F-Secure vs Kaspersky

Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial

F-Secure

Finnish consumer antivirus and online security suites for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS.

Paid

Visit F-Secure F-Secure profile

Kaspersky

Consumer antivirus and security suite, the successor to Kaspersky Anti-Virus and Internet Security.

Paid

Visit Kaspersky Kaspersky profile

The short answer

F-Secure and Kaspersky both sell paid antivirus suites for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS with a 30-day money-back guarantee. F-Secure fits households that want a European, GDPR-bound vendor with scam and banking protection. Kaspersky fits users outside the US who want strong lab results and VPN, password manager and parental controls bundled. Kaspersky is no longer sold or updated in the United States.

F-Secure or Kaspersky: our take

Both companies have folded their old standalone antivirus products into broader suites. F-Secure Internet Security scans for viruses, ransomware and spyware and adds browsing protection, banking protection for payments, scam protection that warns about untrusted shops and SMS scams, and a gaming mode. F-Secure Total adds a VPN plus password and identity monitoring. Kaspersky now sells three plans, Standard, Plus and Premium. All include real-time scanning, payment protection and cleanup tools such as a duplicate and large-file finder. The higher tiers add an unlimited VPN, a password manager, identity protection and Safe Kids parental controls.

F-Secure starts at €49.99/year for 1 device, offers a 30-day free trial, and has a free online scanner for one-off PC checks, but no free antivirus plan. Kaspersky has no free tier either; its plans are yearly subscriptions with a 30-day money-back period. Platform coverage is similar: both cover Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, and Kaspersky also lists Linux support for some distributions. Kaspersky's current requirements are Windows 7 SP1 or later and macOS 14 or later. Both note that some features differ between desktop and mobile, and Kaspersky's mobile features are limited in some countries.

The bigger difference is trust and availability. F-Secure is headquartered in Finland, says it handles personal data under the GDPR, and says it does not sell user data. Kaspersky products do well in independent lab tests, but a 2024 US government ban ended sales and updates in the United States, and some organisations elsewhere avoid it for similar policy reasons. Kaspersky's bundled cleanup and upsell tools can also feel like clutter if you only want antivirus.

In the US, F-Secure is the realistic choice of the two. Elsewhere, choose F-Secure if a European vendor and scam protection matter most, and Kaspersky if you want lab-tested protection with parental controls and a VPN in a single plan.

Choose F-Secure if…

Households wanting a European antivirus suite with scam and banking protection across their devices
Covers Windows, Mac, Android and iOS in one subscription
Banking and scam protection beyond basic virus scanning

Choose Kaspersky if…

Home users outside the US who want a full security suite with VPN and parental controls bundled
You need Linux, which F-Secure doesn't list
Strong results in independent antivirus lab tests
Higher plans bundle VPN, password manager and parental controls

What is F-Secure?

F-Secure is a Finnish security company whose consumer products protect home computers and phones. Its standalone Anti-Virus product has been folded into F-Secure Internet Security, which scans for viruses, ransomware and spyware and adds browsing protection that flags dangerous sites, banking protection for shopping and payments, scam protection that warns about untrusted stores and SMS scams, and a gaming mode. F-Secure Total bundles that with a VPN, password and identity monitoring. The company stresses its European base: it says it handles personal data under the GDPR and does not sell user data. It is a paid subscription priced per number of devices and years, with a 30-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee; a free online scanner is also offered for one-off PC checks. Apps cover Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, though some features differ by platform.

What is Kaspersky?

Kaspersky is a long-running antivirus brand from the Russian-founded company Kaspersky Lab. Its older standalone products, Kaspersky Anti-Virus, Internet Security and Total Security, were folded into three subscription plans: Standard, Plus and Premium. All of them include real-time scanning against viruses, ransomware and spyware, plus payment protection and cleanup tools such as a duplicate and large-file finder. Higher tiers add an unlimited VPN, a password manager, identity protection and the Safe Kids parental controls. It runs on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, with Linux support listed for some distributions. Plans are paid yearly subscriptions with a money-back period rather than a free tier. Kaspersky products score well in independent lab tests, but sales and updates in the United States ended in 2024 after a US government ban, and some organisations elsewhere avoid it for similar policy reasons.

Side by side

Attribute	F-Secure	Kaspersky
Pricing	Paid	Paid
Open source	No	No
Self-hostable	No	No
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux
Best for	Households wanting a European antivirus suite with scam and banking protection across their devices	Home users outside the US who want a full security suite with VPN and parental controls bundled
Status	Active	Active

Verified facts, compared

Facts both apps publish, checked on each vendor's own site.

Fact	F-Secure	Kaspersky
Platforms	PC, Mac, Android, iOS	Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux
Money-back guarantee	30 days	30 days