ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025: Is it Secure Enough?
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 is considered a safe and effective antivirus solution, especially for those who prioritize speed and minimal system impact. It offers robust malware detection, protecting against viruses, ransomware, and other threats. While it may not have all the extra features of some internet security suites, it excels at its core task of malware protection.
ESET's virus scanner performed better than most I tested. It caught almost all the malware samples I downloaded to my test devices, many of which were hiding in places other antivirus scanners often overlook.
ESET offers several additional features, including a firewall, anti-phishing tool, network monitor, VPN, diagnostics tool, and password manager.
Overall, ESET is a good choice, but if you want system optimization tools, great parental controls, or comprehensive protection for Mac, there are better options on the market. However, one big positive is that ESET offers a 30-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out risk-free.
Is ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 good?
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 is a secure antivirus that is really good at protecting your device from malware, phishing scams, ransomware, and other online threats. While testing the program, we found that it kept our device completely safe while browsing online. It also lets you see who is logging into your Wi-Fi router.
However, if you want to protect multiple devices with antivirus software, the prices of ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 start to get too high. Especially when you can compare what this software offers to another antivirus leader in the market, TotalAV, which offers excellent protection for multiple devices at half the price.
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 Security Review
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 offers almost flawless antivirus protection by providing a very sophisticated suite of security features. Let’s see what these are and how well they perform.
Multi-platform protection
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 offers comprehensive protection for Windows, macOS, Android, macOS, and Linux, meaning you can protect a wide range of devices. And not only that – depending on the plan you choose, you can protect multiple devices with a single license. Thus, you can use it on your laptop, smartphone, and tablet.
For example, the license for ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 can be used to activate ESET Cyber Security or ESET Cyber Security Pro on Mac. So you know that, no matter which operating system or device you use, you will get a comprehensive suite of security features tailored to the platform you are using.
Ransomware protection
Ransomware encrypts all your files, demanding a ransom. Ransomware is hard to get rid of, so it’s important that you take all the necessary measures to prevent it.
Fortunately, ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 is able to prevent ransomware from entering your system. Of course, to stay 100% safe, you should also back up all your important files and avoid opening suspicious email attachments or links.
Banking and Privacy Secure
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 promises to keep your banking details more secure, allowing you to shop online without your payment details being compromised. This feature is activated automatically whenever you visit a recognized financial site. It will help you switch to a secure browser to protect your payment data.
Once you choose to use a secure browser for a financial website, it will automatically open in the secure browser whenever you visit it.
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 Antivirus Additional Features
Like most antivirus programs, ESET offers some additional features in addition to its security options.
Anti-Theft
Location Tracking lets you label your device as lost in the ESET Anti-Theft web interface if you ever lose it. This handy feature will then automatically monitor your device and display its position on a map using Wi-Fi networks in range as soon as the device comes online. You can then access this information using ESET's Anti-Theft feature whenever you want to find out where your device is.
Anti-Theft Optimization makes it easy to configure Windows auto-login and operating system account passwords. It helps increase your level of security by prompting you to modify your key system settings.
Laptop Activity Watch works by allowing you to access your laptop's built-in webcam so you can spot thieves stealing your machine. You can also collect snapshots of your lost laptop's screen and save recent photos to help you get your laptop back.
One Way Messaging lets you create a message and display it on the screen of your lost device to increase your chances of getting it back.
Phantom Account means they can log into this fake account without a password, so they won't be able to access any of your files.
Browsing History and IP Address Access lets you see what the thief is searching for on your device. Also, it allows you to track the location of your device by looking at its IP address.
These tools are really useful if your device gets lost or stolen because they can help you recover it. And the anti-theft features are especially useful for your mobile device or your laptop.
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 Password Manager
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 has a password manager bundled with its premium plan. And it's pretty good as a password manager, although other programs offer more features.
Most importantly, ESET Password Manager is very secure. And it's convenient too. It allows you to sync passwords across all your devices, provided you have the ESET app on them. And on your desktop, it comes as a browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.
It's worth noting, however, that it can only import passwords from a select few third-party password managers. This can pose a big problem if you're transitioning from an existing password manager to ESET.
What's more worrying is that ESET's password manager doesn't have some very essential features that you'll find in many of its competitors.
Overall, if you don't have a password manager and you're thinking of signing up for one of ESET's more expensive plans, you can use the included password manager. But if not, you're probably better off using a third-party password manager that offers more features.
Browser Privacy and Security
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 launches the Browser Privacy and Security feature with four important functionalities:
Safe Search. With this functionality, it's easy to check for phishing links on Google, Edge, and Firefox that may be hidden in search results.
Browser Cleanup. Clearing cookies, history, and other related data is easier than ever, as the new feature enables scheduling regular browser cleanups.
Metadata Cleanup. This feature removes metadata (GPS location and camera type) from photos uploaded online. This feature is available to ESET Home Security Ultimate plan subscribers.
Website Settings Review. You can now review and change website permissions, such as location and microphone access, using your ESET antivirus. This feature is available to ESET Home Security Ultimate plan subscribers.
Identity Protection
Another great feature that comes with ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 is identity protection. Unfortunately, it is only available to those who subscribe to the ESET Home Security Ultimate plan. This feature monitors, gives alerts, and provides recovery services to help protect against identity theft.
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 Identity Protection feature includes:
Credit and credit score monitoring
Social security number tracking
Dark web monitoring
Social media monitoring
Insurance coverage up to USD 1 million
Identity restoration services
VPN
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an essential privacy and security tool for internet users. It encrypts traffic to ensure that your search history stays private, even if you live in a country where internet users are closely monitored and content is censored.
ESET's VPN enables you to create a secure and private connection over public networks.
A VPN can provide more than just security and privacy. It can also help bypass certain geographic restrictions that prevent users from accessing streaming platforms or certain libraries. It makes file-sharing more secure and anonymous. Also, if an internet service provider (ISP) throttles internet speeds, a VPN can help avoid this.
ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 Alternatives
If you’re not sure if ESET NOD32 Antivirus 2025 is the right antivirus for your device and want to see how it compares to other top products on the market, check out some short comparisons below.
TotalAV
TotalAV antivirus software not only offers the best protection against known and zero-day malware threats, but it also offers additional security features at a very affordable price.
Bitdefender
Bitdefender is another great antivirus solution. This is because it’s not only cheaper but it also has a lot of security features that will help you sleep better at night, knowing your system is completely protected.
Norton 360
Comparing ESET vs Norton, it's clear that from virus detection rates to app quality, they are programs with similar abilities.
It has webcam protection, dark web monitoring, and a VPN in the lower-tier plan. Plus, Norton 360's basic package is cheaper than ESET's standard plan.