2025 Antivirus Trends, Statistics, and Market Report

Antivirus Adoption in 2025: Usage Stays Flat While Protection Gaps Widen

In 2025, approximately 66 percent of U.S. adults have turned to antivirus software, a figure that has remained consistent over the past year. Among these users, 25 percent utilize antivirus solutions on both business and personal devices, while 41 percent restrict their usage to personal devices—a modest rise from 39 percent in 2024. This leaves 34 percent of Americans operating without any antivirus protection.

These statistics translate to roughly 169 million Americans actively employing antivirus software. Notably, there exists a striking gap of nearly 20 percentage points between the 85 percent of individuals who believe antivirus is essential and the 66 percent who actually use it. This disparity indicates that significant barriers to broader adoption persist.

One possible reason for the stagnation in adoption may be attributed to evolving perceptions of “protection.” Many users now rely on built-in defenses that provide a solid baseline of security, especially when software is regularly updated and risky downloads are avoided. However, these native tools may not match the responsiveness of premium antivirus programs when it comes to swiftly emerging threats, such as zero-day vulnerabilities, ransomware, and phishing attacks—areas where dedicated security teams continue to excel.

One in Four Smartphone Users Run Antivirus Software

Protection levels vary significantly across different device types. Personal computers remain the most safeguarded category, with 63 percent of PC owners utilizing real-time antivirus software. However, this marks a substantial decline of 20 percentage points from 83 percent in 2022, hinting at an increasing reliance on built-in protections like Microsoft Defender or a diminishing perception of the necessity for third-party solutions.

Mobile devices reveal a concerning protection gap: only 25 percent of smartphone owners employ antivirus software, despite a near-universal smartphone ownership rate of 95 percent. Tablets fare even worse, with just 22 percent of owners utilizing antivirus protection. Interestingly, the incidence of viruses on smartphones is quite low, with only two percent of users reporting a virus in the past year, compared to seven percent of PC users.

How many people use antivirus software?

By device type

The necessity of antivirus software for smartphones largely hinges on the operating system. iPhones benefit from stringent app sandboxing, making traditional malware encounters rare; thus, antivirus apps on iOS often focus on features like phishing protection, password management, VPNs, and secure cloud storage. Conversely, Android devices face a heightened risk of malware due to their open app ecosystem, particularly for users who sideload apps or frequently connect to public Wi-Fi. Many Android phones now incorporate built-in protections such as Samsung Knox or Google Play Protect, which can provide adequate baseline defense for most users.

Operating system choice significantly influences adoption patterns. Among personal computer users, 69 percent of Windows users have antivirus software installed, compared to just 37 percent of macOS users. This disparity likely reflects the perceived security advantages of macOS, even though Windows systems experienced a higher malware incidence, with 7.6 percent of users affected versus 4.1 percent on macOS.

Research indicates that antivirus adoption increases steadily with age. Users aged 60 and older demonstrate the highest PC antivirus adoption at 73 percent, in contrast to just 51 percent for those aged 18-29, highlighting a 22-percentage-point gap that reflects generational differences in perceived security needs.

Free Antivirus Use Surges: Are Americans Sacrificing Security or Getting Smarter?

The antivirus market has witnessed a notable shift toward free solutions in 2025, with free antivirus usage rebounding to 61 percent from 52 percent in 2024. Free antivirus tools have significantly improved, often utilizing the same malware databases as their paid counterparts.

For many users seeking basic protection, free options now deliver comparable malware detection. However, they typically lack advanced safeguards such as real-time protection, zero-day defense, ransomware rollback, and sandboxing—features that are particularly crucial for high-risk users, including professionals, business owners, and journalists.