Antivirus Renewal Price Index 2026: First Year vs Year Two

Antivirus subscriptions cost a median of 1.95 times more in year two than in year one, across the 14 consumer plans whose US pages print a renewal price, read on 19 October 2026. The range runs from 1.25 times on Malwarebytes Standard to 3 times on McAfee+ Premium, whose renewal is $149.99 a year. Bitdefender, Trend Micro and ESET print no renewal figure at all.

That is the short answer to the question most buyers only ask at their first renewal email. The first-year price is a promotion, and on most suites it is roughly half of what you will pay every year after. This index lists the first-year price and the printed renewal price for 17 plans from eight vendors, computes the markup for each, and prices a three-year household budget so you can compare the real cost, not the banner.

Cyberpresso data: of the 11 plans that print an annual renewal amount in dollars, the median increase at renewal is $55 a year, and the largest is $110 on McAfee+ Advanced. Six of the 14 plans with a printed renewal cost at least twice as much in year two. These figures are our own index, computed from the vendors' US pricing pages, as of October 2026.

The 2026 antivirus renewal price index

All prices are US dollars before sales tax, for one-year terms, read on each vendor's US pricing page on 19 October 2026. The last column divides the printed renewal price by the first-year price; for Malwarebytes, which prints its list price as a monthly figure billed yearly, it divides the list monthly figure by the first-year monthly figure. Promotions change often, so treat first-year prices as a snapshot and renewal prices as the number to budget.

How much does antivirus go up after the first year?

For most suites, expect year two to cost about double. The median plan in the index renews at 1.95 times its first-year price, and the mean markup is 92%. In dollars, the typical plan adds about $55 a year at renewal, which is the cost of a second subscription that most buyers never planned for.

The markup is not spread evenly. The steepest jumps sit on the mid-priced suites that vendors advertise most. McAfee+ Premium triples, Norton 360 Deluxe goes up 2.5 times, and Norton 360 Standard 2.4 times. The plans at the top of each range move least: McAfee+ Ultimate and Avast's 10-device plan rise by about 40%, because their first-year discount was smaller to begin with.

For a household, this means the plan that looks cheapest in year one is often not the cheapest by year three. A buyer who compares only banner prices is comparing discounts, not products.

Which antivirus vendors print their renewal price?

Five of the eight vendors print the renewal figure next to the discount, and three do not. That difference matters more than any single price, because it decides whether you can budget year two before you buy.

• Norton prints "Savings compared to the renewal price of $X/year" under every plan on its US products page, and its terms say the subscription is then billed at the applicable renewal price.
• McAfee shows the renewal price beside each first-year price on its US plans page, and its offer details define the advertised savings as the difference between the introductory first-term price and the renewal subscription price.
• Avast and AVG print "Savings compared to renewal price $X/year" on the Avast Premium Security and AVG Internet Security pages.
• Malwarebytes strikes through its list price on the pricing page and states that plans renew at list price unless cancelled.
• Bitdefender labels its Total Security price "First year price" next to a higher struck-through figure, but does not say that figure is the renewal price.
• Trend Micro shows a discounted price against a higher struck-through price on Maximum Security and says the subscription renews at the "then-current subscription renewal price".
• ESET shows a single yearly price for Home Security, with a 15% saving for a two-year term and no first-year label.

Our view: a vendor that prints its renewal price deserves a point in its favor, even when the number is high. With Bitdefender and Trend Micro, the year-two bill is unknown until the renewal notice arrives; see our Bitdefender pricing guide for what its fine print does say.

Three-year cost for a household

The fairest comparison is the total over three years, one discounted year plus two renewals. Here is that total for the plans in the index that cover a household of five or more devices and print a renewal price, our arithmetic on the printed figures:

Avast's 10-device plan is the cheapest household suite over three years, even though Norton 360 Deluxe and McAfee+ Premium both cost less in year one. The ranking flips because those two carry the largest renewal jumps. Norton's LifeLock bundle costs the most, but it is the only plan here that adds LifeLock identity theft protection, so it competes with identity services, not with plain antivirus.

For one computer the order changes. Norton AntiVirus Plus renews at the lowest printed price in the index and also has the lowest first-year price, so over three years it costs $149.97, against $199.97 for AVG Internet Security on one PC and $205.06 for Avast Premium Security on one PC plus a phone. If you want a free option for a single machine instead, our best free antivirus guide compares what the free versions leave out.

How to avoid paying the full renewal price

The vendors' own terms give you three levers. None of them is a trick; they are written on the same pages as the prices.

1. Check the auto-renewal date and the notice period. McAfee charges 30 days before an annual term ends and sends an email reminder 30 days before the charge; to avoid it, you must cancel at least 31 days before expiration. Malwarebytes says it emails you before the plan renews.
2. Use the money-back window if a renewal slips through. Norton and Malwarebytes advertise a 60-day money-back guarantee, and McAfee and Avast a 30-day one. Read the refund terms on the vendor's site before you rely on them for a renewal charge.
3. Compare the renewal price, not the next promotion. When the renewal notice arrives, check what a new customer pays for the same plan and what a rival's printed renewal is. A switch every year resets the discount but also resets your settings, and a two-year term, where offered, can lock in a lower average price.

For a longer view of each vendor, see the Norton pricing, McAfee pricing, Malwarebytes pricing and ESET pricing guides, and our Bitdefender vs Norton comparison.

FAQ

How much do antivirus subscriptions go up after the first year?

Across 14 plans whose US pages print a renewal price, year two costs a median of 1.95 times year one, read on 19 October 2026. The range is 1.25 times on Malwarebytes Standard to 3 times on McAfee+ Premium, and the median dollar increase is $55 a year among plans that print an annual renewal amount.

Which antivirus has the lowest renewal price?

Norton AntiVirus Plus has the lowest printed renewal in the index for one device. For a household, Avast Premium Security for 10 devices renews at $99.99 a year, the lowest printed renewal among plans covering five or more devices, and it is the cheapest of the household suites over three years.

Does Bitdefender print its renewal price?

Not on its US Total Security page. Bitdefender labels its five-device price "First year price" and shows a higher struck-through figure, but it does not state that figure is the renewal price. Budget year two as unknown until your renewal notice arrives.

Why is the first year of antivirus so cheap?

Vendors discount the first term to win new customers and rely on auto-renewal for the rest. McAfee's own terms define its advertised savings as the gap between the introductory first-term price and the renewal subscription price, which is the same model Norton, Avast and AVG print on their pages.

Is it worth switching antivirus every year to keep the discount?

It can save money, but only if you compare like with like. A new first-year deal from a rival is a promotion too, so check that vendor's printed renewal before you switch. Over three years, the plan with the lowest renewal price usually beats the plan with the lowest first-year price.

Sources and method

We read the US consumer pricing pages of Norton, McAfee, Avast, AVG, Malwarebytes, Bitdefender, Trend Micro and ESET on 19 October 2026 and recorded the one-year first-year price and the renewal figure each page prints. Sources: Norton products, Norton AntiVirus Plus, McAfee plans, Avast Premium Security, AVG Internet Security, Malwarebytes pricing, Bitdefender Total Security, Trend Micro Maximum Security and ESET Home Security. The renewal multiple divides the printed renewal by the first-year price; three-year totals add one first-year price and two printed renewals. Plans without a printed renewal are listed but excluded from the median, mean and three-year tables. We do not test products, and no figure here comes from a purchase. Toolradar, the software directory we run, profiles Malwarebytes, Bitdefender and ESET.

Cite this: Cyberpresso, "Antivirus Renewal Price Index 2026: First Year vs Year Two", November 2026.

Related reading: Norton review, McAfee review, ESET review, best antivirus for Windows, best antivirus for Mac and LifeLock pricing.

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