TotalAV is a fully-featured antivirus software suite available online that has plenty to offer. The antivirus software comes in both free and paid versions offering 22 security tools and 14 security features.
For a new company, TotalAV seems to have a great future ahead with more than 8,000,000 downloads since it started a few years ago. The reason it is one of the most downloaded antivirus software is simple – their antivirus technology is comparable with big brands, like Norton and McAfee.
While TotalAV is not perfect, their useful features and the easy-to-navigate application does have a lot to offer. On top of that, TotalAV’s antivirus engine is even backed by very powerful third-party technology.
In fact, TotalAV employs the exact same antivirus technology as the market-leader Avira and the top VPN provider, Windscribe. So you know when you subscribe to TotalAV, you know you’re being protected by the best German-developed antivirus software as well as the best Canadian VPN technology.
In today’s guide, we will be talking about everything you’ll ever need to know about this antivirus to help you decide whether it’s suitable for you.
TotalAV Antivirus Security Features
TotalAV antivirus does not only protect your computer from viruses, but it also works to keep you away from all kinds of malware, including ransomware, spyware, and adware threats. However, you should take note that none of these extras are available in the free version. The free version is only just an antivirus scan with not many other features.
While it does its basic job of scanning your computer for viruses, the free version is not something I’d recommend, especially in the long term. This is simply due to their endless popups that keep prompting you to upgrade to their paid package.
In any case, their premium packages do tend to be rather extensive. If you’re prepared to pay TotalAV for their services, you can expect the following access:
- System Tune-Up that helps to keep your device running smoothly
- Password Vault to keep all your account credentials safe
- Safe Browsing (VPN) to protect your data on public WiFi networks
- Web Shield prevents you from visiting malicious websites
TotalAV does offer plenty of features, making their services comparable with the top internet security companies such as Avira Ultimate and Panda Dome Premium.
Virus Scan
TotalAV comes with two types of malware scan functions: Quick Scan and System Scan.
The System Scan takes around 10 minutes to complete without significantly impacting your computer’s performance. This is great as it means you can let the scan run in the background while you continue to run other processes without experiencing a speed drop,
For such a short scan time, the results were highly impressive. The software’s System Scan was able to detect most ransomware files and successfully isolate all viruses, making TotalAV just as good as most of the top antivirus software on the market.
The great results from TotalAV are not surprising as they are essentially a white-label version of Avira’s antivirus technology. Avira has worked over 30 years extensively to develop one of the best antivirus products on the market, so users can stay rest assured.
After the scanning is done, the System Scan even offers users a few options on what they want to do with the files. Users can opt to quarantine, delete, whitelist, or ignore the malware files detected.
Real-Time Protection
Another feature in TotalAV is their Real-Time Protection that monitors your devices 24/7, scanning all your download files and when you run them. This feature is enabled by default, however, while you can turn it off, you really should not do that. As it works efficiently to protect you from viruses, and it does not significantly impact your computer’s performance.
The Real-Time Protection feature is able to quickly catch virus files and place it under quarantine immediately. The feature even works on zipped files that contain viruses. It lets you download the compressed file, but once you try to extract or run the infected file, the Real-Time Protection immediately springs to action to stop the virus file from executing.
Ransomeware continues to be increasingly common among the cybersecurity threats recently, which is why it is also important to check whether the TotalAV is able to protect users from such activities. Fortunately, the feature can immediately detect and quarantine ransomware files effectively without slowing down your processes.
Password Vault
The Password Vault feature in TotalAV allows users to securely store all passwords and login credentials without a worry. Although there are plenty of premium third-party password managers available online, TotalAV’s Password Vault seemed to fair pretty well to meet even the highest standards.
In fact, TotalAV’s Password Vault is good enough to come head-to-head with some of the world’s top standalone password managers, such as 1Password and LastPass.
When you first open the Password Vault, the software will prompt you to choose a master password and even checks to indicate how strong your master password is. As a security measure, TotalAV does not store your master password anywhere in its server. It is encrypted and stored right on your computer. So, do make sure you do not forget your master password since there’s no way to retrieve it and you’ll be locked out of your Password Vault forever.
Another great feature that the Password Vault has is that it allows convenient password imports of all the saved login credentials from your browser – all with one single click. Other than that, the Password Vault even has a password generator. You have the option to choose how many characters you need and whether you require it to include numbers and/or symbols.
Once you’ve set up your TotalAV Password Vault, the antivirus system will prompt you to install the browser extension on your Firefox or Chrome browser. This extension makes for a much easier and seamless process to automatically fill in your login credentials on websites.
Unlike other password managers, like KeePass, they do not include an additional browser extension, which means you’ll need to continuously switch between application whenever you want to log in to an online account.
Once you’ve installed the Password Vault extension, you’ll notice the TotalAV logo next to your address bar. A padlock icon will appear in the username and password fields when the system detects a login page. Once you click on the padlock icon, a window will open up and the Password Vault automatically fills in the password field with one click.
However, I did notice a little problem with it. The TotalAV mobile app does not provide access to the Password Vault feature. So, you’ll most likely need to continue relying on fingerprint and PIN access to log into your online accounts through your mobile devices.
System Tune-Up
TotalAV’s System Tune-Up is what keeps your computer running smoothly by freeing up disk space. It does so by deleting unnecessary personal information on your computer that could compromise your privacy. The System Tune-Up comes with a few tools, such as:
- Startup Programs
- Uninstall Applications
- Browser Manager
The Disk Cleaner belongs on the list, but somehow, it is considered as a separate feature which will be discussed later.
The StartUp Program feature lets users decide which application to run automatically once your computer boots up. This is because many applications that boot up at start can significantly slow down your computer, and some may even be unsafe. This feature is honestly nothing special as Windows also has an identical feature with a similar toggle-switch interface.
The Uninstall Applications feature in TotalAV helps users create space by removing unwanted or obsolete software from their computers. However, you should always remember to only remove applications you no longer wish to use. While this might seem pretty obvious, this hint can help to prevent users from permanently deleting important documents.
Again, this feature is also provided by Windows albeit a much more difficult to use interface. This is where TotalAV app’s shine = their feature makes it very easy for users to use and it even works to remove several applications simultaneously to save time.
Next is the Browser Manager tool which helps to keep all your online activity private. The Browser Manager effectively lists each browser you have installed and even has the option to let you clear all your cookies at once. These cookies within your browsers are used to track your behavior and to sell personal information. That is why it is important to clear off cookies from your browser from time to time.
Now, coming back to the Disk Cleaner. This feature lets users clean up duplicate files or junk files to help you save space on your computer. This is one tool that Windows’ standard Disk Cleanup application does not have.
The Disk Cleaner also works to clean up any junk files that are left behind after you have uninstalled or updated an application on your computer. These lingering files are not only useless, but they can also take up a lot of space on your computer. When I tested it, I was surprised to find close to 1 GB of junk files on m computer.
While none of these tool features are ground-breaking as you may already have them on your computer. But TotalAV improves their functionality and bring them all together under one roof for easy usability, offering users something of real value.
Web Shield
Web Shield feature in TotalAV works to protect users from phishing websites that are out to steal your personal information. Other than that, it even lets users access some security features within their browser.
Setting up the extension took a bit of effort, but eventually, it is possible to get it working. While the browser extension functions as it is advertised to do, it has a “Safe Search” tool that does not seem to agree well with my Chrome browser.
The Safe Search actually redirects all web searches through TotalAV’s own search engine to give you a much more secure search result. However, Chrome does not really like the function very much and has continuously tried to stop me from using it.
Safe Search functions to check web links to verify their safety which does not work all the time. Some links are showed in green to represent it is safe to access, but some sites failed to register. Overall, this feature was a tad bit disappointing when compared to its competitors.
Safe Browsing (VPN)
TotalAV adds a market-leading VPN – Windscribe – into their product as part of your TotalAV license. In fact, more and more internet security services are starting to include VPN in their packages. Even a password manager – Dashlane – has started to include one.
The great thing about TotalAV’s VPN is that it comes with unlimited data, which means users are free to stream as many HD videos as they want without having to worry about throttled speed once they hit the quota.
To access the VPN, you’ll need to first choose the “Safe Browsing (VPN)” option from the sidebar in the desktop app and select which region you want to connect to. The app offers servers in up to 60 different locations for users to pick. Most users will usually pick servers closest to them as it will provide the fastest speed.
Another great function of using the VPN is that it opens up access to all the web content that is available in that country, potentially allowing users to stream movies that you don’t get in your current location.
All-in-all, the Safe Browsing (VPN) is quick and reliable to use with an impressive amount of server locations throughout the world and unlimited streaming, However, this feature does not come free and even premium users will need to pay extra for the function.
Ease of Use
Setting up the TotalAV app is super easy and installation only takes less than 5 minutes. Once you fire up the app, you’ll be greeted with a well-designed, attractive, and bug-free interface.
TotalAV lets users access all the features available via the 6 large buttons on the main screen. The app even has a sidebar that helps users navigate around the application with ease.
Other than that, TotalAV users can even access their own online dashboard through the TotalAV website. The website contains all the video tutorials and FAQs that cover almost everything that you’ll ever need to know. The website even has a section called the TotalAV Online Marketplace where users get to purchase extra features.
What’s great about TotalAV is that they explain every feature in their Dashboard and applications in simple terms for everyone to understand easily. Overall, TotalAV provides a straightforward interface that is perfect for inexperienced users.
Mobile App
The TotalAV app supports both Android and iOS operating systems as long as you’re an Oreo 8.1 and above on your Android phone and an iOS 11.3 and above on your Apple mobile.
Once you’re in the mobile app, your device’s current battery and storage levels are on display on the main page. The app also has a side menu to provide users with access to features, settings, and support available in the app.
The Antivirus Scan is quick and easy to use that users can run on the device without worrying about a noticeable drop in performance. Other than those, TotalAV’s mobile app has an App Lock feature to add an extra layer of security on selected apps. It lets you set a lock with a password or PIN before users can execute the app.
Overall, the TotalAV mobile app offers a good range of features that are also a pleasure to use. However, there are several better antivirus mobile apps available on the market. For example, Kaspersky even has a feature to help you find your device if it’s stolen and it can even link with wearable devices.
Customer Support
TotalAV offers plenty of options for users to contact customer support, including:
- Live Chat
- Phone
- FAQs
- Video tutorials
The company even has dedicated phone numbers for different countries for their support channel in the following locations:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Australia
- Canada
- France
- Germany
- Spain
However, if you live outside of these countries, there are also phone numbers listed under “Europe” and “International”. The support team is handled by helpful ad polite people although sometimes a little slow to respond. While they provided a great response to resolve any issue, sometimes the response could even take up to 18 hours.
TotalAV Antivirus Plans and Pricing
It seems that TotalAV has had a bad reputation in the past for a misleading account renewal policy. Several customers have been surprised to find that their subscription price increase after the first year. However, that issue is in the past and there are no recent complaints of such occurrences anymore.
While the company offers huge discounts on their packages, TotalAV now makes it extremely clear that the discount is only applicable for the first year. Users will expect to pay the original subscription price once the offer expires when the year is up.
While the company does keep you updated on their discounts, they do not employ a very pushy sales tactic at all. Furthermore, all TotalAV subscription plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee. This is great as users can get a full refund if they end up finding that the services are not what they want.
TotalAV offers a few products which include the free version and three other basic pricing tiers:
- Free Antivirus
- Essential Antivirus
- Pro Antivirus
- Ultimate Antivirus
Users should take note that even Ultimate Antivirus subscribers need to pay extra to get the Safe Browsing (VPN) and TotalAV’s premium ad-blocking browser extension called Ad Block Pro. However, once you purchase a product, TotalAV started to throw discounts and you might just find the premium features much cheaper after you’ve gone through the door.
Free Antivirus
This totally free version of TotalAV is essentially only had the “System Scan” and “Web Shield” features. There are better free antivirus options available out there, for example, Avira’s free plan even includes real-time protection and some optimization tools for users to utilize.
So the free version of TotalAV is good if you want to just test out their virus scanning capabilities as you’re sure to get a reliable, meaningful set of results.
TotalAV Essential Antivirus
This is the most basic plan offered by TotalAV and they come with some essential features:
- 1 License available
- Advanced Ransomware Protection
- Real-Time Antivirus Protection
- Virus, Trojans, Adware, Spyware and Malware Protection
- Disk Cleaner to free up system space
- PC performance and Optimization Tools
- Remote Firewall Protection
- Web Shield Extension
- Web Browser Cleaner and Manager
- 30-day Money-back Guarantee
The Essential Antivirus is a good choice for users who need a solid antivirus package on only one computer. While it does not include a password manager, this function can easily be found from third-party software such as Dashlane and LastPass.
TotalAV Pro Antivirus
This is TotalAV’s next step up from their basic plan. It has all the features available in the Essential plan plus extras:
- 3 Licenses available
- Antivirus eBook
- Safe Password Vault
The extra Password Vault works effectively and it is quite a worthy upgrade. For it to work, it is also important for that extra 2 licenses available in this package.
TotalAV Ultimate Antivirus
The Ultimate Antivirus is TotalAV’s most premium package and contains all the features available in both the Essential and Ultimate plan plus a few extras:
- 5 Licenses available
- 24/7 Priority Super-Fast Support
- Smartphone Optimizer & Protection
With up to 5 licenses available on multiple devices, an Ultimate Antivirus is a great option for sharing. However, this is not the choice if you’re looking to use it for a family. You may just want to consider Norton instead which offers many more licenses and features impressive parental controls.
Final Verdict
TotalAV antivirus software utilizes Avira’s strong antivirus technology to offer a powerful and user-friendly security package. Their desktop app, mobile app, and browser extension are well-designed and bug-free to be super easy to navigate making it ideal for first-time uses. While their packages may get a little expensive, but if you’re willing to upgrade, you’ll be furnished with everything you’ll ever need to stay safe online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does TotalAV come with a free trial?
Yes, TotalAV does come with a free trial that you can download. Once you activate it, the trial lets you explore the full version of the software for 7 days. During this time, users will be able to access all the features available including real-time cybersecurity protection and system optimization tools.
Do I have to run virus scans manually with TotalAV?
Users have the choice to run virus scans manually with TotalAV, but the app also has a feature for users to schedule automatic antivirus scans to happen on a weekly or monthly basis.
As a Master Degree graduate in the Internet Technology field, Stefan is highly dedicated towards improving the overall web security so internet users can browse freely without having to be afraid of technical loopholes. With over 15 years in the internet security industry, you should definitely take his advice seriously.