Sophos Antivirus: A Comprehensive Review You Can’t Miss

Sophos is a great option for users who want a simple, affordable AV. 

Sold with a toolkit that protects both the device and the user’s privacy, Sophos provides advanced web security, as well as phishing, banking, and identity protection. 

Stay put as we dive into this Sophos Antivirus review and see what it has to offer.

Security and Privacy Features

Sophos web protection is an effective and easy-to-use antivirus that can protect up to 10 devices. 

Let’s discuss its features in more detail. 

Malware Detection and Protection

Sophos malware scanner provides unmatched defense against known and unknown threats. 

Similar to other AV solutions on the market, Sophos Home Premium does this by using advanced artificial intelligence that tracks programs and recognises when the software you installed is acting suspiciously. It also successfully blocks malicious software and new threats, including zero-day attacks. . 

Ransomware Protection

Sophos Home comes with a CryptoGuard feature that can stop the ransomware before the files are encrypted. This is a great feature as some antivirus programs only recognise a threat after it begins encrypting files. 

Phishing Protection

Sophos Home Premium utilises machine learning to block phishing frauds and a global database to make sure you don’t accidentally access a dangerous site.

Parental Control

An added bonus is that Sophos Home allows you to remotely manage features on ten devices, such as customising security settings on individual computers or mobile devices. Also, you get reports on any restricted websites your children may have attempted to access, giving you more control and power. 

Privacy Protection

Sophos protects your logins and passwords by encrypting your keystrokes. It also notifies you when an app attempts to access your webcam or microphone (the latter is only available on Macs).

Banking Protection

This AV detects keylogger malware and blocks it before it can record your keystrokes.

This, however, is a Premium version feature and only available for Windows users. If you’re a frequent online banker and shopper, we’d recommend investing in a more thorough antivirus program.

Web Protection

Sophos is extremely effective at detecting online threats. Better still, this protection is available on both free and paid plans, and it:

• Provides live URL filtering
• Scans downloaded content
• Checks of the trustworthiness of downloaded files

Scanning for Viruses

Unlike some antivirus tools that can have as many as five scan options, Sophos always goes for a full scan providing overall protection for your device.   

That said, there is an option to exclude certain files, folders, and drives to customise the scan to some degree. Plus, Sophos also allows you to schedule scans for any or all days of the week, in addition to real-time protection that handles any new attacks. 

There is also a Fast Scan option, although this feature is only available on Macs. 

The free edition requires 1 hour and 20-30 minutes to run a full scan, while the Premium edition completes it in 20-25 minutes. 

Only one scanning option makes Sophos incredibly easy to use, but if getting a customised scan is a deal-breaker, you might want to consider some other software.

Sophos Performance

The latest tests on Sophos by independent labs reveal the following:

Although these tests are not the same as customer reviews, they give some insight into how the software performs. In this case, Sophos provides top-notch, reliable protection, although it does lag behind some of the bigger brands in the business (both Trend Micro and Norton outperformed Sophos in the tests run by London-based SE Labs).

The results are similar regarding phishing frauds: Sophos scored 84% on detection, which is quite a decent rating. On the other hand, some of its competitors, like Kaspersky, scored a 100% detection rate.

The Sophos full scan had a minimal effect on our CPU power—it consumed only 15-20% of CPU power during the scan. When compared to McAfee, which consumed more than half of our CPU, Sophos performed very well.

Usability and Setup

Out of all anti-malware we’ve ever tested, Sophos is one of the easiest to download and use. In fact, it took about 10 minutes to complete the program installation.

Sophos AV is pretty user-friendly. All of the features come with an on/off toggle button for greater convenience, making it an excellent choice for experienced and less tech-savvy users, basically anyone who wants an intuitive, straightforward antivirus.

Note: Sophos is not compatible with other antivirus programs. That being said, if you install Sophos after the first scan, it will detect the other antivirus programs and most probably suggest uninstalling them to prevent reducing overall security.

Device and Platform Compatibility

Sophos is compatible with both Windows and Mac, offering most of the same features for both operating systems, although banking and advanced threat detection are only available for Windows users. 

Note: You can not install Sophos Home on Linux devices. If this is a must for you, give ESET NOD32 Antivirus a try.

Mobile apps

Sophos Home users can install Sophos Intercept X for Mobile on their portable devices for free. There is also a paid version of the solution; however, this one is targeted towards business users.

Note: Sophos Intercept X for Mobile is an independent tool and will not show up on your Sophos Home dashboard.

Sophos Pricing and Plans

While the free version includes some essential features, upgrading to the Premium edition unlocks a whole new world of possibilities.

A one-year plan of Sophos Home Premium costs £49.95, a two-year plan costs £89.95, and a three-year plan comes out to £114.95 annually. 

This puts Sophos low on the cost scale, especially when compared to the competition: Webroot’s costliest plan covers just five devices at £49.99, while Avast Premium Security is sold at £74.99 a year for the protection of ten devices. 

Sophos also provides a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. It contains the entire array of its protections, and if you do not upgrade after the free 30-day trial period has expired, Sophos will downgrade you to the Sophos Home Free package.

Customer Support

Sophos’ customer support include:

If you are looking for antivirus software available to you 24/7, VIPRE sounds like a good choice.

Bottom Line

Sophos Home Premium AV package is a simple antivirus that offers near-perfect malware detection rates.

It may only have one scan option, no VPN or 24/7 support service, but it is one of the most inexpensive alternatives on the market. 

Plus, it is extremely easy to use and comes with a free 30-day free trial. It also provides the user with essential antivirus features—ransomware protection, remote management, and basic parental controls.