerful viruses that can infect their device. It was able properly detect and remove these attacks with ease, and does not miss any infected traffic. It also beats industry benchmarks which provides assurance that customers that their device will do better than others.
ESET:
ESET unfortunately doesn’t come close to Kaspersky’s performance in malware protection. It scores a 5.5/6.0 which is still high, but this just means that your device may still get infected with malware. It hits industry benchmarks, but remember, industry benchmarks indicate that not all software was able to detect these types of virus attacks.
Winner: Kaspersky
Kaspersky or ESET: Which Antivirus puts Minimal Impact on System?
In this category, we will compare how both Kaspersky and ESET impact your device’s performance. We will be looking at test results from AV-test and AV-comparatives, which are two security programs that test antivirus programs to their limits. These tests will go over a multitude of activities like: visiting websites, downloading files, installing apps, and copying files.
Let’s take a look at how each software does:
Kaspersky:
With a perfect 6.0/6.0, Kaspersky is able to hit the benchmarks and perform better than the industry standard. It’s ability to run smoothly in the background without hindering any system resources shows how valuable Kaspersky treats your productivity on your device.
ESET:
ESET unfortunately doesn’t come close to Kaspersky as it scored a 4.0/6.0 which hints at a very possible chance of lag that you may encounter if you have this program installed on your device. It doesn’t hit benchmark performances in some categories that Kaspersky is able to hit, so therefore performance of the actual software can be hindered making you susceptible to viruses.
Winner: Kaspersky
ESET versus Kaspersky: Which Antivirus is more User-friendly?
User-Interface (UI) is an important feature that a lot of people tend to overlook because layouts isn’t something a lot of customers think about. But it’s important to understand the functionality and navigation on any program because it’s what’s going to determine how well your software can run on your device. If you have difficulty in navigating utilities, you will then waste time on trying to figure out the program to its full extent. UI revolves around many aspects of a program like how utilities are laid out, font, color, style, and even icons. Overall, antivirus software should have an intuitive understanding for users to utilize well.
Kaspersky’s UI:
When you open Kaspersky’s UI, on the top you will see a comforting message – “Your computer is protected”. This message is laid out with an display with a checkmark, which easily conveys users that there is nothing to worry about. All the utilites are separated by boxes which makes it organized and easier to read. Even the icons can easily convey what utility is meant to do. As for color schemes, it’s simple as the white and green mesh well together and it matches Kaspersky’s logo. The cohesive layout is intuitive for users and therefore, navigating features should not be difficult to do. Also, it clearly indicates how many days you have left on using their antivirus software at the bottom right, which users can easily refer to.
ESET’s UI:
Unlike Kaspersky’s UI, the interface of ESET will require you to click through several utilities to get to needs like managing devices, backup restore, etc. Not all utilities are separated equally and therefore takes time to navigate certain features. The image of a robot takes up a good portion of the screen, and although it looks cool, there’s no value added to its functionality. The color scheme is also not cohesive and therefore looks like everything is just thrown together on one screen. This UI would require a little more knowledge for users to actually utilize and can therefore be difficult to use it for the first time.
Kaspersky gives newcomers to technology and easy to navigate program. It’s cohesiveness in space and color doesn’t cause any strain to the eye! This UI is perfect with it’s simple and modern look that continues to give customer satisfaction.
Kaspersky Vs ESET Antivirus: Sign Up and Installation
The sign-up and installation for both programs are very simple. ESET clearly outlines its price and gives you a strong comparison between all the different products they offer. At checkout, you can also add extra features such as encryption. There is also a toggle to opt for a monthly or yearly subscription with a breakdown of the price, which is really handy if you don’t want to be tied in long term.
Similar to ESET, Kaspersky makes it very easy to sign up. On clicking Buy Now, you are greeted with a pop-up window to upgrade to more devices. The next page is laid out simply, with an option to add on Kaspersky Expert Installation. The auto-renewal is automatically set to on, so if you do not wish to renew the following year, I suggest turning this off.
Winner: Kaspersky
Kaspersky Vs ESET Antivirus: Who’s Less Expensive?
Antivirus software that you pay for should give you the best benefits! We want you to make sure you’re not investing in a software that gives you little-to-nothing protection. Sometimes you won’t need certain features that you don’t want to pay for so that’s why antivirus software companies provide different suites for your different needs. Let’s take a look at how each software ranks in pricing point.
First, we will begin with Kaspersky:
| Kaspersky Antivirus Suites | Price |
| Kaspersky Anti-Virus | Latest Price |
| Kaspersky Internet Security | Latest Price |
| Kaspersky Total Security | Latest Price |
| Kaspersky Small Office Security | Latest Price |
| Kaspersky Business Products | Latest Price |
Now, check out ESET’s packages:
| ESET Antivirus Suites | Price |
| ESET NOD32 Antivirus | Latest Price |
| ESET Smart Security Premium | Latest Price |
| ESET Internet Security | Latest Price |
| ESET Multi-device Security | Latest Price |
| ESET Cyber Security (Mac) | Latest Price |
| ESET Business Products | Full Range |
From how each suite is priced, it’s clear that Kaspersky is able to provide more protection to your device without investing much money into it. The fact you can run Kaspersky’s programs on multiple devices per license just beats the offer of protecting one device per license that ESET has their suites set. Kaspersky also tends to put their products on sale from time to time, so investing in Kaspersky is the best bet for your wallet.
Which Antivirus Software is More Popular among Users?
Which antivirus is more popular amongst tech users?
To conclude this, we took the latest study done by OPSWAT, a popular security firm that measures a sample pool of how each software ranks amongst users.
We were surprised that ESET did better as it takes a good chunk of how popular it it actually is. With 13.1% it ranks number 1. Kaspersky trails behind by 8.44%. Having a 5% difference is actually quite small, so the fact that both programs are a part of this report just shows how well it is known in the market. This report was taken back in September of last year, so things may have changed since!
See image for more reference:
OPSWAT September Report: Source
Winner: ESET
Overall Winner: Kaspersky
Kaspersky Vs ESET: Customer Support
Having reliable customer support is important when investing in any antivirus software. ESET does not provide 24-hour support and only answers queries from 6 am to 5 pm for US customers. You will be able to reach them through phone, online ticket submission, and email.
Like most antivirus programs, there are a lot of support materials on ESET’s website including videos, troubleshooting, FAQ’s and an extensive encyclopedia of threats that you may face. You can also participate in ESET's customer experience program and send feedback via the app.
Kaspersky Vs ESET: Final Word!
While the overall front-runner of this head-to-head comparison battle is “Kaspersky”, if you are curious to know the name of best-on-earth antivirus, then it would be “BitDefender”.
It’s no surprise that BitDefender offers digital asset protection from all digital threats, and offers a variety of antivirus suites to meet our needs in the first place. The good news is that you can grab up to 50% off on different products (if you purchase via links on this page).
Above all, the 30-day money-back guarantee is what gives the users complete peace of mind. It, therefore, gets nothing better than utilizing the out-of-this-world functionalities brought to life by BitDefender against Kaspersky Vs ESET 2021.
Editor’s Choice!
Our recommendation: McAfee
From phishing scams to malware attacks, security threats grow increasingly by the day. Although the products we mentioned are very good, it cannot beat the likes of McAfee. With McAfee it has protection on all sorts of devices ranging from phones to even cars! It’s extensive product line-up has protected over 18.9 billion devices to this day. We are sure that you will come across a package that is perfect for you, to check out their line-up, click here!
FAQs
1. Is ESET better than Kaspersky?
Both ESET and Kaspersky are antivirus software programs that offer protection against viruses, malware, and other online threats. Both of them have received high marks from independent testing labs, but there are some key differences between the two programs.
ESET is a bit lighter on system resources than Kaspersky, and it doesn't slow down computer performance as much. ESET also has a better track record for catching zero-day attacks. However, Kaspersky offers more features and settings than ESET, and it has a Bitdefender engine built in for core protection.
In the end, both ESET and Kaspersky are excellent antivirus programs that will protect your computer from online threats. It really comes down to personal preference regarding which one you choose to use.
2. Is Eset a good antivirus?
ESET is an effective antivirus program that can protect your computer from a variety of online threats, including viruses, spyware, and other malware threats. It has a proven track record of being able to detect and neutralize even the most sophisticated malware threats. ESET also includes a number of features that make it easy to use and configure, and it won't slow down your computer like some other antivirus programs. Overall, ESET is an excellent choice for anyone looking to extend security protection.
3. Is Kaspersky AV Free?
Kaspersky Anti Virus is not free. There is a 30-day trial available, but the full version costs $29.99.
4. Is Kaspersky a Chinese company?
They are a Russian company. Kaspersky Lab is ranked fourth in the global revenue rankings of antivirus vendors. It was the first Russian company to be included in the Software Top 100 ranking of the world's leading software companies (ranking 79th as of 6/29/2012).
5. Is Kaspersky best antivirus?
Yes, Kaspersky Anti-Virus is a secure and one of the best antivirus.
Kaspersky's web protection features are also quite good, including adequate anti-phishing protection and optional features such as a secure browser, virtual keyboard, and anti-tracking protection.
The information in this story is not accurate. For example, the System Performance numbers you quote are wrong.
See: https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/
See: https://www.av-comparatives.org/tests/performance-test-april-2020/
Thanks Marc, we may not be using the most up to date metrics and will be taking a closer look at this.