How to Remove Spyware | Best Spy App Removal Tools in 2023

With the best spyware removal software, you can protect your devices from hidden and contagious spyware, along with other malware viruses and online security threats. A feature-rich spyware detector gives you the freedom to browse the internet and transfer data seamlessly without worrying about a spy app snooping on your devices and stealing sensitive data.

But finding an ideal spyware removal software from a plethora of options can be challenging. Here, we’ve reviewed and compared the best spyware removal tools on the market to make your choice easier. We based our research on criteria such as device compatibility, ease of use, customer support, pricing, and more. Continue reading to learn how top apps like TotalAV, McAfee, and Norton stack up against each other.

The Best Spyware Removal Software in 2023 | Quick Answer

In our research and testing, TotalAV emerged as the #1 solution to “How to remove spy apps from android phones, PCs, Macs, and other devices?”, thanks to its easy-to-use interface, system optimization features, real-time protection, and 30-day money-back guarantee. Here’s a peek into how it compares with other leading tools:

1. TotalAV — Overall, The Best Spyware Detection & Removal Tool | Put it to the Test With the 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee.
2. Norton — Popular Spy App Removal Tool With the Longest Money-Back Guarantee of 60 Days | Also Offers a 7-Day Free Trial.
3. Nord Threat Protection — Trusted Spy Removal App That Comes With a VPN | See For Yourself With a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee.
4. Surfshark — Popular Antivirus and Spy App Removal Solution With No Renewal Hikes | Has a 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee.
5. McAfee — The Best Spyware Detector for Beginners, With Assistance from In-House Experts | Try it Now With the 30-Day Free Trial and Guarantee.
6. Avast — The Best Free Spy App Removal Tool | Test the Free Plan or Try the Paid Version with the 30-Day Guarantee.
7. Kaspersky — The Best Spyware Detector for Small, Medium, and Large Businesses | Try it Risk-Free Now With the 30-Day Guarantee.
8. TrendMicro — A Free Anti Spyware Solution for Total Protection of Your Home Network.
9. Intego — Leading Spyware Removal Tool with Personalized Solutions for Mac & Windows | Put it to the Test With the 30-Day Free Trial.
10. Avira — A Free and Lightweight Spyware Removal Software | Has a Free Plan + a 60-Day Money-Back Guarantee.

The Best Spy App Removal Tools in 2023| In-Depth Reviews

Eager to learn more about each of our top 10? Here we delve into the best features, pricing, pros, and cons of the best spy app removal tools. If you’re looking for a quick fix, check out the comparison table at the end of these detailed reviews for an overview.

1. TotalAV – Overall, the Best Spyware Detection and Removal Tool

TotalAV, with over 30 million users and awards like Top Product, VB100, Deceptor Fighter, and 3* Malware Protection in its bank, is our top pick for the best spyware removal software in 2023.

TotalAV’s spyware removal tool is one of a kind — you get real-time protection on up to six devices, wherein all your devices are continually scanned for spyware that might have made its way through a malicious website or corrupted downloaded file.

In addition to a WebShield that keeps your device protected from harmful websites before they can spy on or collect your data, TotalAV’s Rare File alerts provide an additional layer of customizable security too.

Here, if a scan reveals any uncommon file, like a phishing website launcher or encrypted spyware, you’ll be notified and asked to permit the antivirus to run further tests on the file before it either treats it or deems it safe. This added layer of security will protect your device from potential zero-day attacks.

Besides this, scheduled scans give you the option to run scans on specific folders or drives at a time of your liking so that you don’t waste hours on device-wide scans.

If you’d like total protection from all kinds of mischief on the internet, you’d be glad to know that TotalAV also comes with a VPN. Be it malicious codes, spyware, ransomware, viruses, or any third-party intruders, TotalAV safeguards you from all.

Pricing:

TotalAV’s Antivirus Pro package at just $29/year for the first year (renews at $119/year) is the best the platform has to offer.

Although renewal prices are pretty high, you get coverage for 3 devices and all TotalAV primary features, including the WebShield and Rare File alert.

If you want to cover more devices (up to 6), TotalAV’s Total Security deal, which is its Antivirus + Internet Security package, will suit you better. In fact, to sweeten the deal, this plan also includes the VPN.

Try it risk-free today and find out if it’s for you — get 360-degree security and explore all the options TotalAV has to offer with its solid 30-day money-back guarantee.

2. Norton – Leading Spy App Removal Tool With the Longest Money-Back Guarantee

Norton, with a 60-day money-back guarantee, will be perfect for you if you need ample time to come to a conclusion about whether to go ahead with a paid subscription or not.

Like McAfee, Norton, too, provides expert assistance. An in-house human expert will take over your device remotely to solve any spyware or security issue you might be struggling with.

Norton’s SafeCam for protection against spyware is a slam dunk. Malicious users that could potentially use spyware to take control of your device’s camera to take snapshots and videos will now not be a concern for you.

The SafeCam feature will, first and foremost, block any unauthorized access to your device webcam. Secondly, it’ll send you an alert any time a suspicious application tries to get into your camera so you can block the app before it does any damage.

Besides all this, Norton will also protect you from malicious links on social media channels in real time. It highlights all the risky links on your Facebook and Twitter feeds and web-based emails.

Other standout features include a Smart Firewall that monitors both incoming and outgoing network traffic, negating any attempts of spyware installation or data theft from your device.

Pricing:

Norton’s Antivirus Plus plan at just $19.99 for the first year (renews at $59.99) is evidently cheaper than both TotalAV and McAfee’s cheapest plans. However, it covers just one device.

While Norton’s most affordable plan is more than enough for an average user, premium features such as Dark Web Monitoring and Parental Controls are only available in Norton’s high-end plans. The cream of the crop here is Norton’s Select + LifeLock plan, which starts at $99.99 for the first year or $9.99 for the first month.

You can try it completely risk-free with the 7-day free trial and the longest money-back guarantee (60 days) in the industry. Not happy? Get a full refund.

3. Nord Threat Protection – Trusted Spy Removal App That Comes With a VPN

NordVPN is one of the most versatile VPN platforms, with more than 5,000 servers in 60+ countries. Nord Threat Protection is an add-on that acts like an antivirus. Together, they make the perfect duo for 360-degree device security and a smooth browsing experience. 

The best thing about Nord Threat Protection is that it’s very easy to set up. If you’re using it on a mobile, all that you’ve to do is launch the app, click on your account, go to the “Settings” tab and enable Threat Protection with the toggle switch. 

If you’re using a PC, you need to open the app, click on the shield icon on the left of the screen and enable Threat Protection — it’ll only take a few seconds.

What’s more, the Nord Threat Protection feature comes free with NordVPN. This means you can get an extra layer of security for your device at no additional cost. 

Although it’s not technically an antivirus, its features are indicative that it is one. For example, it’ll prevent you from accessing malicious websites by displaying a warning message. 

Similarly, it’ll run thorough, deep scans on all your files, especially the recent downloads, to ensure no malware enters your system. It’s important to note that the Nord Threat Protection feature only scans executable files and not images or PDFs. 

That said, it also blocks shady popups, ads, and trackers so that you can enjoy a smoother browsing experience. This way, you can protect your personal data as well as keep away from repetitive targeted ads. 

Pricing

Nord Threat Protection comes along with NordVPN and isn’t sold separately, which isn’t necessarily a bad deal, given that NordVPN is one of the cheapest VPNs out there.

Get NordVPN for a mere $4.19/month (2-year plan) and enjoy Nord Threat Protection along with features like tracker and ad blocker, and malware protection.

If you’d also like a data breach scanner and 1Tb encrypted cloud storage, get the Complete NordVPN plan at just $6.69/month. 

Don’t believe us? Try NordVPN risk-free for a full month, thanks to its 30-day money-back guarantee, and see for yourself.

4. Surfshark Antivirus – Popular Antivirus and Spyware Removal Solution With Multiple Scanning Options

Surfshark’s spyware removal includes analyzing suspicious and uncommon files on your system. In addition to preventing zero-day attacks, this ensures that no spyware leverages a vulnerability of your device before Surfshark fixes it.

The real mastery of Surfshark is in its three types of scans:

1. Manual scan to check any file or folder you find suspicious
2. Automated scans initiated by Surfshark to counter any potential attacks
3. Scheduled scans for routine maintenance

Yes, Surfshark comes with advanced spyware removal features, but it’s still light on your system — runs 24/7 in the background without frying your CPU/RAM — and it’s incredibly hands-on.

For example, to accelerate the scanning process or protect important files, Surfshark gives you the option to exclude selected files and folders from the scan.

On top of this, Surfshark’s Cloud Protect feature works to improve your device’s security by finding and recording new spyware to stop them in their tracks to protect your sensitive data. Besides this, Surfshark is renowned as being one of the best VPN apps, plus it has a CleanWeb feature, which keeps annoying ads and trackers at bay.

Whether you’re surfing the web or downloading files, Surfshark offers complete identity and online threat protection.

Pricing:

There’s no doubt that Surfshark’s 2-year + 2 free months plan at $3.48/month is one of the most affordably priced spyware removal solutions on the market right now. What makes the deal even sweeter is that there are no renewal hikes.

Try Surfshark’s services risk-free with the 30-day money-back guarantee, and if it doesn’t suit you, get a full refund.

5. McAfee – The Best Spyware Detector for Personalized In-House Assistance from Experts

McAfee’s unique Protection Score and personalized help make it a worthy contender for the best spyware removal tool.

Unlike other antivirus solutions that only provide a blog with steps to deal with a particular problem, McAfee will connect you to one of its many in-house experts that’ll give you a thorough walkthrough of your system’s problems and how to deal with them.

This comes in extremely handy if you’re a beginner and can’t wrap your head around spyware infestation in your device.

McAfee’s Protection Score is another reason beginners rate it highly. Here, the overall health of your device is rated on a scale of 1 to 1,000, and you’re given a detailed checklist of things you can do to improve the score and, therefore, your device’s security.

For instance, resolving any identity breaches found by McAfee in its scans will increase the Protection Score.

McAfee’s ransomware and spyware protection offering, Ransom Guard, will add more layers to your security as soon as there’s an unauthorized attempt to encrypt your files or install spyware on your device. On top of this, it’ll also create a backup of all the files under attack, so data loss will be the least of your concerns.

What’s more, McAfee’s intuitive AI will automatically block any unnecessary pop-ups and ads. This will ensure that you don’t accidentally click on a spyware link that’s often attached to such ads.

Pricing:

For as little as $24.99 for the first year (renews at $64.99/year), McAfee’s Antivirus Plus plan provides coverage for up to 10 devices, making it the best antivirus solution for families. Most spyware removal tools only cover a handful of devices in their basic plans, but not McAfee.

To unlock protection for unlimited devices and enjoy features like Identity Monitoring and Parental Controls, go with McAfee’s Family plans, which are 2-year subscriptions.

If you’d like an annual plan only, McAfee’s Individual plans will suit you better. However, you’ll find the best value-for-money plan with all the McAfee premium features is its Premium Family plan at $59.99/year for the first year.

On the whole, you can enjoy McAfee’s services without risking a cent, thanks to its 30-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee. No risk. Full refund.

6. Avast Antivirus – The Best Free Spy App Removal Tool

Avast Antivirus is the best free spyware removal solution. Without spending a cent, you’ll be able to get rid of any previously installed spyware, thanks to Avast’s multiple scan options and their suite of shields, including a File, Web, Behavior, and Mail shield.

Each of these shields provides comprehensive protection in a particular department. For example, the Web Shield will protect your device from internet-based threats, as well as from scripts capable of running even when you’re offline.

Besides immunizing your device against any newly found spyware or viruses, Avast will also dig out and then repair any vulnerabilities of your device, including third-party or outdated software that might be carrying spyware.

Avast is a champion of eliminating stubborn spyware. Its Boot Time Scan runs before your system boots up, giving no room for the spyware to hide.

On top of all this, Avast also houses a VPN with over 55 server locations — no wonder this antivirus, internet security, and privacy service has amassed a user base of over 400 million users.

Pricing:

As a completely free spyware removal solution, Avast sells itself. With Avast One Essential, you get an advanced firewall, suspicious activity monitoring, and ransomware/malware blocking without paying a single cent.

If you want to enjoy Avast in its full glory, sign up for the Avast One service. For a mere $4.19/month for the first year (billed annually), you’ll have features such as data protection, a VPN, device cleanup, automatic driver updates, and coverage for up to 5 devices.

You can try everything on offer for a full 30 days and get your money back if it isn’t your cup of tea. Why not?

7. Kaspersky Antivirus – The Best Spyware Detector for Businesses of All Sizes

Kaspersky is the best antivirus for businesses, whether it be small businesses (1-50 employees), medium businesses (51-999 employees), or full-on enterprises (1,000+ employees) — Kaspersky has three separate plans for each of these business types.

Regardless of the plan — and you can even choose a Home solution that caters to everyday individuals and families — you’ll get two scanning options:

1. Quick Scan to comb areas where spyware is usually hidden
2. Full Scan to check every folder to find and remove or repair any trojan, spyware, viruses, malicious codes, and other online threats

We love Kaspersky’s triple-layer security that includes a Full Scan (discussed above), a shield to protect your device from potential spyware attacks, and a checklist of actions to take in case spyware manages to seep through security protocols.

Kaspersky’s Security Network, called the Kaspersky Security Network, is basically a massive database of previous attacks on Kaspersky-protected devices and information on those attacks — this ensures that you’re protected from all well-known and emerging threats.

For example, Kaspersky’s High-Tech Protection feature uses this database to pinpoint any malicious links on an internet page or a Word/PDF file on your device.

Another protocol put in place by Kaspersky is asking the user for confirmation if there’s an attempt to open a potentially dangerous link. This will keep you from accidentally clicking a pop-up that might cause security concerns.

Pricing:

Kaspersky’s Standard Plan at $27.99 for the first year (renews at $56.99) is on par with some of the best introductory plans in the industry. You get protection for 3 devices with this plan, which should cover every device for most individuals.

For the full powerhouse — a VPN, 24/7 remote IT support, and identity protection — Kaspersky’s Premium plan is the way to go, and it starts at a mere $33.99 for the first year.

What makes Kaspersky the best spyware removal solution for businesses is its different pricing plans for small, medium, and enterprise-level businesses, respectively. Check them out if you’re a business owner looking for organization-wide security solutions.

Enjoy all Kaspersky features with a 30-day money-back guarantee — try it risk-free now and get a full refund if it’s not your cup of tea.

8. TrendMicro – A Free Anti Spyware Solution Perfect for Beginners

TrendMicro’s spyware removal solution is available in the form of a separate tool called HouseCall. Although not as feature-rich as Avast, TrendMicro offers a compelling free service.

TrendMicro’s star feature is its Smart Protection Network, which takes the lead on malware and spyware removal by leveraging its massive user base.

What makes it so efficient in detecting almost all kinds of spyware is that as more and more users join the network, the platform becomes more intelligent and equipped in handling spyware and other threats — it learns about potential security risks that have previously been found across millions of devices on its network.

Despite being free, TrendMicro doesn’t make you the product — it doesn’t collect any of your personal information in the process of extracting spyware attack details for its Smart Protection Network.

As you’d expect from a free service, TrendMicro is incredibly beginner-friendly. The interface is simple and easy to navigate — all you need to do is run the software and click on Start Scan.

While HouseCall doesn’t come with real-time monitoring or malware/spyware scanning, it makes up for it by extending its services to your home network.

Here, TrendMicro’s smart scanning functionality will check all the devices connected to your main home network for spyware and other malicious entities — on the Premium plan, you can protect unlimited devices, which is a major selling point for this antivirus.

Pricing:

TrendMicro/HouseCall offers a feature-rich free spyware removal solution for Windows, where even with limited features, the free plan will serve an average user well.

If you like what you see in the free deal, bump your plan up to TrendMicro’s Antivirus+ Security plan at just $19.95 for the first year. Sadly, this plan also covers only a single Windows device.

However, HouseCall can protect unlimited devices on a single plan, including Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS, but for that, you’ll have to select either the Maximum Security or the Premium Security plan.

Although there’s no money-back guarantee, you can still try TrendMicro risk-free with its 30-day free trial.

9. Intego – Leading Spyware Removal Tool with Personalized Solutions for Mac & Windows

Intego is a champion of spyware removal for Mac and Windows devices. As you can guess, the reason it’s so far down on our list is that it doesn’t extend its services to Android or iOS devices. That said, with features like automated scans and quarantining spyware, Intego will prove to be a solid pick if it’s your PC you want protection for.

As one of the best antiviruses for Mac, Intego competes with industry leaders like TrendMicro and Kaspersky by providing options such as daily automated scans and location-specific manual scans. These will come in handy for people that need their scans to be quick yet thorough.

For more speed, Intego marks recently checked trusted folders so that no time is wasted in scanning them again.

In case you’re worried about your data privacy with Intego’s scans, you’ll be glad to know that Intego gives you the option to withhold access to your most confidential folders during periodic scans. Without administrator permission, Intego’s scans won’t be able to enter protected files.

We also like how Intego lets the user control where the scan is headed — it’ll give you an option to either quarantine spyware found during the scan while you check other files or repair it immediately.

It’s a bummer that Intego can’t run real-time scans on web activity or downloads — due to limitations imposed by the Mac App Store. Still, its periodic scans cover your emails and pop-ups, which should be enough to prevent spyware from doing any real damage to your system.

Pricing:

Regardless of the plan you choose, you can only cover a single Mac device — you’ll get the best bang for your buck with the Mac Internet Security X9 plan at $19.99 for 1 year.

However, if you’re after one of the best parental control apps and enhanced system performance, the Mac Premium Bundle should be the one you consider getting.

The best Windows solution by Intego is its Person plan at just $29.99/year. Need protecting for 5 Windows devices? Get the Extended plan.

See what Intego has to offer without putting any money on the line, thanks to its 30-day free trial and 30-day money-back guarantee.

10. Avira WW – Most Lightweight Spyware Removal Software With a Free Plan

Avira, although last on our list, is still a worthy spyware removal solution, given that it has 35+ years of experience, multiple awards, and comes with an easy, one-click installation.

Like, Surfshark, Avira, too, won’t hurt your system one bit — not only does it have the smallest footprint in the entire antivirus industry but it also provides protection from spyware, viruses, ransomware, and more in real-time without slowing down your system.

Besides running uninterrupted 24/7 in the background, Avira tags along with robust security, thanks to its global database of registered spyware — the Avira Protection Cloud, which is quite similar to TrendMicro’s Smart Protection Network.

Here, when new spyware is found anywhere across the globe on any Avira-protected device, it’s immediately registered on Avira’s database, giving its users full immunity to such registered threats.

If you need protection from web-based threats, you’ll like Avira’s Browser Safety — a masterfully designed spyware cleaner and free browser extension that prevents you from downloading any corrupted file or spyware. Plus, it goes a step ahead to suggest safer alternatives too.

On top of all this, you also get an ad blocker that’ll save you from accidentally clicking on a potentially dangerous ad link.

Pricing:

Besides comprehensive spyware treatment solutions, Avira’s free plan also comes with a 500Mb/month VPN and an Update Scanner.

For more features, get Avira Prime. At just $59.99 for the first year (renews at $99.99/year), it comes with premium features such as real-time data breach alerts and automated cleaning and updates.

Try Avira risk-free today with either its free plan or the 60-day money-back guarantee. If you don’t like it, get your money back.

The Best Spyware Removal App Comparison Table

We’ve prepared this table with only one goal in mind — to highlight the most important differences between our top picks in the least amount of time possible, helping those that have less time on their hands:

How We Chose the Best Spy Detector App 

Here is our list of criteria for choosing the top 9 best spyware removal tools:

Usability 

Not everyone is a tech wizard, and the concept of spyware is already too complex for some people to wrap their minds around. The last thing you want on top of this is a spyware removal tool that’s difficult to install and use.

That’s why we’ve ensured that we picked only those tools that are beginner-friendly and come with an easy interface. Some of these tools, like McAfee, which are managed by human tech experts, can also help you with the setup remotely.

Comprehensive Protection 

Hackers and spyware developers are aware of the thriving anti-spyware industry. So these days, they’re going out of their way to develop malware that no one can detect, let alone remove. That’s why you need a spyware removal tool that offers comprehensive security and is prepared for the future.

Most of our selected tools offer multiple scan options. Whether you want a thorough scan or a quick scan, you’ll have the power to make a choice. Along with that, they’re also constantly monitoring your downloads and web activities for any possible spyware. Even if you do get in touch with one, it’ll be gone before it can do any damage.

Device Compatibility

Every device with an internet connection is vulnerable to spyware attacks. So if you’re looking for a tool to protect your devices, why not choose one that can protect multiple device types under the same plan?

That’s why, while picking the top 9 spyware removal tools, we made sure that each of them worked with at least the basic types of operating systems. For example, most on this list are among the best antivirus tools for Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows.

In case you’re looking for a tool that caters explicitly to a device type, we have a few options for you. For example, pick Intego if you need a spyware removal expert for Mac devices.

Pricing and Refunds 

Of course, we want to help you protect your device, but not at the cost of breaking the bank. To keep spyware removal services affordable and accessible, we’ve picked tools with varying price ranges, most of which are affordable.

On top of that, all the tools we selected come with at least a 30 days money-back guarantee so that you can request a refund in case you don’t find their service suitable.

How to Remove a Spy App

Here are three ways to remove spyware from your device:

1. Use a Spyware Removal Tool

The easiest way to remove spyware from your device is to use a spyware removal tool like the one mentioned above. These tools will run quickly and thoroughly, find the hidden spyware, and delete it within seconds. On top of that, they’ll also prevent future spyware attacks.

2. Manually Remove the Spyware

This is slightly trickier than the previous method, but it’s effective. First, you must put your device in Safe Mode so that only the default files and folders associated with your operating system are available.

Next, check your app list to see if there’s any shady app you don’t recognize. Ensure you check the app list on your Settings page and not just swipe down your display menu. These apps are pretty good at hiding themselves.

If you find a suspicious app, delete it immediately. Sometimes spyware manages to get administrator permission, so you can’t delete it. In that case, all you have to do is go to Settings > Security > Advanced > Device Administrators, change the permissions, and delete the app.

3. Perform a Factory Reset

If none of the other options work for you, the factory reset option is your last resort. Since a factory reset wipes off all data from your device, it’ll naturally remove the spyware too. Also, since you would lose all your data in this process, ensure you get a backup beforehand.

Best Spy App Removal Tools FAQ