Emsisoft review

Emsisoft Antivirus is a powerful security tool focused on strong malware detection and fast performance. This New Zealand-based antivirus offers excellent protection, a customizable File Guard feature, and useful extras like content filtering and behavior monitoring to catch threats early. I also found that its web control panel is especially helpful for managing multiple devices, making it a good option for families or small businesses.

What disappointed me is that it lacks common add-ons like a VPN or password manager that many top antiviruses include. Plus, the lack of recent independent lab tests makes it harder to assess its performance.

Therefore, this Emsisoft review goes further into details, evaluating its features, pricing, and performance. Keep on reading to find my insights based on thorough testing.

⭐ Rating:	3.5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
💵 Price:	From $39.95/year
✂️ Free version:	No
🖥️ Platforms:	Windows, Android
🔥 Coupons:	Cybernews antivirus coupons

Emsisoft pros and cons

How much does Emsisoft cost?

Emsisoft offers 3 main plans, each available for 1 to 3 years and customizable based on the number of devices you want to protect. The more devices you include and the longer you commit, the lower the price per device.

For example, the Anti-Malware Home plan costs $39.95/year for a 1-year subscription on a single device. But if you choose a 3-year plan for 5 devices, the price drops to just $12.80/year per device. Here’s a quick breakdown of the plans it offers:

Plan name	Devices	Pricing	Duration
Anti-Malware Home	1-5	From $39.95/year per device	1-3 years
Business Security	3-99	From $21.96/year per device	1-3 years
Enterprise Security + EDR	3-99	From $39.96/year per device	1-3 years

Compared to other top antivirus providers, Emsisoft is relatively expensive. For comparison, Norton’s basic plan costs $29.99/year for 1 device, TotalAV starts at $19.00/year for 3 devices, and Bitdefender’s entry-level plan is just $9.99/year for 1 device.

That said, most competitors don’t offer significant discounts for longer subscriptions or multiple device licenses. So, if you’re planning to protect several devices over a few years, Emsisoft may be a better deal. Otherwise, in my opinion, the features it offers don’t justify the extra cost.

Getting started with Emsisoft

Installing Emsisoft is very simple and straightforward. After signing up on the website, I was redirected to the MyEmsisoft panel. Here I found a button to install the software on my computer. There was little guidance and no onboarding, which I actually preferred. Everything was easy to find, so I didn’t feel like I was missing a formal onboarding process.

In my experience, the app itself works smoothly. It isn’t buggy and has rich settings. That said, the settings are incredibly detailed. At first, the detailed customization options can seem a bit overwhelming, but everything is clearly organized. I liked that the most used options are conveniently available from the main screen, so you might not even need to visit the settings tab.

One thing I found annoying is that the Emsisoft app constantly prompts to install its browser extension. However, you can easily disable this by disabling notifications with a single click.

What I found interesting is that I had different control rights on the app and the website. On the web, I had full admin privileges, while the native app treated me as a standard user. I think it adds an extra layer of security, especially when managing multiple devices.

I learned that it’s best not to set an admin password on both the workspace and device levels. I unknowingly did so and had to contact support to resolve the issue.

Lab test results

Independent lab tests are a reliable way to compare antivirus products fairly. Labs use consistent testing methods and environments, which makes it easier to see how each product performs under the same conditions. For this review, I looked at results from 3 trusted sources: AV-TEST, AV-Comparatives, and SE Labs.

Starting with AV-TEST, Emsisoft hasn’t been tested recently. The last available results date back to December 2016, where the antivirus scored 5.5 out of 6 for protection, 4.5 for performance, and 5.0 for usability. The report noted a higher-than-average impact on system performance, some false warnings during legitimate software installations, and a few missed malware samples.

AV-Comparatives last tested Emsisoft in November 2018. In its real-world protection test, the antivirus scored 98.5%, which was one of the lower results among the products tested.

The most recent independent evaluation I found was by SE Labs in June 2022. It focused on the Business Security plan, not the consumer version tested by AV-TEST and AV-Comparatives. In this test, Emsisoft received a 95% total accuracy rating and was awarded the AAA certification, SE Labs’ highest product rating.

Overall, Emsisoft scored below average across the independent tests. Notably, the product hasn’t been tested in several years. This lack of recent testing raises concerns about Emsisoft’s transparency and ongoing commitment to third-party evaluations. However, in the next section, I share insights from our own in-house testing to give you a more accurate picture.

Our in-house testing results with Emsisoft

To see how well Emsisoft detects malware and phishing scams, I teamed up with the Cybernews research team to complete in-house testing. We ran our Emsisoft tests on an Oracle VirtualBox environment using a 64-bit Windows 10 setup with 10GB of memory, 50GB of storage, and 5 vCPUs.

Malware and ransomware detection test

To test Emsisoft’s malware detection, we gathered 50 malware samples from bazaar.abuse.ch to test Emsisoft's malware detection rates. We downloaded them in a zipped folder and extracted everything directly into the downloads folder.

Before running the test, I had to disable Emsisoft’s security settings so it would allow me to download the files, which gave me a warning pop-up. I appreciated that the app lets you choose how it reacts to threats. You can set it to warn you, quarantine the file, or remove it. For testing purposes, I set it to only warn about threats.

The full malware scan was impressively quick and took just 3 minutes. It detected 49 out of 50 malware samples, which I found outstanding given how fast the scan was. For comparison, Norton 360 took about 10 minutes for a full scan during our last test, and Bitdefender took nearly 2 hours.

We also tried the quick scan, which took about 1.5 minutes but didn’t detect anything. Honestly, I found the quick scan kind of pointless. It wasn’t significantly faster than the full scan and didn’t block a single threat. In the future, I’d stick with the full scan every time.

One thing I found a bit confusing was the interface during the scan. There are no pop-ups or visual cues showing that the scan has started or is running. It felt oddly static, and I wasn’t sure if anything was actually happening until the summary screen popped up at the end.

Phishing test

Something I noticed right away is that Emsisoft doesn’t include real-time phishing protection in the app itself. To get that feature, you need to install the browser extension, which the app persistently prompts you to do. Personally, I prefer having everything integrated into one app.

The extension works on Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and most Chromium-based browsers. For testing, the research team manually opened known malicious URLs from URLhaus Abuse and used the Emsisoft Edge extension to see how well it blocked them.

In terms of performance, the extension blocked 10 out of 15 malicious links, which equals around a 67% success rate. That’s decent, but not perfect. In comparison, Norton 360 had a 90% success rate.

One thing to note is that the extension took time to settle and start working fully. When I first installed it, it didn’t block the initial test file from getting into the downloads in the browser. After around 15 minutes, it started working as expected. I’m not sure exactly what it was doing in the background, but letting it sit for a bit seemed to help.

Overall, the extension isn’t ideal but functional and adds value to the Emsisoft package. That said, if phishing protection is essential for you, keep in mind that you’ll need to install the browser extension.

Emsisoft’s File Guard

Emsisoft’s File Guard isn’t a regular file scanner. It’s a real-time protection feature that allows you to customize when and how files are scanned. While most antiviruses have a fixed approach to real-time scanning, Emsisoft gives you 3 adjustable protection options:

• Default. This is the fastest option, which only scans when programs are executed. It’s great for preventing malware from activating, but it might not detect threats that hide in your system.
• Thorough. This option scans files when they’re created or modified. It provides better real-time protection without slowing down your device.
• Paranoid. This mode scans every file as it’s read by any application. It’s the most secure setting but has a significant system impact, especially on machines with lots of background activity.

From my testing, the Thorough mode was the most practical. It blocked every test sample I introduced and didn’t slow things down much, even when multitasking or running CPU-intensive apps.

A nice addition to this feature is Emsisoft’s Behavior Blocker, which monitors software and processes for suspicious activity rather than relying solely on known virus signatures. This is key for detecting zero-day threats or custom malware variants. From the feature menu, you can immediately see any suspicious apps and easily block them.

Emsisoft’s control panel

Emsisoft provides a web-based management console that lets you monitor and control all protected devices from a single online portal. This is particularly useful for families or small businesses managing multiple endpoints. Still, even for individual users, it’s a convenient way to access settings and reports without opening the desktop app.

The portal design is clean and intuitive, with clear summaries and responsive controls. I appreciated how easy it was to see the key information about each device.

While competitors like Bitdefender and Avast offer similar web-based dashboards, Emsisoft’s console felt more focused on usability and quicker to navigate.

Another smart addition for ensuring robust security across devices is Emsisoft’s CAPTCHA protection. This feature requires completing a CAPTCHA request before shutting down the antivirus app on a computer. This simple safeguard prevents malware from disabling your antivirus, which is something many basic antiviruses overlook. Combined with the control portal, it makes it easy to keep multiple devices secure remotely.

Emsisoft’s Content Filtering

This feature allows you to restrict access to certain website categories. It has options for porn, gambling, social media, fake news, or websites that could compromise your privacy. The feature is powered by reputable sources like StevenBlack and ScamAdviser, meaning it’s constantly updated with current threats and spam sites.

The controls for this feature are only accessible through the web console. While it makes it trickier to set up or customize on the go, it’s ideal for system admins to maintain consistent policies across multiple devices.

I tested the feature and found that it worked flawlessly. What stood out to me most was the flexibility in blocking websites. I chose the Block with information option, which was perfect for my needs since I occasionally have to access sketchy sites while testing products or conducting research. The warning gave me a heads-up but still let me bypass the block when necessary.

While similar features are available in antiviruses like Norton 360 and Bitdefender, Emsisoft has a slight edge by including them in all plans. Competitors often reserve these tools for premium tiers or offer them as paid add-ons.

Impact on PC performance

When testing Emsisoft, I also monitored how it affected system performance. The tests were done on the same Oracle VirtualBox environment using a 64-bit Windows 10 setup with 10GB of memory, 50GB of storage, and 5 vCPUs.

The regular malware scan was definitely demanding. At one point, CPU usage spiked to 86%, RAM hovered around 43%, and disk usage stayed at 1%. That kind of CPU load might sound intense, but I didn’t mind it since the scan only took about 3 minutes. I wasn’t using the computer for anything else at the time, so waiting a few minutes wasn’t a big deal.

The quick scan was a bit lighter on system resources. During that test, CPU usage reached 43%, RAM was at 39%, and disk usage went up to 8%. While the scan was quick, it didn’t detect any threats, so it felt pointless.

For context, during TotalAV’s full scan, CPU usage fluctuated between 40% and 60%, and the scan took 25 minutes. When testing Norton 360, the scan took about 10 minutes, but it used up around 72% of the CPU.

So, while Emsisoft’s scans use up a lot of system resources, the short duration makes it manageable. Personally, I’d rather have a quick and intense scan than wait for half an hour.

Verdict: reliable antivirus with limited extras

Emsisoft is a solid antivirus with strong malware detection, fast scans, and reliable real-time protection. I especially appreciated its extensive customization options and the web-based control panel, which makes it a great fit for families or small businesses. Emsisoft focuses on core antivirus protection, even adding a CAPTCHA step before you can quit the app.

However, it doesn’t offer common features like a VPN, password manager, or ad blocker. It also lacks recent independent lab results, making it harder to evaluate. Compared to top options like Norton 360 or TotalAV, it feels a bit empty.

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