Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Microsoft Defender Antivirus provides antivirus protection for Windows 10 and Windows 11.
What Microsoft Defender Antivirus is
Microsoft Defender Antivirus provides antivirus protection for Windows 10 and Windows 11. The built-in Windows plan offers real-time, always-on protection against viruses and malware and integrates with Windows Security. The product has a free plan and a freemium pricing model, so Windows users can use the built-in antivirus without selecting one of the listed Microsoft 365 plans. Microsoft also lists Microsoft 365 Personal, Family, and Premium plans. Personal covers one person and up to five devices simultaneously, with 1 TB of cloud storage. Family and Premium each cover one to six people, up to five devices per person, and up to 6 TB of cloud storage. Microsoft is headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA, and was founded in 1975.
Good
- Built-in plan provides always-on virus and malware protection.
- Includes ransomware protection.
- Integrates with Windows Security.
- Free plan is available.
Watch out
- Only Windows 10 and Windows 11 are listed.
- No parental controls are listed.
- No password manager is listed.
Who it suits
It suits Windows 10 and Windows 11 users seeking built-in antivirus and ransomware protection. The listed Microsoft 365 plans may interest people who also want the stated device and cloud-storage allowances.
Verdict
Microsoft Defender Antivirus offers a free built-in option for antivirus protection on supported Windows versions. Consider the Microsoft 365 plans separately if their listed device and storage allowances are relevant to you.
Plans and prices
From Microsoft Defender Antivirus's own pricing page, checked 20 Sep 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Defender Antivirus built into Windows | — | Real-time, always-on antivirus protection · Virus and malware protection · Windows Security integration |
| Microsoft Defender Antivirus built into Windows | Priced on request | Real-time, always-on antivirus protection · Virus and malware protection · Windows Security integration |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | Priced on request | 1 person · Up to 5 devices simultaneously · 1 TB cloud storage |
| Microsoft 365 Personal | — | 1 person · Up to 5 devices simultaneously · 1 TB cloud storage |
| Microsoft 365 Family | Priced on request | 1 to 6 people · Up to 5 devices per person · Up to 6 TB cloud storage |
| Microsoft 365 Family | — | 1 to 6 people · Up to 5 devices per person · Up to 6 TB cloud storage |
| Microsoft 365 Premium | — | 1 to 6 people · Up to 5 devices per person · Up to 6 TB cloud storage |
| Microsoft 365 Premium | Priced on request | 1 to 6 people · Up to 5 devices per person · Up to 6 TB cloud storage |
The facts
Each one read from Microsoft Defender Antivirus's own pages, with the date it was checked.
The company
- Founded
- 1975checked 23 Sep 2026
- Headquarters
- Redmond, Washington, USAchecked 23 Sep 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
What it does
- Parental controls
- Nochecked 20 Sep 2026
- Password manager
- Nochecked 20 Sep 2026
- Protection scope
- antiviruschecked 20 Sep 2026
- Ransomware protection
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
Where it runs
- Supported platforms
- Windows 10,Windows 11checked 20 Sep 2026
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