How much should antivirus cost?
Plan on $30 to $60 for the first year of a quality suite covering five devices, and roughly double that at renewal. Per device per month that is around one dollar. Pay more only for real extras you will use (unlimited VPN, identity monitoring), and never pay the renewal price without checking the new-customer price first.
The price tags in this market are theater: list prices of $100 or more exist mainly to make the first-year discount look generous. The economic reality in June 2026: quality suites like Bitdefender Total Security, Norton 360 Deluxe, and ESET HOME Security sell their first year between $40 and $60 for five devices, and budget players advertise below $30. Renewals typically land between $90 and $160.
What moves the price up honestly: an unlimited VPN (worth $30 to $60 a year on its own if you would otherwise buy one), identity protection with credit monitoring and insurance (a separate $100-plus product folded in), and cloud backup. What moves it up dishonestly: tune-up utilities of dubious value and tier names that re-sell you the same engine. Check the feature table, not the tier name.
And remember the floor: $0 is a legitimate price point. Microsoft Defender plus sensible habits protects a careful single-PC user at no cost, and the free tiers of Avast and Avira are real protection. The right question is not "what does antivirus cost" but "which gaps am I actually paying to close". Price the gaps, not the fear.