Panda Review

Today, we’re answering some of the biggest questions surrounding the service, and whether not their antivirus has aged well at all. We’re also going to go over all the pros and cons of their features, as well as tackle the history of the company itself as a whole.

Back in 1990, Panda Security (known at the time as Panda Software) was founded in Spain. It originally started off as an antivirus company and has since branched out to provide more general cybersecurity solutions to consumers, homeowners, and businesses alike.

One of Panda Security’s greatest achievements was becoming the fourth-largest vendor of antiviruses worldwide back in 2005. The company was eventually taken over by Investindustrial, a Southern European investment group. Recently last March 2020, a Seattle-based security firm known as WatchGuard announced an agreement to the acquisition of Panda Security.

Pros and Cons

Security

All Panda Antivirus plans, whether it be the basic, free version, or the pricey Premium version, come with their signature antivirus protection software. The company boasts a 100% virus detection rate for Windows devices on their website, but how true is this claim? To find out, let’s take a look at results from various tests done by labs.

Let’s first discuss the test conducted by AV-Test last December 2018. During the test, the software was able to detect 100% of the malware that it encountered throughout the test, living up to its claim.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the antivirus is perfect. Malware samples lasted for up to a few days during the test, which gave enough time for Panda’s anti-malware software to detect all of them with no problem.

In addition to the positive test results, AV-Test gave a score of 6 out of 6 in terms of protection. This is the highest score that AV-Test can possibly give, meaning that Panda Antivirus boasts one of the best virus protection systems out there.

Other than the AV-Test results, AV-Comparatives also ran a test between February and March of 2020. Using a real-world protection test, the results showed that Panda Antivirus blocked 99.7% of threats with only 12 total false positives. This is great, but other antiviruses, such as Avira and Bitdefender, were able to pass the same test with a 100% block rate.

Ransomware is also another problem that users end up facing when downloading suspicious .exe files and installers from the internet. Most premium antiviruses come with this feature, and while Panda Antivirus does have its own anti-ransomware capabilities, it is only available to users who avail of the Advanced, Complete, or Premium plans. Basic and Essential plans are locked out of this crucial feature entirely.

It’s not all that bad, though - the difference between the Essential and Advanced plans is merely a dollar a month, and it’s understandable for the Basic version to not come with the feature, as it’s free. But it definitely would have been nice, at least, for the Essential plan to come with this feature, as ransomware is still a problem that many people fall victim to every day.

Another useful perk that Panda Antivirus has is its Identity Theft Protection module. The way it works is that users can set a limit for transfers, and even create an alert routine that tells you whenever your transactions are going over the set limit. It’s perfect for knowing immediately when someone’s trying to take advantage of your account. As long as you pay attention to the notifications, you should be able to take action instantly.

Not sure where to store all your passwords? If you don’t trust Google Chrome’s own password manager, you can make use of Panda Antivirus’s very own. The software makes managing your confidential password data easy and safe.

As a final security and privacy benefit, Panda Antivirus comes with its own, fully-integrated VPN. The VPN is available to all Panda Antivirus plans, including the Basic one. There’s a catch, though - aside from the Premium plan, all Panda Antivirus plans come only with 150 MB of allowance for the VPN on a daily basis.

Features

Other than their secure anti-malware and anti-ransomware features, as well as an integrated VPN and password management modules, there are other extra perks that make Panda Antivirus even better. These features don’t directly improve the security of the devices but are still helpful nonetheless.

One such feature is their built-in Parental Control module. Many premium antiviruses feature this extra module, and Panda Antivirus makes it available to all users starting from the Advanced plan. It allows parents to “manage your child’s internet use and app access”. 

Sometimes, computers can end up with unneeded files, which wastes space. This clutter and junk accumulate over time and can be a big problem for old PCs. Panda Antivirus comes with its own cleanup tool so that users can improve the performance of the devices that it’s installed in. Unfortunately, only the Complete and Premium packages are able to use the tool at this time.

Platforms and Devices 

Supported Platforms and Devices

• Windows
• macOS
• Android

One major drawback of Panda Antivirus is its complete lack of support for iOS devices, despite supporting macOS devices. This is because iOS devices are still popular among many users that prefer it over Android. Interestingly enough, the Premium VPN of Panda Antivirus alone is available for iOS devices.

Pricing

• Basic Plan - FREE
• Essential Plan - $2.99/month
• Advanced Plan - $3.99/month
• Complete Plan - $4.99/month
• Premium Plan - $5.99/month

Panda Antivirus is different from most antiviruses in terms of pricing in the sense that they come in monthly subscriptions rather than yearly ones. With 1-dollar increments beginning from the Essential plan, the flexibility in plans gives users the freedom to choose a plan that best suits their needs and budget.

The Basic plan comes only with their antivirus protection and free VPN (with only 150 MB of data allowance per day). The Essential plan has all that as well as Mac and Android real-time antivirus protection, Wifi protection, and scanning for external devices.

Moving up, we have the Advanced Plan, which comes with everything plus identity protection, parental control, and ransomware protection, and the Complete plan, with everything plus a data shield, the cleanup tool, and the password manager. The Premium plan comes with every feature available, including 24/7 technical support and unlimited VPN usage.

Ease of Use

When installing Panda Antivirus, be mindful that you may end up setting their Panda Safe Web to be your default search provider by mistake. The installer also installs Panda Smart Shopping, and both added software can be opted out of installation. Panda Antivirus is lightweight and features menus and layouts that are easy on the eyes.

Customer Support

Unlike most antiviruses, don’t expect 24/7 support unless you’re a Premium user. Even if you’re a paid user, as long as you aren’t premium, you aren’t given access to their Premium-only support perks. You’ll have to wait quite a bit before you get your answer.

Conclusion

Panda Antivirus has a budget-friendly pricing model that appeals to everyone from the free user to those with extra money in their pockets. Its protective features are more than enough to keep your data safe, and you’ll enjoy most of their bonus features (provided that you pay accordingly, of course). We’re giving Panda an 8.5 because while their services are above-average, it wouldn’t hurt to add their ransomware in lower-tier plans at the very least.