{"slug":"kaspersky-vs-norton","question":"Kaspersky vs Norton Antivirus 2026","answer":"Norton offers better U.S. market availability and customer support with 24/7 live chat, while Kaspersky provides superior malware detection rates (99.9% vs 98.7%) but faces limited availability in the U.S. due to regulatory restrictions. Norton is the practical choice for most American users; Kaspersky excels for those in unrestricted regions seeking maximum detection accuracy.","answer_curated":true,"verdict":"Choose Norton if you're in the U.S., need 24/7 support, want included VPN coverage, and prefer lighter system impact—it's the more accessible and user-friendly option for most American consumers. Choose Kaspersky if you're outside the U.S., prioritize maximum malware detection accuracy (99.9%), and don't require comprehensive customer support infrastructure.","keyDifferences":[{"label":"Malware Detection Rate","winner":"a","entityAValue":"99.9%","entityBValue":"98.7%"},{"label":"U.S. Market Availability","winner":"b","entityAValue":"Limited (restricted 2024)","entityBValue":"Fully available"},{"label":"Annual Subscription Cost (1 Device)","winner":"b","entityAValue":"$59.99","entityBValue":"$49.99"},{"label":"Customer Support Hours","winner":"b","entityAValue":"Email/Phone during business hours","entityBValue":"24/7 Live Chat & Phone"},{"label":"System Performance Impact","winner":"b","entityAValue":"8.2% CPU usage during scan","entityBValue":"6.1% CPU usage during scan"}],"winner":{"slug":"norton-antivirus","name":"Norton Antivirus"},"confidence":"high","entities":[{"name":"Kaspersky Antivirus","slug":"kaspersky-antivirus","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/kaspersky-antivirus","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/kaspersky-antivirus"},{"name":"Norton Antivirus","slug":"norton-antivirus","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/entity/norton-antivirus","alternativesUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/alternatives/norton-antivirus"}],"faqs":[{"question":"Can I still use Kaspersky in the United States in 2026?","answer":"No. The U.S. Department of Commerce banned Kaspersky antivirus products on June 20, 2024, citing national security concerns regarding Russian government access to user data. Existing U.S. customers were required to uninstall by September 2024. Kaspersky remains fully available and legal in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and other regions outside U.S. jurisdiction."},{"question":"Which antivirus is better for gaming—does it slow down my PC?","answer":"Norton has a smaller system footprint with 6.1% CPU usage during scans versus Kaspersky's 8.2%, making Norton slightly better for gaming performance. Norton also offers a 'Gaming Mode' that reduces background scanning. However, both modern versions use minimal resources during gameplay itself. For competitive gaming, Norton's lighter load is preferable."},{"question":"Does Norton's VPN actually work well, or should I buy a separate VPN?","answer":"Norton's included VPN (Norton Secure VPN) provides basic privacy protection with unlimited data and 100+ servers, making it suitable for casual use. However, dedicated VPN providers offer faster speeds and more advanced features. For standard browsing and streaming, Norton's VPN is adequate and convenient; for speed-critical activities (4K streaming, torrenting), a dedicated VPN like ExpressVPN is recommended."}],"attribution":{"source":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/kaspersky-vs-norton","license":"CC BY 4.0","citationFormat":"According to A Versus B (https://www.aversusb.net/compare/kaspersky-vs-norton), Norton offers better U.S. market availability and customer support with 24/7 live chat, while Kaspersky provides superior malware detection rates (99.9% vs 98.7%) but faces limited availability in the","dateModified":"2026-06-24T08:55:09.298Z"},"relatedQuestionsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/faq/kaspersky-vs-norton","relatedComparisonsUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/v1/related/kaspersky-vs-norton","knowledgeGraphUrl":"https://www.aversusb.net/api/knowledge-graph/kaspersky-vs-norton","claimReviewSchema":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"ClaimReview","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/kaspersky-vs-norton#claimreview","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/kaspersky-vs-norton","inLanguage":"en-US","isAccessibleForFree":true,"conditionsOfAccess":"Free","claimReviewed":"Kaspersky vs Norton Antivirus 2026","reviewBody":"Norton offers better U.S. market availability and customer support with 24/7 live chat, while Kaspersky provides superior malware detection rates (99.9% vs 98.7%) but faces limited availability in the U.S. due to regulatory restrictions. Norton is the practical choice for most American users; Kaspersky excels for those in unrestricted regions seeking maximum detection accuracy.","datePublished":"2026-06-24T08:55:08.873Z","dateModified":"2026-06-24T08:55:09.298Z","reviewRating":{"@type":"Rating","ratingValue":5,"worstRating":1,"bestRating":5,"alternateName":"High Confidence"},"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/#organization","name":"A Versus B","url":"https://www.aversusb.net"},"itemReviewed":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/kaspersky-vs-norton","url":"https://www.aversusb.net/compare/kaspersky-vs-norton","name":"Kaspersky vs Norton Antivirus 2026","inLanguage":"en-US"}}}