Kaspersky vs Microsoft Defender:Which is searched more?
In September 2026, Kaspersky had more branded searches than Microsoft Defender among antivirus software worldwide. Kaspersky had about 550,000 branded searches, while Microsoft Defender had 181,000. Kaspersky made up 22.9% of all antivirus software searches we track, and Microsoft Defender accounted for 7.5%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Is Kaspersky or Microsoft Defender more popular in search?
Compare the antivirus and internet security software people buy. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of searches by month for Kaspersky, Microsoft Defender. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Norton | McAfee | Kaspersky | Microsoft Defender | Bitdefender | ESET | Malwarebytes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 37.2% | 27% | 23.2% | 8.4% | 3.1% | 0.93% | 0.12% |
| Nov 2025 | 35.5% | 28.3% | 24.9% | 7.4% | 2.7% | 1% | 0.11% |
| Dec 2025 | 35.3% | 28.4% | 25% | 7.5% | 2.8% | 1% | 0.11% |
| Jan 2026 | 35% | 31.4% | 22.7% | 7.4% | 2.5% | 0.91% | 0.1% |
| Feb 2026 | 36.3% | 30.4% | 21.9% | 8% | 2.4% | 0.88% | 0.12% |
| Mar 2026 | 35.9% | 30.8% | 21.6% | 7.9% | 2.9% | 0.87% | 0.11% |
| Apr 2026 | 34.3% | 28.3% | 24.3% | 8.8% | 3.3% | 0.98% | 0.13% |
| May 2026 | 33.8% | 28.9% | 24.9% | 9.1% | 2.2% | 1% | 0.13% |
| Jun 2026 | 36.5% | 29.8% | 22% | 8% | 2.4% | 1.1% | 0.12% |
| Jul 2026 | 35.6% | 28.6% | 21.5% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 1.1% | 0.11% |
| Aug 2026 | 36.1% | 27.3% | 24.6% | 8.1% | 2.7% | 1.2% | 0.11% |
| Sep 2026 | 39.2% | 25.4% | 22.9% | 7.5% | 3.8% | 1.1% | 0.1% |
How has the Kaspersky and Microsoft Defender comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Kaspersky was ahead of Microsoft Defender in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kaspersky’s share of searches among antivirus software worldwide moved from 23.2% to 22.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 673K to 550K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Microsoft Defender’s share of searches among antivirus software worldwide moved from 8.4% to 7.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 245K to 181K.
How did search popularity change for antivirus software worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Kaspersky lost share of searches among antivirus software worldwide, from 24.6% to 22.9%.
In September 2026, Microsoft Defender lost share of searches among antivirus software worldwide, from 8.1% to 7.5%.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Kaspersky’s and Microsoft Defender’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Kaspersky
1 branded search term
- kaspersky
Microsoft Defender
2 branded search terms
- microsoft defender
- windows defender
Other head-to-heads among antivirus software
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