The question often sounds like a purchasing decision: should the business pay for antivirus, or is the protection already on the computer enough?
Start with a different question. What is active on each device today, and who would notice if it stopped working? A product name on an invoice does not answer either part.
Check the protection you already have
Windows includes Microsoft Defender Antivirus, and Windows Security can show the security provider and protection status. A business may instead use another managed security product. Ask the person responsible for your devices to confirm which protection is active and receiving updates.
Do not install a second real-time antivirus product just because you are uncertain. Do not disable the current one to make an application work without investigating the conflict. First establish the intended configuration and any policy your organization already uses.
Protection needs an owner
Consider two offices with the same security software. In one, somebody checks alerts and follows up on devices that stop reporting. In the other, alerts go to an old email address that nobody reads.
The difference is operational. Ask who receives an alert, who investigates it, and how you know all business devices are covered. Include laptops used away from the office and computers that rarely connect. An unanswered alert is not a completed response.
Antivirus is one part of the system
A security product cannot replace sensible account access, current software, recoverable backups, and a team that knows how to report something unusual. Nor does it prove that your Microsoft 365 accounts or network are configured correctly.
Treat security as several jobs with named owners. Device protection handles one part. Account protection, recovery, and incident decisions need their own attention. This avoids the false comfort of buying one tool and assuming the whole business is covered.
Decide what management you need
For a business owner, the useful comparison is not simply free versus paid. Compare visibility, coverage, administration, response, and the support arrangement around the product. Features and licensing vary, so ask what the proposed service includes in writing.
- Which devices are covered?
- Who checks that protection is healthy?
- Who reviews detections?
- What happens after hours under the actual agreement?
- What work is billed separately?
Start with an inventory, not another subscription
Make a list of business devices and the person responsible for each. Ask IT to verify the protection and update status. Resolve gaps before adding a new purchase.
You may need different software or ongoing help. You may need to manage what you already own more consistently. The useful outcome is knowing what is protected and what happens when it needs attention.