10 Best Avast Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

Avast is a cybersecurity vendor known for antivirus, endpoint protection, web security, and privacy products. Its consumer products have traditionally focused on protecting personal devices from malware, phishing, unsafe websites, and other online threats, while its business offerings provide endpoint security and centralized protection for organizations.

For businesses, Avast can provide protection against malware, ransomware, phishing, malicious applications, and other endpoint threats. Its security capabilities also include tools for managing devices and monitoring endpoint risks, depending on the product and deployment requirements.

Organizations evaluating Avast alternatives may be looking for deeper EDR capabilities, stronger threat hunting, broader XDR coverage, cloud security, identity protection, or more extensive enterprise security operations. Platforms such as CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Microsoft Defender, Sophos, Bitdefender, ESET, and Trend Vision One address these requirements in different ways.

This guide covers 10 Avast alternatives and competitors in 2026, comparing their endpoint-security capabilities, key features, use cases, and other factors organizations can consider when evaluating alternatives.

Why Look for Avast Alternatives?

Organizations may evaluate Avast alternatives for several reasons, depending on their endpoint-security requirements and existing technology stack.

• Advanced EDR: Security teams may need deeper endpoint visibility, threat investigation, threat hunting, and response capabilities.
• XDR capabilities: Organizations may want to connect endpoint activity with identity, email, cloud, network, and other security signals.
• Enterprise security: Larger organizations may require centralized security operations, policy management, reporting, automation, and integrations.
• Cloud-native protection: Businesses operating cloud workloads may need security controls that extend beyond traditional desktop and server protection.
• Identity security: Credential attacks and compromised accounts can require security platforms that monitor identity-related threats alongside endpoint activity.
• Ransomware defense: Organizations may compare vendors based on behavioral detection, prevention, containment, and response against ransomware.
• Threat hunting: Security teams may need tools that allow analysts to search endpoint telemetry and investigate attacker activity.
• Managed detection and response: Organizations with limited internal security resources may prefer platforms that include or integrate with MDR services.
• Security consolidation: Businesses may want to combine endpoint, email, cloud, identity, network, and security operations capabilities under a broader security platform.
• Integration requirements: Compatibility with SIEM, SOAR, identity, cloud, vulnerability-management, and IT operations tools can influence the selection process.

Avast Alternatives Comparison Table

Top 10 Avast Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

Now let’s look in detail at the leading Avast alternatives and competitors, covering endpoint protection, EDR, XDR, ransomware defense, threat hunting, identity security, cloud protection, and broader security operations.

1. CrowdStrike Falcon

CrowdStrike Falcon is a cloud-native cybersecurity platform that provides endpoint protection, EDR, XDR, identity security, cloud security, threat intelligence, and managed detection and response. Its approach goes beyond traditional antivirus by continuously collecting endpoint telemetry and using behavioral analysis to identify suspicious activity.

The platform gives security teams visibility into processes, files, users, network connections, and other endpoint events. Analysts can investigate incidents, hunt for threats, isolate affected systems, and use automated response capabilities to contain attacks. Falcon also connects endpoint security with identity and cloud protection for organizations that need broader coverage.

CrowdStrike is a strong Avast alternative for organizations moving from traditional antivirus toward a more comprehensive endpoint-security platform. It is particularly relevant for businesses that need deeper EDR, threat hunting, automated response, and broader security capabilities rather than relying primarily on malware prevention.

Key Features

• Next-Generation Antivirus: Uses behavioral analysis, machine learning, exploit prevention, and other detection technologies to identify and block malicious activity.
• Endpoint Detection and Response: Provides detailed endpoint telemetry covering processes, files, users, network connections, and other activity to support investigations.
• Extended Detection and Response: Correlates security signals from endpoints with supported identity, cloud, and other environments for broader threat detection.
• Threat Hunting: Allows security teams to search endpoint and security telemetry for suspicious behavior, indicators, and attacker techniques.
• Identity Protection: Helps identify suspicious authentication activity, credential attacks, privilege escalation, and other identity-based threats.
• Cloud Security: Extends protection and visibility to supported cloud workloads, containers, identities, and infrastructure.
• Ransomware Protection: Uses behavioral detection and prevention technologies to identify and disrupt ransomware activity.
• Threat Intelligence: Provides threat and adversary intelligence that can add context to investigations and security alerts.
• Vulnerability Management: Helps organizations identify vulnerabilities and prioritize weaknesses across supported environments.
• Managed Detection and Response: Falcon Complete provides continuous monitoring, threat hunting, investigation, and response for organizations that want managed security operations.

Also Read: Best CrowdStrike Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

2. SentinelOne Singularity

SentinelOne Singularity combines endpoint protection, EDR, XDR, identity security, and cloud security in a unified security platform. Its endpoint technology focuses heavily on behavioral detection, allowing the platform to identify suspicious activity based on application and process behavior rather than relying only on known malware signatures.

The platform continuously monitors endpoint activity and can take automated actions when malicious behavior is detected. Security teams can investigate incidents, isolate affected devices, and perform remediation while using broader Singularity capabilities to connect endpoint activity with identity and cloud security signals.

SentinelOne is a good Avast replacement for organizations that want to move beyond traditional antivirus and introduce stronger endpoint detection and automated response. Its approach can be useful for security teams looking for detailed endpoint visibility without depending entirely on manual investigation and remediation.

Key Features

• Endpoint Protection: Protects workstations and servers against malware, ransomware, exploits, fileless attacks, and other malicious activity.
• Endpoint Detection and Response: Provides detailed endpoint telemetry for investigating processes, files, network connections, and other security events.
• Behavioral Detection: Analyzes process and application behavior to identify suspicious activity that may not match traditional malware signatures.
• Autonomous Response: Can automatically isolate compromised endpoints and perform supported remediation actions when threats are detected.
• Ransomware Protection: Uses behavioral analysis and automated response capabilities to detect and disrupt ransomware activity.
• XDR: Connects endpoint security with supported identity, cloud, and other security telemetry for broader threat investigation.
• Identity Security: Provides visibility into identity-related threats and suspicious user or authentication activity.
• Cloud Security: Extends security capabilities into supported cloud workloads and infrastructure.
• Threat Hunting: Provides tools for searching endpoint activity and investigating indicators and attacker behaviors.
• Managed Detection and Response: Provides managed security services for organizations that need continuous monitoring, threat hunting, investigation, and response.

Also Read: Best SentinelOne Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

3. Microsoft Defender

Microsoft Defender provides endpoint protection, EDR, XDR, identity security, email security, and cloud protection through a connected portfolio of Microsoft security products. Defender for Endpoint provides the core endpoint security capabilities, while Defender XDR brings signals from endpoints, identities, email, and other Microsoft services into a broader detection and investigation environment.

The platform is particularly useful for organizations already using Microsoft 365, Microsoft Entra, Azure, and related Microsoft services. Security teams can connect endpoint alerts with identity risks, email threats, cloud activity, and security operations data rather than maintaining separate security workflows for each area.

Microsoft Defender is a practical alternative to Avast for businesses that want endpoint security integrated into a wider enterprise security ecosystem. It can be especially relevant for organizations already invested in Microsoft technologies and looking to extend endpoint protection into identity, email, cloud, and security operations.

Key Features

• Defender for Endpoint: Provides endpoint prevention, EDR, vulnerability management, attack-surface reduction, automated investigation, and response capabilities.
• Defender XDR: Connects signals from endpoints, identities, email, applications, and other Microsoft security products to identify threats across multiple environments.
• Endpoint Detection and Response: Provides endpoint telemetry and investigation capabilities for suspicious processes, files, connections, and other activities.
• Automated Investigation and Response: Automates supported investigation and response actions to help reduce repetitive work for security teams.
• Microsoft Entra ID Protection: Identifies risky users and sign-ins and provides identity-risk information for security and access policies.
• Defender for Office 365: Protects Microsoft 365 email and collaboration environments against phishing, malicious attachments, malicious links, impersonation, and other threats.
• Defender for Cloud: Provides cloud security posture management and workload protection capabilities across supported cloud environments.
• Vulnerability Management: Identifies endpoint vulnerabilities and provides information that can help security teams prioritize remediation.
• Microsoft Sentinel Integration: Connects Defender security data with Microsoft Sentinel for broader SIEM and security-operations workflows.
• Attack Surface Reduction: Provides policies and controls designed to reduce common attack vectors and limit potentially dangerous endpoint behavior.

Also Read: Best Microsoft Defender Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

4. Sophos

Sophos provides endpoint protection, EDR, XDR, MDR, firewall, email security, and other cybersecurity capabilities through a connected security portfolio. Sophos Central provides centralized cloud management for supported products, endpoints, policies, alerts, and security operations.

Its endpoint platform combines malware prevention with behavioral detection, exploit protection, ransomware defense, and response capabilities. Sophos XDR can also bring together security information from Sophos products and supported third-party technologies, giving security teams additional context during investigations.

Sophos is a solid Avast alternative for organizations that want endpoint protection as part of a broader security platform. Its combination of endpoint, network, email, XDR, and MDR capabilities can be useful for businesses that want to consolidate several security functions while maintaining centralized management.

Key Features

• Sophos Endpoint: Protects workstations and servers against malware, ransomware, exploits, potentially unwanted applications, and other endpoint threats.
• Endpoint Detection and Response: Provides endpoint visibility and investigation capabilities for identifying suspicious processes, files, applications, and network activity.
• Sophos XDR: Correlates security data from Sophos products and supported third-party sources to help investigate threats across multiple environments.
• Sophos MDR: Provides continuous monitoring, threat hunting, investigation, and response through a managed security service.
• Ransomware Protection: Uses behavioral detection and CryptoGuard technology to help identify and block ransomware activity.
• Sophos Firewall: Provides next-generation firewall capabilities including intrusion prevention, application control, web protection, VPN, and SD-WAN.
• Sophos Email: Protects email environments against spam, phishing, malware, malicious URLs, and other email-based threats.
• Synchronized Security: Allows supported Sophos products to exchange security information and coordinate responses across endpoint and network controls.
• Exploit Prevention: Helps protect endpoints against attempts to exploit vulnerable applications and operating-system components.
• Centralized Management: Sophos Central provides cloud-based administration for supported products, endpoints, policies, alerts, and security controls.

Also Read: Best Sophos Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

5. Bitdefender GravityZone

Bitdefender GravityZone is an enterprise cybersecurity platform that combines endpoint protection, EDR, risk analytics, ransomware defense, and workload security through a centralized management environment. Its layered approach is designed to protect endpoints against malware and more sophisticated threats while giving security teams visibility into activity across their environment.

GravityZone combines preventive controls with behavioral detection and endpoint detection and response capabilities. This allows security teams to investigate suspicious processes and activities rather than relying only on traditional antivirus protection. The platform also extends into virtual and cloud workloads, which can be important for organizations managing infrastructure beyond employee devices.

Bitdefender GravityZone is a strong option for organizations considering an Avast replacement that want layered endpoint protection with centralized administration. Its combination of prevention, EDR, risk analytics, and workload protection makes it relevant to businesses that need more than basic antivirus capabilities.

Key Features

• Endpoint Protection: Provides multilayered protection against malware, ransomware, exploits, phishing, and other endpoint threats.
• Endpoint Detection and Response: Provides visibility into endpoint activity and supports threat detection, investigation, and response.
• Behavioral Detection: Analyzes application and process behavior to identify suspicious activity that may not be detected through traditional signatures.
• Ransomware Protection: Uses prevention and behavioral detection technologies to help protect endpoints against ransomware activity.
• Exploit Protection: Helps defend against exploitation techniques targeting applications, operating systems, and endpoint vulnerabilities.
• Risk Analytics: Helps security teams identify endpoint risks and prioritize security issues using available telemetry.
• Cloud Workload Security: Extends protection to supported virtualized and cloud workloads, allowing organizations to manage workload security through the same platform.
• Network Attack Defense: Provides additional protection against network-based attack techniques and suspicious network activity.
• Centralized Management: GravityZone provides a centralized console for managing security policies, endpoints, alerts, and security controls.
• Security Analytics: Provides analytics and security information that can help teams investigate threats and understand endpoint risks across their environment.

Also Read: Best Bitdefender Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

6. ESET PROTECT

ESET PROTECT provides centralized management for ESET’s endpoint-security portfolio, combining endpoint protection, EDR, vulnerability and patch management, encryption, and other security capabilities. It gives administrators a central environment for managing security policies, monitoring endpoints, reviewing alerts, and handling security-related tasks.

ESET’s endpoint technology combines malware detection with behavioral analysis, exploit protection, ransomware protection, and other layers of defense. ESET Inspect adds EDR capabilities for organizations that need deeper endpoint visibility, threat investigation, and response rather than relying solely on preventive protection.

ESET PROTECT is a good Avast alternative for businesses looking for comprehensive endpoint protection with centralized management. It can be a practical fit for organizations that want EDR and endpoint security alongside vulnerability visibility, encryption, reporting, and management capabilities without necessarily adopting a much broader security operations platform.

Key Features

• Endpoint Protection: Protects supported Windows, macOS, Linux, mobile, and other environments against malware and other endpoint threats.
• ESET Inspect: Provides EDR capabilities for monitoring endpoint activity, detecting suspicious behavior, investigating incidents, and supporting response.
• Behavioral Detection: Uses behavioral and machine-learning technologies to identify suspicious activity that may not be detected through traditional signatures alone.
• Ransomware Protection: Uses multiple protection layers to detect and block ransomware and other malicious behavior.
• Exploit Blocker: Helps protect endpoints against attempts to exploit vulnerabilities in applications and operating-system components.
• Cloud-Based Management: ESET PROTECT provides centralized cloud management for security products, endpoints, policies, alerts, and security tasks.
• Vulnerability and Patch Management: Provides capabilities for identifying endpoint vulnerabilities and managing security-related remediation activities.
• Full Disk Encryption: Provides encryption capabilities for supported endpoint environments to help protect data if devices are lost or compromised.
• Mobile Security: Extends ESET protection and management capabilities to supported mobile devices.
• Security Reporting: Provides dashboards, reports, alerts, and security information to help administrators monitor the state of protected environments.

Also Read: Best ESET Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

7. Trend Vision One

Trend Vision One is a broad cybersecurity platform covering endpoint, XDR, email, cloud, network, and attack-surface security. Its approach extends beyond traditional antivirus by bringing security information from different parts of an organization’s environment into a broader detection and investigation platform.

Its endpoint capabilities provide prevention and detection, while the wider platform can correlate endpoint events with email threats, cloud activity, network signals, and other security information. This gives security teams additional context when investigating attacks that move across users, devices, applications, and infrastructure.

Trend Vision One is a compelling Avast alternative for organizations that want to expand endpoint protection into broader cross-environment security. It can suit businesses that need endpoint security while also looking for visibility across cloud, email, network, and other attack surfaces.

Key Features

• Endpoint Security: Provides protection against malware, ransomware, exploits, and other endpoint threats across supported operating systems and devices.
• Endpoint Detection and Response: Provides endpoint telemetry and investigation capabilities for detecting suspicious behavior and understanding security incidents.
• XDR: Correlates security information from endpoints, email, cloud, network, and other supported sources to provide broader attack visibility.
• Email Security: Protects email environments against phishing, malware, malicious URLs, business email compromise, and other email-based threats.
• Cloud Security: Provides security capabilities for cloud workloads, applications, containers, and cloud infrastructure.
• Attack Surface Risk Management: Helps organizations identify exposed assets, vulnerabilities, and other risks across their external attack surface.
• Network Security: Provides visibility into network activity and helps identify suspicious communications and potential threats.
• Threat Intelligence: Provides threat information and adversary context that can help security teams investigate incidents and understand attacker behavior.
• Managed Detection and Response: Trend Micro provides managed security services for organizations that need continuous monitoring, threat hunting, investigation, and response.
• Security Analytics: Correlates security information across supported environments to help teams identify threats and investigate incidents.

Also Read: Best Trend Micro Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

8. Palo Alto Networks Cortex

Palo Alto Networks Cortex provides endpoint detection, XDR, security analytics, and automated response capabilities through products such as Cortex XDR and Cortex XSIAM. Rather than focusing only on antivirus protection, Cortex connects endpoint telemetry with other security data to give security teams broader context during threat investigations.

Cortex XDR provides endpoint prevention, detection, investigation, and response, while Cortex XSIAM expands into security operations with analytics, automation, and response capabilities. This makes the platform relevant to organizations that want to move from conventional endpoint protection toward a more integrated security operations model.

Palo Alto Networks is a strong Avast replacement for enterprises that need more advanced detection and response capabilities than a traditional antivirus platform provides. Its broader security operations capabilities can also be useful for teams looking to connect endpoint protection with threat hunting, analytics, and automated response.

Key Features

• Cortex XDR: Provides endpoint protection, detection, investigation, and response while correlating security data from supported sources.
• Cortex XSIAM: Combines security analytics, detection, investigation, automation, and response capabilities for security operations teams.
• Endpoint Protection: Provides prevention against malware, exploits, ransomware, and other endpoint threats.
• Threat Hunting: Allows analysts to search security telemetry and investigate suspicious activity across supported environments.
• Incident Investigation: Provides investigation workflows for understanding attack activity, affected systems, processes, and related security events.
• Automated Response: Supports automated containment and response actions for detected threats.
• Security Analytics: Correlates security events and telemetry to identify relationships that may not be visible when individual alerts are investigated separately.
• Cloud Security Integration: Can work alongside Palo Alto Networks’ broader cloud-security portfolio to extend visibility across cloud environments.
• Threat Intelligence: Provides threat information and context that can support investigations and help analysts understand attacker behavior.
• Security Operations Automation: Helps security teams automate repetitive investigation and response workflows across supported security data sources.

Also Read: Best Palo Alto Networks Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

9. Fortinet

Fortinet provides endpoint protection as part of a much broader cybersecurity portfolio covering firewalls, network security, SASE, SD-WAN, cloud security, and security operations. FortiClient provides endpoint protection and endpoint detection capabilities, while FortiGate and other Fortinet products extend security controls across networks, users, applications, and infrastructure.

Fortinet’s approach is built around connecting different security layers. Endpoint events can be considered alongside network activity, firewall events, secure-access signals, and other security data through the Fortinet Security Fabric. This gives security teams a broader view of threats rather than treating endpoint protection as a standalone antivirus function.

Fortinet is a strong option for organizations moving beyond traditional antivirus and looking for endpoint protection alongside network security. It can be particularly useful for businesses that already rely on firewalls, SD-WAN, SASE, or other network-security technologies and want those controls to work together with endpoint protection.

Key Features

• FortiClient: Provides endpoint protection, endpoint detection and response, secure remote access, VPN, and other endpoint-security capabilities.
• FortiEDR: Provides endpoint detection and response capabilities for detecting suspicious behavior, investigating incidents, and responding to endpoint threats.
• FortiGate: Provides next-generation firewall capabilities including intrusion prevention, application control, VPN, web filtering, and network threat protection.
• FortiSASE: Provides cloud-delivered security and secure-access capabilities for distributed users, devices, applications, and locations.
• SD-WAN: Provides software-defined networking capabilities that can be integrated with Fortinet security controls for branch and distributed environments.
• Cloud Security: Provides technologies for protecting workloads, applications, and infrastructure across supported cloud environments.
• Security Fabric: Connects supported Fortinet products so they can exchange security information and coordinate protection across different parts of the environment.
• Security Operations: Fortinet’s security operations portfolio provides detection, analytics, automation, orchestration, and response capabilities.
• Network Security: Covers firewalls, intrusion prevention, segmentation, secure access, traffic inspection, and other network-protection requirements.
• Centralized Management: Provides centralized tools for managing supported Fortinet security products, policies, configurations, and security events.

Also Read: Best Fortinet Alternatives and Competitors in 2026

10. Trellix

Trellix provides an enterprise security portfolio covering endpoint protection, EDR, XDR, data loss prevention, email security, network security, and security operations. Its products are designed to address multiple security layers, making it relevant to organizations looking beyond traditional antivirus and endpoint protection.

Its endpoint capabilities provide prevention, detection, and response, while the wider portfolio adds tools for protecting sensitive information, email environments, and network infrastructure. Trellix also provides security operations capabilities that can help teams investigate incidents and coordinate responses across their environment.

Trellix is a useful Avast alternative for organizations that need enterprise endpoint protection alongside data security and broader security controls. It can be particularly relevant for businesses that want to bring endpoint, DLP, email, network, and security operations capabilities into a connected security environment.

Key Features

• Endpoint Security: Protects endpoints against malware, ransomware, exploits, and other threats using prevention and detection technologies.
• Endpoint Detection and Response: Provides endpoint telemetry, investigation, threat detection, and response capabilities for security teams.
• XDR: Correlates security information from supported endpoint, network, email, and other sources to provide broader visibility into security incidents.
• Data Loss Prevention: Helps organizations identify, monitor, and control sensitive information across supported endpoints, networks, and other environments.
• Email Security: Provides protection against phishing, malware, malicious links, spam, and other email-based threats.
• Network Security: Provides security and detection capabilities for monitoring network activity and identifying suspicious behavior.
• Threat Intelligence: Provides threat information and context to support security investigations and help teams understand attacker activity.
• Security Operations: Provides capabilities for security monitoring, investigation, incident response, and threat management.
• Security Automation: Supports automated workflows and response actions designed to reduce repetitive security operations work.
• Centralized Management: Provides management capabilities across supported Trellix products, allowing security teams to administer policies and security controls from a centralized environment.

Also Read: Best Trellix Alternatives and Competitors in 2026