Key Takeaways
- Kaspersky is banned in the US due to security concerns.
- Microsoft Defender, Malwarebytes, and Bitdefender are recommended as replacements.
- Microsoft Defender is now a serious contender; Malwarebytes offers a premium plan; Bitdefender is suitable for multiple systems.
Kaspersky will be banned from the US on September 29th, 2024, so it’s time to find a new antivirus to keep your computers safe. Fortunately, there is no shortage of good antivirus apps to replace Kaspersky.
As such, here are some great alternatives to Kaspersky to use instead—and why the renowned antivirus app is being banned in the first place.
Why Is Kaspersky Getting Banned?
Throughout 2024, the US has consistently assessed which overseas apps it allows within its borders. It began when the US passed a bill to ban TikTok, citing fears the app would act as a data harvesting tool for China. Now, due to the war in Ukraine, sanctions against Russia, and fears surrounding the level of access the Russian company has to sensitive material, the US is banning Kaspersky from July 20th, 2024.
While new sales will stop on that date, Kaspersky software will receive updates until September 29th, 2024. As such, from the time of writing, you have less than a month to jump ship to a new solution. Ideally, you want to make the transition before the 29th arrives, as having an antivirus that doesn’t update itself won’t protect you from any new attacks that arise.
The 3 Best Alternatives to Kaspersky
So, if Kaspersky is banned, what’s a good alternative? Here are our three best picks.
Microsoft Defender
Once the laughing stock of the antivirus world, Microsoft Defender is now a serious contender, and for most folks, it’s all the defense you need. If you’re on a Windows PC, you’ve already got Microsoft Defender; just be sure to re-enable it after you uninstall Kaspersky. You can even grab Microsoft Defender on the Apple App Store.
Malwarebytes
You may remember Malwarebytes as an anti-malware scanner, but since its early days, it has really grown to become one of the best antivirus apps out there. While you can use it for free, Malwarebytes has an excellent premium plan that we recommend you grab if you don’t mind paying for peace of mind.
Check out our reasons to upgrade to Malwarebytes Premium if you’re interested.
Bitdefender
Bitdefender is a very good option if you want to install your antivirus on multiple systems, including older ones that haven’t or can’t be updated to the current version.
We had Bitdefender duke it out with Kaspersky, with the former just losing out because Kaspersky offered its service at a far cheaper price. Now that it’s no longer competing, Bitdefender is a solid pick for people moving away from Kaspersky.
With Kaspersky getting banned in the US, it’s a good idea to jump ship right now if you’re currently using it. Fortunately, there are plenty of options available to you that offer exceptional antivirus capabilities. And if you don’t like these options, there are plenty more antivirus programs for Windows you can choose.
