Tyler Cross
Updated on: January 18, 2025
Fact-checked by Kate Davidson
Short on time? Here are the best trojan protection and removal tools in 2025:
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🥇 Norton
: Norton has a perfect malware scanner that detects and removes any trojan hidden on your device. It also has great real-time protection, a fast and unlimited-data VPN, comprehensive dark web monitoring, and much more. All of its plans come with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Not too long ago, I realized I had a trojan on my computer. It was causing me severe trouble, and I became anxious about unauthorized access, data theft, and other harmful activities. I started looking for the best antivirus to remove the trojan and prevent myself from getting another one.
While hundreds of antiviruses claim to remove trojans, they’re not all built the same. Some struggle to spot trojans as they pretend to be safe programs while sneaking into your system. You have to run thorough checks if you suspect you have a trojan and protect yourself against getting them in the future.
Having tested many antiviruses, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite ones for removing trojans. While I recommend Norton as the best overall security suite, all of the options on this list will improve your device’s security with great malware scanners, real-time protection, VPN protection, and more.
Quick Summary of the Best Trojan Protection & Removal Tools in 2025
January 2025 update: We’ve double-checked the mini-reviews and added more screenshots. We’ve also added a new review for a Mac-based antivirus and simple steps to remove trojans. Finally, we looked into whether Microsoft Defender is good enough to protect you in 2025.
300+ people found the right antivirus today
🥇1. Norton — Best Overall Trojan Protection and Removal Tool
Approved by our experts
Norton offers top-notch protection against trojans and other threats. It uses advanced scanning technology that combines a massive malware database and complex machine learning to ensure that your devices are well-protected against trojans, viruses, ransomware, and other forms of malware. It’s our overall #1 antivirus in 2025.
Norton consistently detected and removed 100% of the malware samples in my tests. Its full-system scan took about 40 minutes, and there wasn’t any slowdown. If you’re short on time, you can also choose a quick scan that only takes a couple of minutes to complete (but it isn’t as comprehensive as the full scan), and you can run a custom scan that lets you choose individual files and folders to scan. Finally, you can schedule future scans to check your system for malware when you’re not using your computer.
Norton comes with some cool additional features, too. For example, its dark web monitoring is among the best on the market — if your personal information (including email addresses, phone numbers, credit card numbers, and more) is found on the dark web, you’ll be alerted and advised on what to do. Norton 360 with LifeLock (one of Norton’s higher-end plans) also monitors your date of birth and social security number (but it’s only available in the US).
I also like Norton’s VPN, which has unlimited data on all 360 plans. It ensures that your data is encrypted and your IP address isn’t visible, protecting you from cybercriminals who may attempt to access your information through unsecured networks.
Norton’s plans start at £19.99 / year, but the best-value plan, Norton 360 Deluxe, contains all of Norton’s features, including the scanner, VPN, and dark web monitoring — as well as a good password manager, parental controls, and a smart firewall. It provides you with 5 device licenses, costing £19.99 / year. All plans come backed by a risk-free 60-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Norton is my favorite antivirus for trojan protection and removal. Its anti-malware scanner consistently beat every trojan (and other malware) I tested it against. On top of that, its real-time protection, firewall, and VPN also provide extra layers of defense. Norton’s plans are affordable for the value they provide, and all come backed by a 60-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out for yourself.
🥈 2. Bitdefender — Great Cloud-Based Scanner With Tons of Extra Features
Bitdefender has outstanding trojan protection and removal capabilities. It includes a flawless cloud-based malware scanner that scored a 100% malware detection rate in my tests (which is just as good as Norton). Since it’s cloud-based, the scans have almost no impact on your performance, meaning low-end devices can take advantage of this comprehensive security suite.
Real-time protection is essential for effective trojan defense, and Bitdefender’s is great. Setting it up was very easy, and once I turned it on, it consistently blocked every test trojan before it could even reach my computer or phone. Detecting, quarantining, and removing threats was very efficient, too; it got rid of each sample immediately.
In addition to strong trojan protection, Bitdefender offers various additional features. Ransomware protection safeguards your valuable data from being encrypted and held for ransom by cybercriminals. It also has a really good system optimizer to help get your device running like new, which can be especially helpful if prior trojans have caused damage.
Bitdefender also includes a VPN but only offers unlimited data on the most expensive plan. The VPN is limited to 200 MB per day on Bitdefender’s regular plans, so it’s more restrictive than Norton’s VPN. That said, it’s very fast and highly secure. The mobile versions are particularly good for privacy-conscious users, as they support multi-hop connections.
Bitdefender’s lowest-cost premium plan, Antivirus Plus, costs £19.99 / year. It includes most of Bitdefender’s features but doesn’t have the parental controls, device optimizer, or webcam protection. It’s also only available for Windows. There are a few other plans, but I think the best value plan is Bitdefender Total Security, which covers 5 devices, is compatible with Windows, iOS, Android, and Mac devices, and costs £37.50 / year. All of Bitdefender’s plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Bitdefender is a great choice for comprehensive trojan protection and removal. It has an impressive malware detection rate, real-time protection, rapid scanning capabilities, and additional security features like a good VPN, parental controls, a device optimizer, anti-phishing protection, and more. While I’d like to see its unlimited-data VPN included in more plans, Bitdefender is a strong contender in the antivirus market.
Read the full Bitdefender review
🥉 3. McAfee — Good Trojan Removal Tool With Amazing Real-Time Protection
McAfee is another excellent choice for protecting yourself against trojans. After installing it, I ran some tests and found that it consistently scored a 100% malware detection rate — which puts it on par with Norton and Bitdefender.
I really like how McAfee shields you from trojans. It combines excellent web protection to keep you safe online, real-time protection to prevent trojans from infecting your device, and anti-phishing capabilities to block malicious email links. It also has Wi-Fi protection to stop intruders from accessing your network.
In addition, McAfee comes with excellent parental controls (some of the best antivirus-bundled parental controls in 2025). Its advanced location tracking works much better than Google and Apple’s tracking tools and lets you monitor your child’s device at all times. It enables you to block unwanted apps and filter web content to ensure your children aren’t accidentally downloading trojans onto their devices — whether it’s the family computer or their mobile phone.
McAfee has some great plans, starting at £29.99 / year with the Essential plan. This plan offers coverage for up to 5 devices and provides you with most of McAfee’s features, including web protection and a firewall, but not the parental controls. The best-value plan is the Ultimate plan, which gives you coverage for unlimited devices and includes parental controls (on the family plan), identity theft protection, credit monitoring, lost wallet and ransomware protection, and transaction monitoring. All of McAfee’s plans come backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
McAfee is a great antivirus that found and removed 100% of trojans during my tests. It has perfect malware detection rates and features like real-time protection, anti-phishing protection, and Wi-Fi protection. Its extra features are pretty good, too — it has well-designed parental controls and a VPN with unlimited data so long as auto-renewal is turned on. The biggest drawback is that it can cause some slowdowns during scans.
4. TotalAV — Very Accessible and Easy to Use
TotalAV provides an excellent malware scanner. It uses the same excellent scanning engine as Avira, catching over 99% of the malware samples (including trojans) that I scanned — only missing very few that my top picks Norton and Bitdefender caught.
After testing its scanner, I tried TotalAV’s real-time protection and was satisfied with the results. It blocked most of the trojan samples I tried downloading. On top of that, it comes with other good security features, like a smart firewall for blocking network-based attacks and monitoring your traffic and a VPN for encrypting your data and keeping your IP address invisible to the public.
What makes TotalAV stand out from its competitors is its ease of use and accessibility. Its layout is very intuitive, and none of its features are hidden behind complex menus or hard to use. If you’re a total beginner, it’s a great starting point.
I particularly like TotalAV’s System Tune-Up feature. It helps to optimize your PC’s performance through various features, including a Startup Manager, Application Uninstaller, Browser Cleanup tool, Junk Cleaner, and Duplicate File Finder.
TotalAV offers several affordable plans starting at £19.00 / year. These plans can cover up to 8 devices and are backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
TotalAV is a reliable antivirus that caught 99% of malware during my tests. It earns its spot on my list because of its beginner-friendly features and intuitive layout, which it offers while still providing great protection against trojans. Its plans are affordable and come backed by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
5. Avira — Strong Malware Scanner With the Best Device Optimizer
Avira is a reliable antivirus with effective trojan protection and removal abilities. During my tests, Avira’s powerful malware scanner caught every trojan and all other malware samples, like viruses, ransomware, adware, and more. Avira’s scanner is so good it’s licensed to several competitors, including one of my other top picks, TotalAV.
Avira has really great system tuneup tools. While most antiviruses have a system booster, Avira’s is pretty advanced. It includes a game booster, a junk cleaner, and a startup optimizer, all of which worked great when I tried them. I have a pretty low-end laptop, but after running the tools, it worked noticeably better. My startup time was boosted to under 1 minute.
Avira’s also packed with other useful features, like solid real-time protection and a good VPN that encrypts your data. Admittedly, the VPNs included in Norton and Bitdefender’s plans are faster, but it’s still a great extra layer of security.
Avira’s free antivirus is also one of my favorite free anti-malware solutions — it even includes a free version of its VPN. That said, the premium version is significantly better and offers a device optimizer, a better VPN, parental controls, and more. Plans start at £17.99 / year and are backed by a generous 60-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Avira has an anti-malware engine that’s so good it’s been licensed to competitors. It maintains 100% trojan detection and removal and has many useful extra features that make it a good antivirus suite. It has a great free version, too, but the premium version offers a lot more security tools. Avira comes backed by an impressive 60-day money-back guarantee.
Bonus. Intego — Robust Trojan Protection for Mac Users
Intego offers excellent trojan protection and removal capabilities for Macs. Its scanning technology combines a comprehensive malware database with machine learning algorithms to provide top-notch security against trojans, ransomware, spyware, and other malware targeting macOS.
Intego’s VirusBarrier consistently achieved a 100% malware detection rate during my testing, effectively identifying and eliminating all trojan samples. The full system scan was completed in approximately 1 hour without causing a noticeable system slowdown.
Intego also comes with:
- Real-time protection.
- Firewall.
- System optimization tools.
- Backup utility.
Intego’s real-time protection works to prevent trojan infections before they can compromise your Mac, and its smart firewall, NetBarrier, monitors network traffic and blocks potential trojan-related communications.
Additionally, Intego offers a comprehensive set of system optimization tools to maintain your Mac’s performance, which is great for anyone with an older Mac or whose system has been affected by previous malware infections.
Intego’s backup utility creates regular backups of your important files so you can recover your data in case of a trojan, ransomware, or similar attack. You can customize the frequency of your backups and select only specific disks or folders to back up.
I really like Intego’s user interface: it’s intuitive and tailored for macOS, making it accessible for both novice and experienced Mac users.
Intego offers several plans, with prices starting at £17.99 / year for a single Mac. The best-value plan, Intego Premium Bundle X9, covers up to 5 Macs and includes all of Intego’s features. It costs £27.99 / year. All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Bottom Line:
Intego is an excellent choice for Mac users seeking robust trojan protection and removal. Its Mac-optimized scanner, real-time protection, and additional security features make it a strong contender in the Mac antivirus market. While it lacks a VPN, its focus on Mac-specific security and optimization tools compensates for this omission.
Editors’ Note: Intego and this site are in the same ownership group.
Quick Comparison Table
Testing Methodology: Comparison & Ranking Criteria
When selecting the best antiviruses for trojan protection and removal, I used our testing methodology to assess and rank various brands:
- I went for great detection rates. I prioritized antiviruses with outstanding malware detection rates. My top pick Norton regularly reaches a 100% detection and removal rate.
- I measured and compared scan speed. I looked for fast antiviruses like Bitdefender, known for its rapid cloud-based scans. It detects and eliminates trojans without significantly hampering your system’s performance, even on older devices.
- I looked for programs that are easy to use. All of the antiviruses on my list are so well designed that even complete beginners will experience no difficulties running scans, removing trojans, or performing maintenance tasks.
- I assessed the overall value. I considered the additional features an antivirus offers — these can include ransomware protection, a firewall, parental controls, and much more — and compared prices of various packages. Norton, for example, has all of these features, and its plans are competitively priced.
How to Remove a Trojan Virus From Your Device
Trojans can be sneaky. The most reliable way to remove them from your device is to use a good antivirus program. As my example, I’ll use Norton, thanks to its 100% malware detection rate. Here’s what to do:
- Download and install reliable antivirus software. Select and purchase a plan after choosing the antivirus that best suits you. You’ll then be provided with a download link. Once you download your antivirus, follow the installation wizard to install it on your device.
- Launch your antivirus and start a full scan. The full scan will analyze your system, so it’s your best bet against a trojan infection (and any other malware files). Do not interrupt the scan.
- Move the infected files to quarantine and delete them.
- Restart your device and run a second scan. The second scan should return zero results. If it finds anything, repeat steps 3 and 4.
Is Windows Defender Effective Against Trojans?
Microsoft Defender, or Windows Defender, is generally good at protecting against trojans and other malware. It has consistently high detection rates and comes built-in with all Windows devices.
However, it has limitations. First, you likely have other devices to protect against trojans, such as Macs or smartphones. The newest version of Defender supports all of these platforms, but you’ll have to purchase a Microsoft 365 subscription before it can do so. In other words, you’ll have to pay for a whole bundle of apps, like Microsoft Word and Excel, that you may not need.
Moreover, it does issue more false positives than most of the antiviruses on my list. If you’re not particularly techy, you may end up erasing a completely legitimate program while attempting to remove a trojan infection.
Finally, the free version of Defender is sorely lacking in extras that we’ve become used to seeing in modern internet security suites. So, while it’ll likely help you remove a trojan or other malware from your Windows PC, it doesn’t come with a password manager to keep your passwords secure, a VPN to keep your browsing private, or parental controls to protect your kids from harmful online content. You’ll need a well-rounded cybersecurity suite like the ones Norton or Bitdefender offers to get these and other valuable tools.
Top Brands That Didn’t Make the Cut
- Panda Dome. While I like Panda Dome’s easy-to-use interface and intuitive menus, its antimalware engine isn’t as powerful as others on this list (meaning it won’t catch as many trojans as Norton, Bitdefender, or others). When I ran some tests, it only caught about 90% of the trojans on my device.
- Trend Micro. Trend Micro is another well-known antivirus solution that is pretty good. But, despite its solid performance, Trend Micro still needs to catch up to the top contenders on my list. The minor differences in detection rates and overall performance make it a good, but not great, option for protecting your devices.
- MacKeeper. MacKeeper is a good antivirus suite that was specifically designed for Mac users. While MacKeeper is a strong contender in the Mac antivirus market, it’s slightly less powerful than our top picks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do trojans do?
Trojans are a type of malicious software that appears harmless but carries malware. Named after the Trojan horse from the famous Ancient Greek story, in which a giant wooden horse was used to smuggle attackers into the besieged city of Troy, this type of malware is designed to deceive users into downloading or installing it, usually by masquerading as legitimate files or software. Once activated, trojans can steal sensitive information, provide unauthorized access to your system, and facilitate further cyber attacks.
If you have a trojan on your PC, you must remove it immediately. Otherwise, you risk losing personal data, payment information, or worse. Trojan removal tools, such as the malware scanners provided by Norton or Bitdefender, can help remove trojans from your device and prevent further infiltration.
How can I tell if I have a trojan?
Detecting a trojan can be challenging due to its stealthy nature, but some common signs include slower system performance, unexpected pop-up ads, and unusual system crashes. However, these symptoms can also be caused by other issues, so it’s crucial to use reliable antivirus software for accurate detection.
My top antivirus for trojan removal is Norton. It reliably identifies and eliminates trojans and offers a range of other helpful internet security features.
How do I remove a trojan from my system?
You should use a reliable antivirus to remove a trojan from your system. While you can try to combat it yourself manually, this definitely isn’t recommended.
Instead, you should use a reputable product like Norton or Bitdefender, which is designed to detect, quarantine, and eliminate trojans (and other forms of malware) in minutes. After removing the trojan, an antivirus will continue providing you with real-time protection, automatically blocking further trojans before they can infect your device.
Can Mac devices get trojans?
Macs are considered more secure than other devices, but they’re not 100% immune to trojans and other malware. Cybercriminals continuously develop new ways to target devices, including those running on macOS.
It’s essential to remain vigilant and proactive in protecting your devices. A premium antivirus solution for Mac, with features like real-time scanning and frequent updates, can help keep your Mac safe from trojans and other threats.
