Antivirus Free Trials: How They Actually Work
A free trial is paid antivirus software with a timer. It is not free antivirus, and conflating the two is the most common way people end up with an unexpected charge.
Products covered on this page
Free, trial, freemium and paid
Free means permanent and unlimited in time — Microsoft Defender, Bitdefender Free Edition, Avast Free. A trial expires. Freemium is a permanent free tier that upsells. Paid is a subscription that usually renews well above its first-year rate.
Before you start a trial
Check whether a payment method is required up front, note the exact end date in your calendar, and find the cancellation path in the vendor's account portal before you need it. Uninstalling the software does not cancel the subscription.
Frequently asked questions
- Is there a Norton 360 free trial?
- Norton runs trials periodically. Length and eligibility are set by the developer and change between campaigns, so check the official Norton page rather than a third-party claim.
- Does uninstalling cancel my trial?
- No. Cancel in the vendor's account portal; removing the software only stops it running.