ESET NOD32 Antivirus Review

ESET NOD32 Antivirus offers basic protection for PCs against common threats like spyware without taking a ton of space on your computer. So you can keep gaming, surfing the web, shopping online, and working without any hiccups. 

ESET’s software offers solid protection, and it’s easy to use, but the products lack features like a VPN and file shredder that come standard with other brands’ antivirus packages. And while NOD32 doesn’t work for Mac and iOS, ESET does have programs compatible with Apple products.

ESET NOD32 Antivirus is the entry-level version of ESET’s security services. It’s ranked among the top antivirus products by independent testing labs. Known for its excellent ability to identify and disable malware without slowing down your computer, ESET NOD32 is a solid choice for Windows users.

Additional security options, like password storage for Macs and Androids, are available with upgrades to other ESET packages.

While NOD32 is only for Windows, you can find ESET plans that work for different operating systems.

To get started with ESET, you literally just have to click “install” on their website. It doesn’t get simpler than that.

The worst thing an antivirus product can do is bog down the processing speed of your computer. Most users report that ESET did not do this, and when we tried it, our computers were not slowed at all by the antivirus scan.

Many competitors offer round-the-clock customer service, but ESET reps are available only during standard business hours.

If you want to use ESET for all your different devices, upgrades can get expensive fast.

The protection from ESET NOD32 is good enough that Google uses it to keep Chrome safe.  It's a good step towards protecting yourself from identity theft.  

With clearly organized prompts and dashboards, ESET does a great job of making it easy for everyone to use the software.

We really like the look of ESET’s software. It’s not cluttered or overwhelming.

Constant notifications can get annoying quickly. ESET does a great job of notifying you only when necessary.

VPNs are a big part of keeping your information safe, but ESET doesn’t offer this service. You’ll need to buy another product if you want a private network.

ESET doesn’t automatically back up its software, so you’ll have to dive into the support forums or contact customer service to figure out how to do it yourself.

ESET doesn’t have a feature that permanently deletes files—something that most antivirus software includes.

You have to prompt the system to update the database, which can be easy to forget.

ESET offers quality protection. We also like how easy it is to use, but it just doesn't match up to some of the better brands like Bitdefender, Malwarebytes and Norton antivirus.  Take a look at our picks for the top antivirus software for your devices.

For our ESET Antivirus review, we evaluated ESET NOD32 Antivirus by testing it out ourselves, talking to cybersecurity experts, and scouring online forums. For more information, see our methodology.

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