{
  "schemaVersion": "1.1",
  "id": "kaspersky",
  "name": "Kaspersky Premium",
  "category": "Security",
  "franchise": {
    "id": "antivirus",
    "name": "Antivirus"
  },
  "urls": {
    "page": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky",
    "markdown": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky.md",
    "json": "https://topratedsoftware.net/data/v1/reviews/kaspersky.json",
    "api": "https://topratedsoftware.net/api/v1/products/kaspersky"
  },
  "verdict": {
    "summary": "Kaspersky delivers lab scores that rival Bitdefender's, but it can no longer be sold to new US customers, and buyers elsewhere must weigh the geopolitical risk disclosure alongside its technical strengths.",
    "label": "Best Lab Scores Outside the US",
    "full": "Kaspersky delivers lab-validated protection that matches the best in the industry at a competitive price. The geopolitical disclosure is a material factor that buyers must evaluate for themselves. Those who accept it will find an excellent, lightweight security product; those who do not should choose Bitdefender or Norton with equal confidence.",
    "rating": 4.6,
    "ratingScale": 5,
    "bestFor": "Value-conscious buyers who want top-tier lab-rated protection and are comfortable with the vendor's geopolitical disclosure",
    "bestForList": [
      "Value-conscious security buyers",
      "Users prioritizing low system impact",
      "Safe Money banking protection",
      "Buyers who have evaluated the geopolitical context"
    ]
  },
  "evidenceLevel": {
    "key": "expert_researched",
    "label": "Expert Researched",
    "handsOnTesting": false,
    "note": "Researched from vendor documentation, independent reports, and published pricing. No hands-on lab results are claimed."
  },
  "versionReviewed": "Kaspersky Premium 2026 for Windows; product documentation current 2026-08-02",
  "lastTestedAt": null,
  "author": "Michael Chen",
  "publishedAt": "2026-08-02",
  "updatedAt": "2026-10-21",
  "methodologyUrl": "https://topratedsoftware.net/how-we-test",
  "pricing": {
    "startingPrice": "Not sold to new US buyers since 2024; prices vary by country",
    "hasFreeTier": true,
    "freshness": {
      "verifiedAt": "2026-10-21",
      "ageDays": 0,
      "status": "current",
      "note": "Verified 0 day(s) ago."
    },
    "plans": [
      {
        "name": "Standard",
        "price": "Varies by country",
        "period": null,
        "features": [
          "3 devices",
          "Core protection",
          "300 MB/day VPN",
          "Not sold in the US"
        ]
      },
      {
        "name": "Plus",
        "price": "Varies by country",
        "period": null,
        "features": [
          "5 devices",
          "Unlimited VPN",
          "Password manager",
          "Not sold in the US"
        ]
      },
      {
        "name": "Premium",
        "price": "Varies by country",
        "period": null,
        "features": [
          "10 devices",
          "Identity protection",
          "Safe Kids parental controls",
          "Not sold in the US"
        ]
      }
    ],
    "livePricingUrl": "https://topratedsoftware.net/api/v1/products/kaspersky/pricing"
  },
  "platforms": [
    "Windows",
    "macOS",
    "iOS",
    "Android"
  ],
  "keyFeatures": [
    "Consistently top-rated detection in AV-Test and AV-Comparatives",
    "Safe Money hardened browser for banking and payments",
    "Application Control and System Watcher behavioral analysis",
    "VPN included in Plus and Premium tiers",
    "Password manager and identity-protection tools",
    "Low system overhead in published performance benchmarks"
  ],
  "pros": [
    "AV-Test and AV-Comparatives consistently rank Kaspersky's engine among the best available",
    "System-impact measurements in published benchmarks are consistently low",
    "Safe Money provides a dedicated hardened browser for financial transactions",
    "Introductory pricing undercuts or matches most premium competitors",
    "Kaspersky Free offers core real-time protection at no cost"
  ],
  "cons": [
    "Sales to new US customers have been banned since 2024, and Kaspersky software is barred from US federal systems",
    "Kaspersky's Russian headquarters have created trust concerns that go beyond technical product quality",
    "The bundled VPN is capped at 300 MB/day on Standard; unlimited VPN requires Plus or Premium",
    "Identity-protection features are less developed than Norton's LifeLock"
  ],
  "scores": [
    {
      "criterion": "Protection (lab-cited)",
      "score": 4.9,
      "weight": 1.5
    },
    {
      "criterion": "System Performance",
      "score": 4.8,
      "weight": 1.3
    },
    {
      "criterion": "Feature Depth",
      "score": 4.5,
      "weight": 1
    },
    {
      "criterion": "Ease of Use",
      "score": 4.6,
      "weight": 0.8
    },
    {
      "criterion": "Value",
      "score": 4.7,
      "weight": 1
    }
  ],
  "alternatives": [
    {
      "id": "bitdefender",
      "name": "Bitdefender",
      "rating": 4.8,
      "differentiator": "Comparable lab scores without geopolitical concerns",
      "price": "From $39.99/yr introductory",
      "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/bitdefender"
    },
    {
      "id": "norton",
      "name": "Norton 360",
      "rating": 4.7,
      "differentiator": "Broader identity-protection bundle with LifeLock in the US",
      "price": "From $39.99/yr introductory",
      "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/norton"
    }
  ],
  "faqs": [
    {
      "question": "Did TopRatedSoftware test Kaspersky in a malware lab?",
      "answer": "No. Lab scores cited here are from published AV-Test and AV-Comparatives reports. We did not conduct independent detection testing."
    },
    {
      "question": "Is Kaspersky banned in the US?",
      "answer": "The US government prohibited the sale of new Kaspersky products to US consumers effective mid-2024, citing national-security concerns. Existing installations may continue to receive updates under transitional provisions, but buyers should verify current availability and terms."
    },
    {
      "question": "Is Kaspersky technically safe to use?",
      "answer": "Published independent lab results consistently rank Kaspersky among the top detection engines. The concerns raised by some governments are jurisdictional and geopolitical, not based on publicly demonstrated technical flaws in the consumer product. Each buyer must weigh this distinction for their own threat model."
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "label": "AV-Test evaluation reports for Kaspersky",
      "url": "https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/",
      "note": "Independent test results for Windows home-user products; Kaspersky has received consecutive Top Product designations."
    },
    {
      "label": "AV-Comparatives summary reports",
      "url": "https://www.av-comparatives.org/consumer/",
      "note": "Independent lab publishing Real-World Protection and Performance tests; Kaspersky has earned top-tier ratings."
    },
    {
      "label": "Kaspersky product tiers and pricing",
      "url": "https://www.kaspersky.com/home-security",
      "note": "Official vendor comparison of Standard, Plus, and Premium tiers; checked 2026-10-21, when the US site listed no prices."
    },
    {
      "label": "Kaspersky Global Transparency Initiative",
      "url": "https://www.kaspersky.com/transparency-center",
      "note": "Vendor transparency program including data-processing relocation and source-code review center information."
    }
  ],
  "disclosures": {
    "affiliate": "TopRatedSoftware may earn a commission from some links. Commissions never affect scores or ranking order.",
    "imagery": "No screenshots published yet. We do not substitute stock photos or vendor marketing images."
  },
  "citation": {
    "preferred": "Kaspersky Premium review — TopRatedSoftware (https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky)",
    "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky",
    "license": "All rights reserved",
    "dataLicense": "CC BY 4.0"
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "id": "verdict.summary",
      "label": "Verdict",
      "value": "Kaspersky delivers lab scores that rival Bitdefender's, but it can no longer be sold to new US customers, and buyers elsewhere must weigh the geopolitical risk disclosure alongside its technical strengths.",
      "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky#fact-verdict-summary"
    },
    {
      "id": "verdict.rating",
      "label": "Overall rating",
      "value": 4.6,
      "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky#fact-verdict-rating",
      "scale": 5
    },
    {
      "id": "verdict.bestFor",
      "label": "Best for",
      "value": "Value-conscious buyers who want top-tier lab-rated protection and are comfortable with the vendor's geopolitical disclosure",
      "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky#fact-verdict-bestfor"
    },
    {
      "id": "pricing.startingPrice",
      "label": "Starting price",
      "value": "Not sold to new US buyers since 2024; prices vary by country",
      "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky#fact-pricing-startingprice"
    },
    {
      "id": "pricing.verifiedAt",
      "label": "Price verified",
      "value": "2026-10-21",
      "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky#fact-pricing-verifiedat",
      "status": "current"
    },
    {
      "id": "evidenceLevel",
      "label": "Evidence level",
      "value": "Expert Researched",
      "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky#fact-evidencelevel",
      "handsOnTesting": false
    },
    {
      "id": "scores.protection-lab-cited",
      "label": "Protection (lab-cited)",
      "value": 4.9,
      "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky#fact-scores-protection-lab-cited",
      "scale": 5,
      "weight": 1.5
    },
    {
      "id": "scores.system-performance",
      "label": "System Performance",
      "value": 4.8,
      "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky#fact-scores-system-performance",
      "scale": 5,
      "weight": 1.3
    },
    {
      "id": "scores.feature-depth",
      "label": "Feature Depth",
      "value": 4.5,
      "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky#fact-scores-feature-depth",
      "scale": 5,
      "weight": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "scores.ease-of-use",
      "label": "Ease of Use",
      "value": 4.6,
      "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky#fact-scores-ease-of-use",
      "scale": 5,
      "weight": 0.8
    },
    {
      "id": "scores.value",
      "label": "Value",
      "value": 4.7,
      "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky#fact-scores-value",
      "scale": 5,
      "weight": 1
    },
    {
      "id": "sources.1",
      "label": "AV-Test evaluation reports for Kaspersky",
      "value": "https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/",
      "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky#fact-sources-1"
    },
    {
      "id": "sources.2",
      "label": "AV-Comparatives summary reports",
      "value": "https://www.av-comparatives.org/consumer/",
      "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky#fact-sources-2"
    },
    {
      "id": "sources.3",
      "label": "Kaspersky product tiers and pricing",
      "value": "https://www.kaspersky.com/home-security",
      "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky#fact-sources-3"
    },
    {
      "id": "sources.4",
      "label": "Kaspersky Global Transparency Initiative",
      "value": "https://www.kaspersky.com/transparency-center",
      "url": "https://topratedsoftware.net/reviews/kaspersky#fact-sources-4"
    }
  ]
}