ESET Antivirus review: is it worth getting in 2026?

ESET has built its reputation on speed and a light footprint. Scans finish quickly, background impact is minimal, and proactive heuristics catch a meaningful share of threats before signature databases even update.

What it's like to use

ESET's NOD32 engine has a long track record in independent testing, particularly for proactive detection — identifying malicious behavior patterns rather than relying purely on known signatures, which matters more as attackers ship new variants faster.

Scan times are consistently among the fastest we've measured across this list, and idle-time scanning further reduces any noticeable slowdown during active use — a good match for older hardware or machines already running other demanding software.

The interface is utilitarian rather than flashy: fewer dashboards and upsell screens, more direct access to scan logs and configuration, which power users tend to appreciate and casual users may find sparse.