This review was updated on 10 April 2026 to correct some inaccuracies.
Trend Micro Security Suite Pro Plus: All-in-One Protection?
“Choose the PERFECT Security Plan for You” is the highlight of the Trend Micro website. It’s a bold claim, given online threats are increasing at an exponential rate.
And while everyone should be utilising some form of online security to protect against data threats, malware, and viruses, there are so very many options, that it can be difficult to choose between them.
Trend Micro offers 5 different products depending on your needs.
Well, that’s where I hope to come in, as Trend Micro provided me with a 12 month subscription to their Security Suite Pro Plus. Featuring advanced multi-device antivirus protection, anti-scam software, VPN and identity theft protection.
But, is it worth the subscription cost?0
Trend Micro Pricing and Plans: Australian Value Guide (Annual subscription)
Maximum Security | A$49 | Protection for PC, Mac, Android and iOS for a single device.
Maximum Security Plus | A$79 | All of the features of Maximum Security, plus a VPN and cleans/optimises PC/Mac, two devices.
Security Suite Pro | A$99.95 | All of the features of Maximum Security Plus, alongside identity theft protection and premium support, three devices.
Security Suite Pro Plus | A$199 | All of the features of Security Suite Pro, alongside anti scam protection, three devices.
Security Suite Ultimate | A$199.95 | All of the features above plus Equifax credit monitoring, five devices.
For those with even more devices to protect, you can upgrade the top tier to 10 devices for A$299.95 per year.
Now, this pricing IS a little on the higher side. McAfee+, for example, lets you install protection on every Windows, macOS, Android and iOS device in your household, with VPN protection for $149.99 per year.
Key Features: AI-Scam Detection and Gamer Mode
A few key features which I found helpful personally, was the automatic pausing of notifications during gaming. As I had installed this on my desktop PC, which is primarily used for gaming, there is NOTHING I find more annoying than a pop-up right as I’m about to score the perfect headshot in a game. And having to disable pop-ups manually is just frustrating. So it’s helpful that Trend Micro does it by itself.
The subscription I hold also has Anti-track and Ad-blockers, which were fairly successful and unobstrusive, along with software that is able to detect AI-scams, and deep fake Scams during video calls.
Installation and Setup: A Fragmented Experience?
Installation was a simple affair. After signing into my Trend Micro account, I was given the option of downloading the installers for the programs I wanted to install (such as the Antivirus, and VPN), and then ran each installer separately.
It is SOMEWHAT annoying, in that you have to log in separately to your Trend Micro account in each software program, rather than just having a central Trend Micro Security App that manages everything. Is it a minor gripe – yes. Should I have to do it in 2026 for software that advertises itself as a ‘suite’? – No.
After installing and signing in, I found the scan button and a note that said I had some items that needed to be fixed. Hilariously, one of these fixes was stated to “improve boot times”… which would net me a whopping 0.01 seconds each boot. I mean, I still DID the fix, but I doubt I’ll ever live long enough to make any notable use of the saved time in my life.
The first full scan you run might take a while (mine clocked in just under 7 minutes), but subsequent scans seemed to take a lot less.
User Interface: Functional Minimalism
The layout of the UI is basic, but functional and clear (both things I love.) A big “Scan” button takes pride of place in the centre of the screen, with additional icons along the top giving access to four pages of security features: Device, Privacy, Data and Family.
Personally, I prefer this minimalist style to the UI, although SOME of the options can be difficult to find in the sub-menus. It’d be nice if there was a search option to be able to search for a specific thing I was looking for.
Compatibility: MacOS, Android, and iOS Support
While you DO get to use some of your licences for your Mac devices, doing so only seems to get you Trend Micro Antivirus for Mac with no suite enhancements. This doesn’t have all the features you get on the other platforms, but does go above the bare-bones basics.
The entry level, Trend Micro Maximum Security, support Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android devices. Adding additional devices and installing the protection is relatively straight forward. For my android smartphone, for example, I was given the option of having a link emailed, copy the link to the clipboard to share another way, or display a QR code I could scan with my smartphone.
Real-time Defense: VPN and Phishing Protection
Trend Micro VPN is a full-featured Virtual Private Network (VPN), built in-house by Trend Micro. This is unlike a number of its competitors (such as Bitdefender, Kaspersky etc) who licence VPN technology from others.
You also get Trend Micro ID Protection, a mobile-only app that checks to ensure your personal information isn’t floating around the dark web. This serves as an effective early warning system, but isn’t as in-depth as some other (potentially costlier) options.
Phishing protection comes in the form of the Trend Micro toolbar extension on your browser. I DID test this feature against the EICAR phishing test, and was quickly blocked by Trend Micro from accessing the page. (EICAR stands for the European Institute for Computer Antivirus Reasearch. It has a database of test files that mimic malware, phishing links, and other cyberthreats so you can safely test antivirus programs without downloading real malware.)
I’ve heard people say this is annoying, but I can’t help but think I’d rather be safe than sorry. I only wish there was some way of easily saying to the Trend Micro phishing protection “I understand, but want to continue anyway.”
The Trend Micro suite doesn’t include a firewall. However, it does boost the Windows firewall functionality. This booster is automatically turned on when you install Trend Micro, however, if you aren’t currently running Windows Firewall, you do need to activate it for the firewall booster to work.
The network protection was of limited use to myself, as it seemed to just notify me when I was connecting to a potentially unsafe wireless network or hotspot… a feature that I already had. And it flagged my work network as being unsafe…
It’s important to keep your Trend Micro suite running in the background, so you get full access to real-time protection. As you download files (intentionally or not), Trend Micro analyses and scans each one for anything dangerous.
This provides a level of protection, especially since it has a small (unobtrusive) pop up that appears in the bottom right when it scans a new file. On several occasions it popped up when I wasn’t even aware a file had been downloaded (though thankfully these were all safe.)
Folder Shield: Defeating Ransomware
The Folder Shield feature protects your device from ransomware by protecting specific folders on your computer. It automatically secures your ‘Documents’ ‘Pictures’ and ‘OneDrive’ folders, but you can add additional folders to protect.
Lab Test Results: How Reliable is Trend Micro?
I will be upfront here, I was NOT prepared to intentionally infect my devices with malware or viruses to test the Trend Micro software (even with the ‘fake’ EICAR malware options.)
Instead, I deferred to independent testing labs that evaluate Windows Antivirus products. Trend Micro tested reasonably well in comparison to other budget-friendly software, excelling in real-time web-threat protection and ransomware defence, with light system impact.
However, it would be remiss of me to NOT note that Trend Micro DID fall somewhat in the offline malware compared to some other competitors. This shouldn’t be an issue for most users, but could be a problem if you are at risk of users plugging in thumb drives or SSD’s into your network without approval.
Trend Micro also received mixed scores. Coming in second-to-last place out of 19 antivirus program in one lab, but sixth place (and in the top grouping) in another.
Verdict: Should You Buy Trend Micro in 2026?
Overall, for the majority of users, Trend Micro offers a reasonably priced option that will protect you from the majority of threats encountered daily. The VPN option is a solid choice, and didn’t encounter any issues during my testing.
The only improvements I could suggest, is to collate ALL software into a single app, with a centralised screen I can click on each and every option to install, uninstall, configure or use.
I’d like to thank Trend Micro for the 12 month Subscription to their service for this review.
