ESET Home Security Premium review: Simple protection, complex heart

Worth When Reviewed

$59.99

Finest Costs Right this moment: ESET Safety Premium

$60

Once we final reviewed ESET Residence Safety Premium, it had a unique title. Formally it did, anyway. Regardless of the replace, the antivirus suite previously often known as ESET Sensible Safety Premium remains to be known as the exact same within the app—and has stored its fundamentals, too.

These core qualities begin with good menace safety and an easy-to-use password supervisor. They embrace sufficient superior settings to probably fulfill energy customers, too. The truth is, when you like your apps to have much less handholding and extra digging round, ESET may very well be excellent for you…as long as you possibly can forgive some options for not residing as much as their hype.

Additional studying: See our roundup of one of the best antivirus software program for Home windows to find out about competing merchandise.

What does ESET Residence Safety Premium embrace? 

As with different safety suites, ESET Residence Safety Premium’s antivirus and firewall function the important thing fundamentals of the app. Collectively, they protect your PC from malware (together with ransomware), suspicious web sites and downloads, and potential community assaults. The software program can also scan for susceptible networks, thwart unauthorized use of your webcam, and block harmful e mail attachments. Parental controls and a password supervisor can be found, too.

Nevertheless, in contrast to equally priced rivals, Residence Safety Premium is extra sparse with its ancillary protections. You get safeguards for looking periods (like for banking) and an information encryption software, in addition to an anti-theft characteristic to assist find misplaced or stolen gadgets. No id protections (like darkish net scanning) include the Residence Safety Premium plan — you could improve to Final to get these.

As a substitute ESET’s mid-tier plan leans extra closely towards PC utilities. These give attention to Home windows efficiency — they monitor system adjustments, present data on lively Home windows processes and community connections, assist troubleshoot Home windows points, and test what gadgets are linked to your community.

ESET

ESET

ESET

How a lot does ESET Residence Safety Premium value? 

If you purchase a subscription immediately by ESET, you possibly can cowl the precise variety of gadgets you need (as much as 10). The value begins at $60 for only one gadget, then will increase in $5 increments. Coated gadgets should run Home windows, macOS, or Android — iOS isn’t supported.

Licenses bought by ESET include a 30-day money-back assure and are routinely enrolled in auto-renewal. You possibly can stack collectively the corporate’s 30-day free trial with the return coverage. 

• 3-device plan: $70 for the primary 12 months 
• 5-device plan: $80 for the primary 12 months 
• 10-device plan: $105 for the primary 12 months 

ESET’s costs are the subscriptions’ listing value, however the firm additionally caveats them as for “the primary time period solely.” In different phrases, don’t anticipate to get a fee lock on what you pay. Clients will obtain data for the following 12 months’s subscription value solely 30 days earlier than renewal; any worth will increase are communicated then.

For a reduction, ESET gives 15 p.c off when signing up for a two-year time period, and 20 p.c off when signing up for a three-year time period. 

Additional studying: Learn how to get antivirus for affordable

Key options of ESET Residence Safety Premium

Set up and person interface 

After set up, ESET Residence Safety Premium drops you into the Overview tab, which is the software program’s dashboard. For its look, the default is a darkish theme, however you possibly can click on an icon on the high proper of the window to change to a light-weight theme or match your system settings.

In darkish mode, the interface is generally grey with black tiles and inexperienced standing bar (if all’s properly in your PC). A set of seven tabs on the left allow you to soar to the dashboard, begin a scan, replace ESET Residence Safety Premium, use the app’s instruments, dive into settings, get assist, or go to the online portal for added settings and options. The app could be resized to suit your window (or any dimension you need) — a rarity amongst antivirus software program.

On a floor stage, these classes really feel logical, however some group selections can really feel unintuitive. For instance, parental controls are tucked inside Setup > Web safety — they usually’re off by default. The overview tab additionally unusually lacks a tile that will allow you to begin a scan. If you happen to’re used to a extra easy structure, ESET’s app gained’t really feel pure to make use of till you’ve absolutely clicked round and familiarized your self.

Tabs fluctuate of their characteristic density. Laptop Scan has simply three choices: scanning the native disks in your PC, beginning a sophisticated scan (which features a customized possibility), or dragging and dropping recordsdata to test them out. Scan-related notifications seem on this window as properly.

In the meantime, Instruments and Setup are extra dense. Options seem as textual content entries sorted into teams, moderately than as tiles. Superior settings (known as Superior setup) are a maze of toggle switches, too. Energy customers will benefit from the management, however customers who need a easy expertise will probably get misplaced among the many choices — even with the useful tooltip explanations. The vibe is that of a house wired for its personal server room: You first see simply the put in ethernet wall ports and maybe a chunk of networking tools, however when you’re prepared to look, a fancy setup lives inside a cramped closet down the corridor.

Along with the desktop app, ESET Residence Safety Premium ties into the corporate’s net portal, which you’ll use to handle your account and password supervisor customers. The anti-theft instruments dwell right here too, as do the parental management exercise logs on your kids’s gadgets.

Virus, malware, and menace safety 

Actual-time safety

ESET Residence Safety Premium scans repeatedly for real-time threats in your PC and once you’re on-line. It checks recordsdata in your native laborious drive and any detachable media for malware and spam, together with e mail downloaded to Home windows Mail, Microsoft Outlook, or Mozilla Thunderbird. The software program additionally screens webpages for harmful recordsdata and phishing makes an attempt, in addition to suspicious community exercise going to and from the web. 

In contrast to comparable rival plans, ESET Residence Safety Premium doesn’t allow you to restrict app entry to the web or particular recordsdata as further safety. It solely routinely screens for uncommon habits. And as talked about above, the Residence Safety Premium subscription doesn’t embrace information breach monitoring, both — you could step as much as the Final tier for id protections.

Scheduled scans

Proper after set up, ESET performs an preliminary full-system scan. Its settings additionally embrace a system startup file test as a part of the default scheduled duties. Nevertheless, the app primarily depends on real-time scanning as the first technique of catching threats. You have to create your personal scheduled scans to proactively display your system.

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PCWorld

PCWorld

To schedule a scan, you’ll head to Device > Scheduler, click on on the Add activity button, and select On-demand laptop scan. When configuring the scan, you’ll schedule its time (as soon as, repeatedly, every day, weekly, or based mostly on an occasion set off), then its habits (like if it runs when a laptop computer is on battery). 

Subsequent, you’ll choose the scan depth — a wise scan, context menu scan, in-depth scan, or laptop scan. Sensible scans skip recordsdata beforehand marked as clear and never since modified. Context menu scans set off a user-defined scanning profile when checking a file or folder utilizing the Home windows context menu. In-depth scans dig into each file in your system, no matter earlier scan outcomes. Laptop scans routinely select your PC’s native drives to scan.

The components of your PC that may be scanned (together with hidden areas) change with the default scan possibility chosen — and you may decide precisely the place to probe. If you wish to create a scan that solely checks locations just like the working reminiscence, boot sectors/UEFI, WMI database, or system registry, that’s potential. So is checking solely a community location, an area drive or set of folders, or a mixture of all areas.

Nonetheless not sufficient granularity? You possibly can dig into ESET Residence Safety Premium’s Superior Setup — if you wish to tinker with how aggressive the scans are, you possibly can.

Guide scans

For guide scans, you possibly can solely select between a pc scan (examines the native drives in your PC), a customized scan (lets you choose scan depth and the areas checked), a detachable media scan, or repeating the final scan. You may as well drag and drop folders or recordsdata into the window to scan them.

Associated, you too can submit recordsdata of unknown or doubtful origin by the app to the ESET labs for additional evaluation.

Firewall

ESET replaces Home windows’ built-in firewall with its personal defenses, taking on the screening of all of your PC’s inbound and outbound site visitors. Whereas less complicated than Home windows’ a number of interfaces for settings, you’ll need to dive into Residence Safety Premium’s superior setup to vary the firewall guidelines. 

If that seems like your thought of a great time (no sarcasm), you may get fairly granular with customized guidelines. However for typical customers of third-party antivirus software program, the ESET defaults ought to be enough.

Extra notable options 

Anti-theft 

The anti-theft software is designed to find a stolen gadget. On PC, the app will take a number of steps if marked as stolen within the ESET net portal — it would seize screenshots of the display and take photographs by the webcam, in addition to location data. You may as well arrange a “phantom” account, which turns into the one lively account when somebody filches your PC, in addition to evaluation exercise logs.

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PCWorld

PCWorld

In follow, this software isn’t as efficient as you’d hope. A webcam could be lined with tape, for starters. The phantom account is ineffective in case your Home windows accounts aren’t secured with passwords. Whereas that’s tougher to do these days in Home windows 11, it’s not unimaginable. ESET’s app can’t precisely inform when a Home windows account isn’t password protected, both—and so that you don’t get the warning it is best to. On an area Home windows account with arrange with a clean password subject, ESET nonetheless counted the account as secured. (Tapping the enter key to log in isn’t safe, for the document.) The app additionally couldn’t at all times seize the IP handle of the take a look at PC — and IP addresses aren’t at all times an correct reflection of somebody’s true location.

Browser extensions

ESET promotes its free Browser Privateness & Safety extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge as a further approach to keep secure on-line — you should utilize it to get visible badges for good search outcomes, clear up your looking historical past, and wipe metadata from pictures you add.

However on one PC, I couldn’t get the extension to behave correctly in Chrome — a potential battle with an already-installed ad-blocker extension. It couldn’t join with ESET’s servers. The identical extension labored fantastic on the take a look at PC used to evaluation the app inside Edge, nevertheless.

Parental management

ESET Residence Safety Premium contains parental controls — each for computer systems and Android telephones. On a PC, you possibly can configure Home windows accounts individually, in order that your youngster logging into their account gained’t have the identical full entry to web sites as a mother or father account. The filtering settings alter based mostly on age group (beneath 12, 12 to 17, and 18+). You may as well change what forms of web sites are screened and add exceptions to both a block or enable listing.

Some classes don’t make instant sense — the assistance pages on-line don’t give an in depth rationalization of what the much less instantly apparent imply. When requested, ESET graciously defined a number of (“Dynamic” means web sites that redirect to different websites or pages, for instance), however clearer documentation can be higher.

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PCWorld

PCWorld

Web site blocking works properly. The truth is, you can argue it really works slightly too properly — once I tried to permit sure web sites inside a forbidden class throughout testing, the app wouldn’t allow them to by. The alternative works, although. You possibly can ban particular websites when the general class is allowed.

Geolocation monitoring by no means fairly labored correctly for the kid account used for testing, both. The Android telephone’s location usually wouldn’t present correctly, and in a complete separate ESET account, by no means confirmed up in any respect. This characteristic appears greatest suited to web site filtering and exercise monitoring.

Password supervisor 

ESET Password Supervisor is easy and efficient — a great starter password supervisor, when you haven’t but began utilizing one. Although it doesn’t provide many extras, the fundamentals are lined in a elegant interface.

You’ll set up the browser extension on PC or obtain the app for Android, then create a separate account than the one which controls the antivirus app. Remember to save the restoration key generated throughout setup — when you neglect your password, it’s the one approach to get again into your account.

The extension fills in and captures passwords seamlessly, instantly recognizing login types and even password reset fields. You possibly can create entries for accounts, identities, notes, and bank cards, with notes the best choice for easy entries like Wi-Fi passwords. (Account entries require all fields, together with username, be crammed out.) ESET additionally enables you to retailer and generate two-factor software program tokens for accounts — which isn’t the strongest safety transfer, but when it helps you employ 2FA, it’s nonetheless the higher alternative than under no circumstances.

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PCWorld

PCWorld

Extra options embrace the power to immediately kill all lively periods from the menu (Safe periods). You possibly can forcibly log off all over the place, with the choice to particularly delete cookies and log off, delete obtain historical past, delete historical past and shut tabs, and/or delete bookmarks. You may as well manually test your passwords for any caught up in an information leak. And you may safe the browser extension on PC with a PIN to safe your password vault however nonetheless get fast entry.

A number of small issues maintain this password supervisor from being top-notch. One is definitely fixable — by default, autofill is turned on. When you load an internet site, your credentials are routinely entered into the shape fields. You don’t even need to click on on them for the autofill to occur. This could be a safety danger and ought to be turned off within the settings. Any passwords copied to your clipboard can’t be routinely cleared, both. You’ll want to do this manually inside Home windows. And at last, ESET’s splash display for the password supervisor seems each single time you open it, which appears like a useless delay for entering into the vault.

PC utilities

ESET Residence Safety Premium contains a number of instruments meant that will help you maintain tabs in your PC — and maintain it in tip-top form. 

System Cleaner seems to be for any adjustments to your system settings and look from the defaults. Operating Processes and Community Connections let you realize what apps and processes are lively in your PC, and which have used your web connection. Community Inspector lists the gadgets linked to your router. SysInspector identifies potential points together with your system, together with outdated drivers, damaged registry entries, and {hardware} incompatibilities. Gadget Management can restrict entry for gadgets connected to your PC, like a detachable drive, CD/DVD drive, or printer. And Safe Knowledge creates encrypted digital drives or encrypted folders on detachable media.

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PCWorld

PCWorld

Of the set, Community Inspector has much less usefulness. I favored the way it put the found gadgets in an inventory type together with IP handle and final connection time, however some routers do that too, and with full accuracy for what’s linked. Community Inspector doesn’t at all times see each gadget, both.

System Cleaner could be useful for seeing what’s modified when troubleshooting, however its solutions for reversions or mitigations don’t at all times work — and typically appear untrustworthy. (Why is a system look change flagged in crimson?)

In the meantime, Operating Processes, Community Connections, and SysInspector can be helpful for troubleshooting functions, or simply common understanding of what’s occurring behind the scenes together with your PC. Gadget Management and Safe Knowledge additionally labored as marketed when examined. ESET says Safe Knowledge makes use of 256-bit AES encryption. (Notice: I didn’t confirm that the encryption is applied accurately, so maintain that in thoughts if utilizing this characteristic to retailer delicate information.)

Secured looking

ESET gives twin options that lock down probably delicate information transmitted to and out of your net browser. The primary is Secure Banking & Looking, which ESET says depends on a driver to filter keyboard inputs and scramble them so a keylogger can’t seize them with accuracy. The opposite is Secured Looking, wherein the ESET antivirus engine screens for any processes that may attempt to intrude with Chrome, Edge, and Firefox’s regular operation.

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PCWorld

PCWorld

No visible indicator exists for the secure banking and looking mode being lively. Nevertheless, you will notice a skinny, vibrant inexperienced border when the safe mode for looking is on…and when it’s off, too. This seeming bug occurs when you flip off the Safe all browsers possibility, however depart the secured browser settings nonetheless on. I ended up ignoring this characteristic whereas testing, and nonetheless caught with my regular greatest practices for looking on-line. (That’s, verifying a hyperlink is on a safe https connection, navigating on to an internet site, utilizing two-factor authentication the place potential, downloading recordsdata from solely respected sources, and never plugging in unknown USB gadgets into my PC.)

Buyer help 

If you happen to need assistance with ESET Residence Safety Premium, you’ll find hyperlinks to the corporate’s on-line assist pages, data base, and technical help. The assistance pages perform as a primary guide for the appliance, whereas the data base is extra of a searchable FAQ. Each assets clarify ideas in concise language. For extra detailed help, the technical help type (which you’ll attain after clicking by a number of pages) enables you to get into the nitty gritty. You may as well contact buyer help by dwell chat or e mail.

Updates and upkeep 

By default, ESET Residence Safety Premium checks for updates to virus definitions and the app each 60 minutes. You possibly can change this interval (or disable computerized updates, which we don’t advocate) by going to Instruments > Scheduler within the software program. You may as well manually test for updates by clicking on Replace tab, after which clicking on the Verify for updates button within the bottom-right nook. 

Efficiency

When evaluated by high safety analysis organizations, ESET performs comparatively properly. In AV-Check’s zero-day assault and malware checks for March and April 2024, (essentially the most present outcomes launched), the software program’s antivirus engine caught 99.1 p.c of the 316 zero-day malware samples in March, and 100% in April. For widespread and prevalent malware, it caught 100% of the 19,228 samples.

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PCWorld

PCWorld

In AV-Comparatives’ real-world safety take a look at for February by Might 2024, ESET got here in among the many center of the pack. It blocked 99.4 p.c of the 489 samples comprised of exploits (like drive-by downloads), malicious net addresses, and URLs linking on to malware—all with out flagging a single false constructive. In the meantime, in AV-Comparatives’ March 2024 malware safety take a look at, it had a 93.5 p.c offline detection fee, 96.3 p.c on-line detection fee, and 99.93 on-line safety fee. These outcomes point out typically robust defenses even when not linked to the web, with an total safety fee that hangs comfortably near the highest.

When evaluated for its capacity to deal with extra subtle threats like malicious scripts and fileless assaults, ESET had one of many higher scores. It caught 13 of 15 take a look at instances in AV-Comparatives’ November 2023 Superior Risk Safety Check. However in these outcomes, the better-performing antivirus engines typically miss what their rivals catch, which suggests room for progress. 

We anticipate ESET Residence Safety Premium to have minimal impression on system assets when idle within the background — at the least throughout on a regular basis duties. After working PCMark 10’s Prolonged benchmark, which simulates net looking, video chatting, gaming, and picture and doc enhancing in free, open-source apps, the scores have been the identical as earlier than putting in the software program.

Residence Safety Premium had mild impression throughout our different two benchmarks, UL Procyon’s Workplace Productiveness, and our Handbrake encoding take a look at. Procyon focuses on Microsoft Workplace use — e.g., Phrase, Excel, PowerPoint. Handbrake lets us crunch a giant uncompressed video file right into a smaller model. In each benchmarks, ESET hanging out within the background solely lowered scores by about 1 to 2 p.c.

PCWorld

PCWorld

PCWorld

As for its impact in your PC, ESET Residence Safety Premium ought to have minimal impression on system assets when idling within the background, particularly throughout on a regular basis duties. After working PCMark 10’s Prolonged benchmark, which simulates net looking, video chatting, gaming, and picture and doc enhancing in free, open-source apps, the scores have been the identical as earlier than putting in the software program.

We additionally noticed a light-weight impression throughout our different two benchmarks, UL Procyon’s Workplace Productiveness and our Handbrake encoding take a look at. The Procyon benchmark focuses on Microsoft Workplace use — e.g., Phrase, Excel, PowerPoint. Most antivirus software program tends to kick into increased gear when Workplace apps are lively, since Phrase and Excel recordsdata can unfold malware. Putting in ESET induced a small decline in Procyon scores, with a 3 p.c lower. It had a smaller impact on Handbrake, with a tiny dip of slightly below 2 p.c.

Even with a full system scan working within the background, ESET didn’t hit our take a look at PC as laborious as rivals have. In PCMark 10, scores drifted down by lower than 3 p.c. Even in Procyon and Handbrake, the place scores can plummet when antivirus software program runs full blast, the benchmark outcomes dropped by a comparatively modest 12 p.c. Rivals like Avast, Norton, and McAfee have proven rating degradation of as much as 41 p.c.

(Interested by how we take a look at? You will get additional particulars in our overview of our evaluation course of.)

In the actual world, you possibly can anticipate ESET to play nicer with older or slower computer systems — like our take a look at PC, which is a finances laptop computer. And also you’ll see even much less impact when you schedule full scans for off-hours (like once you’re asleep). Similar goes when you run good scans on a PC the place you don’t usually change or add recordsdata, since that sort of scan skips over unchanged recordsdata marked clear in a earlier move.

Do you have to purchase ESET Residence Premium Safety? 

Ideally, an antivirus suite’s options ought to carry out properly throughout the board. However regardless of ESET Residence Safety Premium’s inconsistencies, this software program delivers on its fundamentals, in addition to goes simpler on system assets. Energy customers particularly can get lots out of this suite — supplied they don’t want a well-rounded set of parental controls. Much less technical customers might profit from an easier app, although.