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Cybersecurity · head to head

ESET NOD32 Antivirus vs Socket

ESET NOD32 Antivirus logo

ESET NOD32 Antivirus

Cybersecurity

Essential antivirus protection

From
$39.99/year
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Socket logo

Socket

Cybersecurity

Supply chain security platform detecting and blocking malicious dependencies

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Socket has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ESET NOD32 Antivirus the advertised price applies to the first term only, and renewal reverts to the official list price; Socket team plan requires minimum 5-developer commitment, expensive for small teams
  • They diverge on capability: ESET NOD32 Antivirus covers Antivirus & Antispyware, Socket covers Malware detection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ESET NOD32 Antivirus and Socket actually diverge.

Attributes where ESET NOD32 Antivirus and Socket differ
AttributeESET NOD32 AntivirusSocket
Starting price$39.99/yearFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionPer-developer monthly subscription with tiered access
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsDesktopWeb, CLI, GitHub
Founded19922021

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ESET NOD32 Antivirus

  • Antivirus & Antispyware
  • Exploit Blocker
  • Advanced Machine Learning
  • Anti-Phishing
  • UEFI Scanner
  • Script-Based Attack Protection
  • Ransomware Shield
  • Gamer Mode

Only in Socket

  • Malware detection
  • Automatic blocking
  • AI behavior analysis
  • Reachability analysis
  • Slack integration
  • SBOM support
  • SAML SSO
  • GitHub Actions scanning

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ESET NOD32 Antivirus

  • Antivirus and anti malware protection for home Windows, macOS and Android devicesnot Socket
  • Blocking phishing and ransomware on personal computersnot Socket

Socket

  • Blocking zero-day malware attacks in JavaScript dependenciesnot ESET NOD32 Antivirus
  • Managing CVE false positives with precomputed reachability analysisnot ESET NOD32 Antivirus
  • Securing Python and Go supply chains at scalenot ESET NOD32 Antivirus
  • Automating compliance requirements for regulated industriesnot ESET NOD32 Antivirus
  • Real-time threat notifications via Slack integrationnot ESET NOD32 Antivirus

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ESET NOD32 Antivirus

  • The advertised price applies to the first term only, and renewal reverts to the official list price
  • Any saving shown is the difference between the introductory price and that list price rather than an ongoing discount
  • Device coverage is chosen at purchase and priced accordingly, so protecting another machine means changing the licence

Socket

  • Team plan requires minimum 5-developer commitment, expensive for small teams
  • Business plan $50/dev/month becomes costly for teams exceeding 20 members
  • Enterprise pricing requires custom consultation with no transparent pricing
  • Free plan limited to individual developers without team collaboration
  • Reachability analysis improvement (90% false positive reduction) only on Enterprise

Pricing, plan by plan

ESET NOD32 Antivirus

$39.99/year
  • NOD32 Antivirus$39.99/year
    • 1 Device
    • Antivirus & Antispyware
    • Anti-Phishing
  • Internet Security$49.99/year
    • 1 Device
    • All NOD32 features
    • Firewall
  • Smart Security Premium$59.99/year
    • 1 Device
    • All Internet Security features
    • Password Manager

Socket

Free
  • FreeFree
    • For individual developers
    • Detects 70+ risk types
    • Blocks malicious dependencies automatically
  • Team$25/month
    • Per developer on minimum 5 developers
    • Precomputed reachability analysis cuts 60% false positives
    • Slack alerts for threats
  • Business$50/month
    • Per developer on minimum 20 developers
    • All Team features
    • Compliance integrations with Vanta
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • Function-level reachability eliminates up to 90% irrelevant CVEs
    • Multi-repository system support
    • Named account manager

Which should you pick?

Choose ESET NOD32 Antivirus if

  • You need antivirus & antispyware.
  • You work on Desktop.
  • You also want exploit blocker.
ESET NOD32 Antivirus review

Choose Socket if

  • You need malware detection.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, CLI, GitHub.
  • You also want automatic blocking.
Socket review

Questions people ask

Is ESET NOD32 Antivirus or Socket better?
Neither clearly leads. ESET NOD32 Antivirus starts at $39.99/year and Socket at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ESET NOD32 Antivirus or Socket?
Socket has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $39.99/year for ESET NOD32 Antivirus and Free for Socket.
Does ESET NOD32 Antivirus or Socket run on more platforms?
ESET NOD32 Antivirus runs on Desktop. Socket runs on Web, CLI, GitHub.
Can I use Socket for free?
Yes. Socket has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ESET NOD32 Antivirus starts at $39.99/year.
What is ESET NOD32 Antivirus best used for?
ESET NOD32 Antivirus is most often used for antivirus and anti malware protection for home windows, macos and android devices, blocking phishing and ransomware on personal computers. Of those, antivirus and anti malware protection for home windows, macos and android devices and blocking phishing and ransomware on personal computers are not what Socket is typically brought in for.
What can ESET NOD32 Antivirus do that Socket cannot?
ESET NOD32 Antivirus covers Antivirus & Antispyware, Exploit Blocker, Advanced Machine Learning, Anti-Phishing. Socket covers Malware detection, Automatic blocking, AI behavior analysis, Reachability analysis.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ESET NOD32 Antivirus: Does ESET offer a free trial, and what do I get access to?

ESET offers a free 30-day trial with no credit card required. The trial includes full access to all features in the tier you choose before you commit to a paid subscription.

Source
Socket: How many zero-day attacks does Socket detect?

Socket detects over 100 zero-day attacks weekly across JavaScript, Python, and Go ecosystems.

Source
ESET NOD32 Antivirus: What subscription contract lengths are available?

ESET offers subscription terms ranging from 1 to 10 years depending on the tier. Home Security Essential and Premium plans support 1-10 years, while Ultimate requires 5-10 years. Business plans also support multi-year terms.

Source
Socket: What is precomputed reachability analysis?

Socket's precomputed reachability analysis cuts CVE false positives by 60% automatically on Team plans, and up to 90% on Enterprise plans through function-level analysis.

Source
ESET NOD32 Antivirus: Will my renewal price change after the first year?

ESET states that the advertised price is valid for the first term only. They send advance notification via email before renewal price increases occur, allowing you to decide whether to continue.

Source
Socket: Is there a discount for annual billing?

Yes. Socket offers a 20% discount for annual commitments across all subscription tiers.

Source
ESET NOD32 Antivirus: How many devices can I protect on a single subscription?

You can customize the number of protected devices from 1-10 on most plans. Premium and Ultimate tiers include VPN access that varies by device count: Essential/Premium include 3-5 VPN devices, while Ultimate covers 10-25 VPN devices depending on total plan size.

Source
ESET NOD32 Antivirus: Is there an extra charge to protect Android devices?

Android protection is available as an optional add-on at $5 per year per device, in addition to your main subscription cost.

Source
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