Microsoft Defender vs Norton 360: which one to pick in 2025

Norton 360 and Microsoft Defender (previously known as Windows Defender) both can protect your PC against threats. However, they significantly differ in features, performance, and pricing. Norton 360 offers a comprehensive security package, whereas Microsoft Defender provides solid, essential protection for free for Windows users.

For this Microsoft Defender vs Norton 360 comparison, we put both antivirus products through in-house stress tests. To test their malware detection, removal capabilities, and features, we used real-life scenarios. Additionally, we analyzed independent lab evaluations and compared them with our in-house testing results.

This comparison aims to offer you an in-depth analysis of both Microsoft Defender and Norton 360 pros and cons to help you pick the antivirus that best suits your needs.

Microsoft Defender vs Norton 360 at a glance

During our internal tests, Norton 360 and Microsoft Defender both demonstrated good results. However, Norton 360 surpassed Microsoft Defender detecting malware more effectively, with a real-time protection finding 100 out of 150 malware samples compared to Defender’s 83 out of 150. Also, Norton 360 scans were faster and less resource-intensive, and it offered more affordable plans.

	Norton Antivirus	Microsoft Defender
⭐ Rating:	4.7 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★	3.9 ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
🥇 Overall rank:	#2 out of #27	#21 out of #27
🔥 Coupons:	Norton coupon 58% OFF	Antivirus Coupons 2025
💵 Price:	From $29.99/year	From $99.99/year
✂️ Free version:	No	Yes
🖥️ Platforms:	Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	Windows

Microsoft Defender vs Norton 360: which offers better security?

To determine which provider offers better security, I first analyzed the latest AV-TEST Institute’s results. During the newest February-March 2025 testing, both Norton 360 and Microsoft Defender received the highest scores and received Top Product certifications.

	Norton 360	Microsoft Defender
Independent tests	Highest marks	Highest marks
Real-time protection	99.5%	98.6%
Firewall	Effective	Effective
Scanning	Effective, caught 103/150 malware threats	Effective, 108/150 caught malware threats

AV-Comparatives announced its newest antivirus software performance results in March 2025. Both Norton 360 and Microsoft Defender demonstrated nearly perfect online protection scores – 99.96% and 99.94%, respectively.

While the difference seems very little, in other areas, Norton 360 did better compared to Microsoft Defender. Norton 360’s online detection rate was 99.3% and offline detection rate 97.7%. Meanwhile, Microsoft Defender’s scores were lower – 88.6% and 80.4%. In terms of false threat detection, both providers detected the same amount of false threats.

During our in-house testing, both of the providers performed well. Our research team ran different scans to see how effective Norton 360 and Defender are in detecting and removing malware threats. Norton 360 caught 103 out of 150 malware samples, and Microsoft Defender caught 108 out 150 malware threats.

Real-time malware protection

Norton 360 and Microsoft Defender are both reliable antiviruses. And AV-Comparatives’ real-world protection test proves it.

During the February-March 2025 tests, it detected 5 false positives (FPs) for Norton 360 and 0 for Microsoft Defender. However, Norton 360 has a slight advantage over Microsoft Defender, as it caught malware with a 99.5% accuracy compared to Microsoft’s 98.6%.

Additionally, we also ran some in-house tests to see both providers’ malware detection capabilities. Our results were different from the independent lab results. Norton 360’s real-time protection scan found and removed 100 out of 150 planted malware samples.

On the other hand, Microsoft Defender did worse – it found and removed 83 out of 150 planted malware samples. Its success rate totals only 55.3%.

Despite not demonstrating the perfect results, Norton 360 and Microsoft Defender are both secure and reliable antivirus programs. However, Norton 360 did better during both independent and our internal testing.

Malware protection

Norton 360 and Microsoft Defender include good features to protect your device from malware.

Norton 360 has features like dark web monitoring and secure browser, and it offers various kinds of scans, including smart, full system, and custom scans. Moreover, recently Norton 360 introduced a new feature – Genie Scam Protection. It’s an AI-powered advanced scam detection tool, which protects against SMS scams and helps avoid suspicious websites. Therefore, Norton 360 is a highly reliable and secure antivirus program.

In comparison, among Microsoft Defender’s features are secure browser, credit monitoring, and secure cloud storage. These features are good for basic threat protection. However, Norton 360 offers that and more.

Firewall protection

Norton 360 offers a two-way silent Smart Firewall, which monitors your computer’s sent and received traffic. It’s intended to protect your device from any unwanted communication and intrusions. Also, the firewall has a vulnerability assessment feature, which determines ways cybercriminals could potentially attack your device and guards against them.

In contrast, Microsoft Defender offers a less advanced firewall. It lets you enable or disable the firewall on private, guest, and public networks and troubleshoot your networks in case something on your device isn’t working.

If you find the default firewall settings lacking, you can customize them through advanced settings. There, you can further regulate connection security rules and monitor the activities of the firewall.

While both firewalls do a good job, Norton 360’s firewall is better. It’s more advanced and has better security features.

Scanning

Microsoft Defender and Norton 360 offer a variety of scanning options. For example, Norton 360 lets you choose from smart, quick, full, targeted, and other scanning options.

The quick scan is a great option for a general checkup to identify any vulnerabilities within your device. For more in-depth system analysis you may want to choose the full scan. Norton 360 gives a lot of freedom in terms of scans, whether you want to target specific folders only or for deep threats, it has a scan that does just that.

Speaking of Microsoft Defender, it has 4 types of scans – quick, full, custom, and Microsoft Defender Offline scan. The quick and full scans serve the same purpose as Norton 360’s corresponding scans.

Microsoft Defender Offline scan is Defender’s standout feature. It’s aimed at removing malware that is particularly difficult to detect and get rid of.

Pricing and plans

Both Norton 360 and Microsoft Defender have different subscription options. Microsoft Defender has two plans, Microsoft 365 Individual for $99.99/year and Microsoft 365 Family for $129.99/year. It’s a good offer for those who need a full service package for Microsoft that also includes an antivirus.

Plan	Norton	Microsoft Defender
Plus vs Microsoft 365 Personal	$29.99/year	$99.99/year
Standard	$39.99/year	-
Deluxe vs Microsoft 365 Family	$49.99/year	$129.99/year
Select Plus	$99.99/year	-

Norton, on the other hand, offers 4 subscription plans that range in price from $29.99/year to $99.99/year. It’s not only cheaper compared to Microsoft Defender but also offers more security features. Also, with Norton, you’re eligible for a 7-day free trial for annual subscriptions and a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Norton pricing

Norton 360 offers 4 plans for you to choose from. All the plans come with backup storage, malware and online threat protection, a password manager, and a firewall.

Here’s a breakdown of Norton 360 plans and what they offer:

	Plus	Standard	Deluxe	LifeLock Select
Price	$29.99/year	$39.99/year	$49.99/year	$99.99/year
Price upon renewal	$59.99/year	$94.99/year	$119.99/year	$189.99/year
Devices	1	3	5	10
Cloud backup storage	2GB	2GB	50GB	250GB
Secure VPN	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Privacy monitor	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Email/SMS phishing protection	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Parental controls	❌No	❌No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Dark web monitoring	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅Yes	✅Yes
Identity theft protection	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes

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The cheapest Plus plan ($29.99/year) covers 1 device and includes well-rounded features, like malware, ransomware, and hacking protection, a password manager, and 2GB cloud backup storage. However, for only $10.00 more for a Standard plan, you can get a VPN and dark web monitoring.

Based on the price-to-value ratio, my recommendation is the Deluxe plan. It costs $49.99/year, and on top of all the features covered in the Standard plan, it additionally includes privacy monitoring and parental controls and can be used on up to 5 devices.

However, none of these plans include theft protection. If this is a must-have feature for you, you’ll have to choose the most expensive Select Plus plan ($99.99/year). Besides the identity theft protection, it covers 10 devices and comes with 250GB of cloud backup storage.

Microsoft Defender pricing

	Windows 365 Personal	Windows 365 Family
Price	$99.99/year	$129.99/year
Price upon renewal	$99.99/year	$129.99/year
Devices	5 (for 1 user)	5 (for each person, but no more than 6 users per subscription)
Cloud backup storage	1TB	6TB
Secure VPN	❌ No	❌ No
Privacy monitor	❌ No	❌ No
Email/SMS phishing protection	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Parental controls	✅ Yes, with free Windows Family Safety app	✅ Yes, with free Windows Family Safety app
Dark web monitoring	❌ No	❌ No
Identity theft protection	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

Microsoft Defender is a pricier option than Norton 360. It’s because Microsoft Defender is not a product on its own and is a built-in Windows 365 feature. As a result, both plans offered by Microsoft Defender don’t differ much. Compared to Windows 365 Individual ($99.99/year), Family tier ($129.99/month) only offers more cloud backup storage (6TB instead of 1TB) and provides antivirus and antiphishing protection for up to 6 people instead of 1.

Norton 360 vs Microsoft Defender feature comparison

Compared to Microsoft Defender, Norton 360 offers a more extensive selection of security features.

Here’s how Norton 360 and Microsoft Defender look when comparing their features:

	Norton 360	Microsoft Defender
VPN (unlimited data)	✅ Yes	❌ No
Password manager	✅ Yes	❌ No
Dark web monitoring	✅ Yes	❌ No
Credit monitoring	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Secure browser	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Secure cloud storage	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Multi-device management	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
PC performance optimization	✅ Yes	❌ No
Review	Norton antivirus review	Microsoft Defender review

Norton 360 offers high-level security even with its most basic plan. It includes scam protection and a password manager. Its more expensive plans come with several added beneficial features that further improve your device’s security.

One of Norton 360’s stand-out features is Safe Web. It’s an add-on that restricts your access to malicious websites. However, it doesn’t completely block access. You can ignore its warnings and visit the websites if you choose to.

Microsoft Defender, too, has some unique features, such as smart app control, reputation-based protection, and isolated browsing. Smart app control protects your device and data from untrusted apps, reputation-based protection blocks unwanted app downloads, and isolated browsing opens Microsoft Edge in an isolated environment.

All in all, Norton 360 surpasses Microsoft Defender by offering more and better security features. While Microsoft Defender is good for basic security, it lacks features like dark web monitoring, a password manager, a VPN, and PC performance optimization tools. Therefore, there’s space for improvement.

Apps and interface: which is more user-friendly?

Both Norton 360 and Microsoft Defender have user-friendly apps that are neat and easy to navigate. The desktop apps of both providers are clean and straightforward, without overcrowding, which can confuse users. Therefore, which provider is better depends on your personal preference.

Desktop apps

Norton 360’s desktop app is simple, modern, and easy to navigate. It has a left sidebar, which lets you see the main management areas: Home, Security, Performance, Privacy, Search, and Settings. Upon clicking one of the buttons on the side menu, more detailed information is displayed to learn more about its functionalities.

Microsoft Defender’s interface is very minimalistic and doesn’t stand out. It doesn’t have any eye-catching elements or color palette. Nonetheless, Defender is functional and easy to use. All its features and management areas can be easily found on the left-side menu.

All in all, taste is subjective. While some users prefer interfaces that have more animations, elements, and colors, others may favor more minimalistic ones.

Mobile apps

Generally, the Norton Mobile Security app provides the same features as the desktop app. It’s also easy to set up and use, with a similar design for Android and iOS devices. Therefore, with Norton 360, you can easily protect any of your devices.

Microsoft Defender is not as compatible with mobile devices. Nevertheless, it can be used on Androids. You can download the app from the Google Play Store and set it up on your mobile. Yet, its features are noticeably more limited compared to the desktop app, and it allows activating malware protection and running a simple scan only.

Customer support

Regarding customer support, Norton 360 is notably better, as it offers more ways to get help. It has a phone line and live chat, making contacting human agents easy.

Meanwhile, Microsoft Defender offers support only via the knowledge base and the community. Therefore, if you have trouble using Microsoft Defender, getting help might not be that fast. However, its community is responsive and has an extensive knowledge base.

	Norton 360	Microsoft Defender
Email	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
24/7 live chat	✅ Yes	❌ No
Phone line	✅ Yes	❌ No
Knowledge base	✅ Yes	✅ Yes

Therefore, it’s worth considering how important it is for you to have access to human agents. If well-rounded customer support is your priority, I recommend choosing Norton 360.

Final verdict

After an in-depth analysis of both providers, I can confidently state that Norton 360 outperforms Microsoft Defender as antivirus software. Our in-house testing showed that Norton 360 and Microsoft Defender have very similar malware detection capabilities. However, Norton 360 has more advanced security features, excellent customer support, and a better price-to-value ratio.

	Norton 360	Microsoft Defender
Features	✅ Wins	❌ Loses
Malware protection	✅ Wins	❌ Loses
Pricing	✅ Wins	❌ Loses
User interface	✅ Draw	✅ Draw
Support	✅ Wins	❌ Loses

Moreover, Norton 360 is among the best antivirus providers on the market in 2025. And that’s for a good reason – it has robust protection against malware and is compatible with most popular operating systems.

Microsoft Defender is evidently inferior to Norton 360. It lacks advanced security measures and is limited to Microsoft, Android, and macOS operating systems. Also, it’s not as affordable, as it comes as part of the Microsoft Security solution.

How we tested and compared Microsoft Defender vs Norton 360

To assess Microsoft Defender and Norton 360, our research team and I tested both providers by running various in-house tests. Following our antivirus testing methodology, we ran stress tests using real-world malware samples to evaluate each provider's detection and removal efficiency. Further, I focused on the following areas:

• Malware detection and removal
• False positive detection rates
• Performance
• Real-time protection
• Additional features
• Customer support
• Price

This well-established testing framework allowed me to ensure accurate results and unbiased evaluation of each antivirus provider.

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