Panda Protection Advanced - Review 2022

How many different devices do yous use in a given twenty-four hours? Four? Vii? More? And then why would you want to install a security suite on just 1 of them? A subscription to the new Panda Protection Advanced gives y'all unlimited licenses to install Panda's security on Windows and Android devices. Note, though, that while Panda offers robust, full-featured Android protection, some components of its Windows suite aren't the best. For this review, I'm focusing on the cross-platform nature of Panda Protection Advanced.

At $34.99 per year, Panda Protection is the least expensive of current cross-platform multi-device suites. McAfee charges $89.99 per year for unlimited licenses, and even AVG Internet Security - Unlimitedcosts $69.99 per twelvemonth. Norton's subscription isn't precisely unlimited, but you get 10 licenses for $89.99, along with 25GB of hosted storage for your backups. Other similar products run almost the same.

Panda Protection Advanced is part of a new product line introduced this year. Panda Free Antivirus is also part of this product line, with Panda Protection Complete rounding out the drove. These products feature a main window whose background is a lovely nature scene, with only a few visible controls. Scrolling down reveals the full drove of features.

You're too complimentary to purchase familiar products from Panda'south existing product line. These include the premium antivirus, a security suite, and two levels of feature-laden security mega-suites. The primary windows for these products feature a drove of rectangular panels of varying sizes, representing various security components. Colors vary likewise, only each product has a different overall color theme. You can move the panels effectually to suit your fancy, a feature non present in Panda Protection.

Protection for Windows

When you use your subscription to protect a Windows box, the security protection nether the hood is exactly the same as what yous go with Panda Internet Security. I'm not offering a full summary of that review here. Please read it earlier standing. Briefly, its star component is a ransomware protection component chosen Data Shield. It offers many bonus features, but its firewall is basic, its parental control system is limited, and its antivirus scores have sagged since the last version.

Using the various security components in Panda Protection is just slightly jarring. When yous click Data Shield, Parental Control, Firewall, or whatever of the other components, you lose the nature-scene background. All of the secondary screens look exactly as they did in Panda Internet Security. Well, almost all. When you launch an antivirus browse, you lot get to go on the pretty groundwork.

Panda Protection Advanced on Windows

Another confusing moment occurs if yous click the "Add devices+" link at the top left corner of the chief window. This takes y'all to a web page that indicates y'all can install protection for Mac, Android, or iOS devices. However, Panda Protection doesn't include Mac support, and the iOS app really isn't part of the subscription. Information technology's totally free, and does zilch simply find a lost device.

Panda Protection does offer a pair of features not found in the quondam-school suite, just they're not directly related to the security of your devices. A notifications icon at the height displays the number of unread notifications, and clicking it brings upwards the full list. You lot can click another icon to view headlines of Panda-curated security news, and click whatever headline to bring up the full commodity.

See How We Test Security Software

Full-Featured Android Security

You tin use one of your licenses for Panda Internet Security or Panda Antivirus Pro to install protection on an Android device. The same is truthful with Panda Protection, except that you become an unlimited number of licenses.

You outset by installing the gratis Panda Mobile Security app on your Android device. Its opening screen gives yous the choice of continuing with the free, feature-limited version or entering a code to activate the full product. If yous don't have your activation code handy, you tin expect information technology upward by logging in to your account online.

Panda Mobile Security's user interface matches that of Panda Protection, with a nature scene equally groundwork, but instead of scrolling downwards to run into specific features, you notice them in a carte du jour at left. In testing, the antivirus scanner finished in a flash, and correctly reported no problems.

To enable the anti-theft features, you first sign in using your account countersign. Later on that, the app walks y'all through the process of defining it as Device Administrator. Enabling Theft Alerts means that the app will snap a photo of anyone who tries (without success) to log into your device three times.

Panda Protection Advanced on Android

From the online console, you can locate, lock, or wipe the Android device remotely. You tin as well tell it to snap a photo, or sound an alarm. In other words, information technology does everything you'd expect from an Android anti-theft system.

Here's something unlike. If, for some reason, y'all have to pace abroad from the device, you can turn on Motion Alert. Next fourth dimension everyone picks up the device, it sounds an alarm, stopping but when unlocked. That'll teach 'em to mess with your stuff!

The Privacy Accountant looks at the permissions required by your apps. It reports on diverse permissions that could feasibly threaten your security, things like tracking your location, accessing your accounts, and reading your messages. Some programs legitimately require these permissions, naturally. If you find a suspicious 1, such every bit a flashlight app that tracks your location, you can delete the app with only a tap.

Panda Mobile includes a Job Killer that reports on memory and CPU usage, allowing you to terminate resources-hogging apps. Its App Lock lets you lot lock sure apps with a PIN. That manner yous can permit your kids play Angry Birds without the possibility they'll send a crazy tweet, or open your banking app. Panda Mobile Security doesn't have every imaginable Android security characteristic, only information technology covers all the important ones.

Other Possibilities

I mentioned that Panda Protection Advanced is the least expensive of the cross-platform multi-device security suites I've reviewed. Notwithstanding, toll isn't everything; the others are worth a expect, also.

All of McAfee's products let you install protection on every one of your Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices. Each higher level increases protection for Windows, while the other platforms remain the same. McAfee Internet Security is the closest equivalent to Panda Protection Advanced. McAfee's scores in our antivirus tests came in about the same equally Panda'southward, while its contained testing lab scores were a chip amend. At the height of the line, for $89.99 per year McAfee LiveSafe adds a unique biometrically-protected online storage locker, and gives you 5 licenses for the True Key password director.

Symantec Norton Security Premium likewise protects Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS devices, though its iOS support is limited. For $89.99 per year yous go 10 licenses. It'south not unlimited, just the departure is moot unless y'all need to install on more 10 devices. Norton gets great scores in antivirus tests—both ours and those performed past independent labs. And with this subscription yous go Norton's powerful backup tool, along with 25GB of hosted online backup.

SecurityWatch

Because of its wealth of features, Bitdefender Total Security 2022 is an Editors' Choice for security mega-suite. Information technology costs a fleck more Norton, $99.95 for 10 licenses. But in improver to being a corking suite for Windows, it includes support for macOS and Android devices besides. Its parental control arrangement works across all 3 platforms, and its anti-theft protection extends to both Android and Windows devices.

Kaspersky Full Security, our other Editors' Choice for security mega-suite, nominally costs more than the rest, listing at $149.95 per year for 10 licenses. Notwithstanding, it seems to be continually on sale for $89.99. The antivirus testing labs absolutely love Kaspersky. Y'all can use your licenses to install protection on Windows, macOS, and Android devices. Note, though, that there's no limit on installations of the password manager and parental command components, and these support iOS as well. In fact, Kaspersky's parental control is an Editors' Choice under iOS.

What's Important to You?

Equally you tin see, there are many choices for cross-platform multi-device security protection, just they all cost significantly more than than Panda Protection Advanced. In addition, all simply McAfee offering a fixed number of licenses. Panda does back up only Windows and Android, but those are the platforms nigh in need of security. On the other hand, the other products I've mentioned all vanquish out Panda in tests and in richness of features.

One thing's for sure. If you lot're a die-hard Panda fan and really want Panda protection for your Windows devices, signing up for this service makes a lot more sense than purchasing Panda Internet Security. Call up most it. You can spend $49.99 on a single license for the sometime-school suite, or $34.99 for a subscription that gives you unlimited licenses.

My own suggestion is that you pay a bit more than and get a lot more protection. Our Editors' Choice products for cantankerous-platform multi-device suite are McAfee LiveSafe and Symantec Norton Security Premium. If 10 licenses are sufficient, Norton'due south suite a better bet; if you demand more, become with McAfee.