How we rank

Every ranking on AntivirusShortlist is drawn up without regard to affiliate status: whether a vendor runs a partner programme, and what it pays, is not an input at any step. The rest of this page shows the working in full, from the sources we draw on and the refresh cadence to the things we refuse to do. A recommendation you cannot trace back to something described here is a flaw in our process, and we would like to hear about it.

What goes into a ranking

The order is built from inputs we can measure, weighted in the sequence below. You will not find a decimal-point score next to each product, because a figure such as “73.5%” stops being true the day a promotion starts or a new lab round is published. The sequence is the part we stand behind; how far apart two neighbours really are is a judgement, and the review explains it.

• Independent lab data. When a neutral laboratory has measured the quality that matters most, its results come first. For antivirus software that means AV-Comparatives test results and the results they publish; the figures in a vendor's own marketing never stand in for them.
• The real price, including renewal. What we record is the amount you pay, not the introductory rate printed largest on the vendor's page. Where the renewal differs from the first year, both figures are shown. Our own price series is the Price Index.
• What it actually does. How closely the feature set matches what someone protecting their own devices needs, rather than how long the list of extras runs.
• Whether free is enough. When a free tier or the protection already built into the operating system covers most people, we say so in plain words.

The principles we hold to

Read these as working rules rather than marketing lines; each one shapes how the order is produced.

• Built on lab data. Verdicts rest on the published results of independent labs such as AV-Comparatives and AV-TEST, never on what the box promises.
• Renewal prices shown. The antivirus business runs on a cheap first year followed by a costly renewal. Both figures are listed side by side, so year two holds no surprise.
• Free options taken seriously. Microsoft Defender and the worthwhile free tiers sit in the same lineup as the paid suites. Where free covers your needs, that is what we say.
• No sponsored rankings. The site is paid for by affiliate links, and the order is settled before commission enters the picture.

How fresh the data is

Nothing undermines a comparison site quicker than a price that no longer applies, which is why keeping the data current is handled by scripts, not by resolutions. Prices are re-read and the Price Index is recalculated with every build; on top of that, a monthly automated reading is being brought in so that a history forms as the months pass. Very few sites publish a record like that, and it is what we would like to be cited for. Every data page shows when its figures were read for as long as that reading is recent, and links a feed in machine-readable form with the date of each reading, so nobody has to take our word for a figure.

What we refuse to do

• Positions are not for sale, and there is no fee a vendor could pay to climb the list.
• Sentiment, familiarity with a brand, or a handsome interface never change a position. Without data behind it, a factor does not count.
• A higher renewal, a catch in the terms, or a cheaper rival never gets buried to protect a commission.
• Ratings are never made up. A star score is shown only where there is evidence to support it.

Funding, and why it leaves the order alone

Using AntivirusShortlist costs nothing; the site is paid for through affiliate links, so a purchase made through one may bring us a commission without adding to what you pay. The order is settled on the inputs above, and commission plays no part in it at any stage. The full terms are in our disclaimer, and who runs the site is on the about page.

Check us against the data

A published method is only worth something if it can be held against the outcome. Should a ranking on this site contradict the data behind it, or a price have gone stale, we treat that as a fault to be repaired. Nothing is kept behind the scenes: the Price Index is published as a free, machine-readable feed under a CC BY 4.0 licence, which means a person or an AI engine can verify every figure and reuse it, provided the source is credited.