The full review
What it is
ESET HOME Security is the consumer range from ESET, a privately held company headquartered in Bratislava, Slovak Republic, with its North American arm in San Diego. It grew out of a 1987 prototype by Peter Paško and Miroslav Trnka and says it has taken no venture funding and has no outside investors. The range comes in three tiers, Essential, Premium and Ultimate, alongside the standalone NOD32 Antivirus and Mobile Security for Android.
All tiers include real-time antivirus, safe banking and browsing, a firewall with Wi-Fi and network shield, and AI-powered threat detection. Premium adds unlimited VPN traffic across up to 40 countries and encryption for sensitive files. Ultimate adds VPN for Router, Identity Protection with dark web scanning, credit report monitoring and identity recovery with $1M insurance, plus ransomware remediation. ESET covers Windows, macOS and Android; on iOS only the VPN and Identity Protection are offered. AV-Comparatives named Essential for Windows its Product of the Year 2024, with the highest Advanced+ award in all seven tests, though no 2025 or 2026 lab result appears on eset.com.
What it costs in practice
The configurator defaults price Essential at $59.99 for 3 devices and one year, Premium at $89.99 for 3 devices and Ultimate at $179.99 for 5 devices. NOD32 is $39.99 for one device and Mobile Security for Android is $12.99 a year. The Essential and Premium cards offer 15% off with a two-year term; the Ultimate card shows no such discount.
Every displayed price is marked as valid for the first term only, and ESET publishes no renewal figure on the pricing pages. There is no free tier; ESET points buyers to a 30-day trial before purchase. Refunds are available within 30 days, but only for purchases made directly from ESET North America, and they are processed by phone. Subscription changes are permitted within 30 days of purchase or 90 days of the renewal date. Tech Advisor also notes that ransomware protection and cloud-based malware analysis on Windows are absent from the macOS version, that parental controls are fairly rudimentary, and that it could not get the password manager extension to work.
Strengths
- AV-Comparatives Product of the Year 2024 for Essential on Windows, top award in all seven tests
- Premium adds unlimited VPN traffic and file encryption for $89.99 (3 devices)
- 30-day full refund on purchases made directly from ESET North America
- Privately held since its 1987 origins, with no VC funding or outside investors
Watch out for
- No antivirus engine for iOS; iPhone users get only the VPN and Identity Protection
- Displayed prices are valid for the first term only and no renewal price is published
- No free tier; ESET points buyers to a 30-day trial before purchase
- Identity Protection and VPN for Router are Ultimate-only, and Tech Advisor reports the identity feature is not yet live in the UK
Key features
| Feature | What it does |
|---|
| Antivirus and banking protection | Real-time antivirus, safe banking and browsing, firewall with Wi-Fi and network shield, and AI-powered threat detection on every plan. |
| Unlimited VPN and encryption | Unlimited VPN traffic and encryption of sensitive data and photos from Premium; VPN for Router in Ultimate. |
| Identity Protection | Ultimate only: dark web scanning, credit report monitoring, SSN tracking, lost wallet assistance and identity recovery with $1M insurance. |
| Ransomware Remediation | Ransomware defence and recovery, listed for Ultimate. |
How ESET HOME Security compares
| Alternative | How it differs |
|---|
| Norton 360 Advanced | Named by Tech Advisor as better value than ESET HOME Security Ultimate. |
| McAfee+ Advanced | Also named by Tech Advisor as better value than ESET Ultimate. |
| Trend Micro Maximum Security | 5-device suite at $74.95 for the first 12 months against ESET Ultimate’s $179.99 for 5 devices. |
Frequently asked questions
How much does ESET HOME Security cost?
With the configurator defaults, Essential is $59.99 a year for 3 devices, Premium is $89.99 for 3 devices and Ultimate is $179.99 for 5 devices. NOD32 Antivirus is $39.99 for one device and Mobile Security for Android is $12.99 a year. Essential and Premium offer 15% off on a two-year term. All prices are valid for the first term only, and ESET does not publish a renewal figure.
Which devices does ESET HOME Security cover?
Windows, macOS and Android get the full antivirus. On iOS, ESET offers only the VPN and Identity Protection, and states it does not provide an antivirus solution for iOS. VPN access is capped by plan: up to 3 devices on Essential and Premium (5 on plans over 10 devices) and up to 10 on Ultimate (25 on larger plans).
ESET HOME Security ratings on other platforms
Independent user ratings from third-party review sites, linked here for transparency.
These are not our editorial score, are captured on the date shown, and may have changed since.