Plus, Windows Defender consistently ranks below the top antivirus scanners in our independent lab testing. The free downloads on this list are from top-notch cybersecurity companies that are offering their premium antivirus protection for free.
And some of the free programs on my list also include additional cybersecurity protections. Free antiviruses like Avira and TotalAV are pretty good, but their paid versions are way better — to begin with, they come with all of the internet security protections you need to stay as safe as possible online.
Together with a malware scanner, these tools are crucial to building a good online defense against hackers, scammers, and predators. Here are a few of them:. Avira Free Security for Windows is my favorite free Windows antivirus in — it has one of the best anti-malware engines on the market, includes more free features than any other competitor, and is really easy to use.
Paid programs like McAfee and Norton are equally effective at detecting malware, but their full disk scans will slow down your system much more than Avira will.
The Safe Shopping browser extension for Firefox and Chrome is really good — it blocks suspicious phishing sites, web trackers, and unwanted advertisements. The extension also automatically recommends links to better deals when shopping online.
Download Avira Free Now. Another thing that makes Panda a good choice for Windows users is the Rescue Kit feature, which allows you to download a bootable version of Panda to a USB drive and then use the USB drive to clean an infected PC and get it up and running again. With lightweight malware scanning, an automatic gaming mode, a Rescue Kit, and a VPN, Panda is an excellent free internet security product.
Download Panda Free Now. It uses a huge blacklist to identify known phishing sites as well as an AI-powered phishing detection system to detect new threats. TotalAV is also the most intuitive free Windows antivirus on this list, with easy-to-use and easy-to-understand features and functions inside a minimalistic, well-designed dashboard. Kaspersky Security Cloud — Free is good at detecting and removing malware, and it also comes with plenty of extras — including:. All Kaspersky purchases include a day money-back guarantee.
Download Kaspersky Free Now. Malwarebytes Free is a good choice for users looking for a simple antivirus scanner that they can install and forget about. Apart from the scanner, Malwarebytes Free also comes with a browser extension that protects against a wide range of threats, including malware, ads and trackers, scams, and PUPs.
Malwarebytes Free is a minimalistic antivirus scanner with good virus detection and removal rates. It also comes with a browser extension that blocks malware, phishing sites, ads, and trackers. Download Malwarebytes For Free Now. The free version ditches additional features such as privacy protection and safe payment sandboxes to concentrate on powerful, no-frills and - most importantly - free protection for your PC.
The result is a tremendously easy to use and navigate bit of software that does an effective job of keeping you protected from viruses. Using the nuts and bolts real-world scanning engine of the paid-for suite, Kaspersky Free is fiendishly hard for viruses and trojan horses to break down.
And we love that it doesn't constantly pester you with nudges to upgrade to the full version. But, ironically, we will just for a moment, because Kasperksy Anti-Virus isn't expensive to buy and yet affords much better protection to your PC or PCs. Review and where to download: Kaspersky Free. Marketing itself as "business-grade security", Sophos Home does a little more than most free antivirus software, and actually seems better suited to families.
You get standard virus protection and anti-malware protection, along with browser tools like anti-phishing and, most importantly, content control. Combined with central management of up to 10 PCs, this means you can effectively lock down your kids' browsing options.
Although Sophos Home has always had desktop notifications, there was no premium version of the software for it to encourage an upgrade to. That changed in February with the launch of Sophos Home Premium. Review and where to download: Sophos Home. Each entry in this list has been carefully chosen for its business features, such as remote installation and central management. The best business antivirus software will have enterprise-level protection against threats, but that doesn't mean they have to cost a lot of money, either.
The price per installation can sometimes be cheaper than even our recommended best antivirus packages. Avast Business Antivirus Pro An excellent business antivirus suite, giving you various tools such as virus protection, Firewall, email protection, anti-spam and the ability to sandbox applications for complete security.
Avast Business Antivirus Pro as opposed to the standard Avast Business Antivirus also includes Sharepoint and Exchange protection, as well as a number of tools for your servers. Bitdefender products are loved by the independent testing labs, highly rated for malware detection, removal, performance and usability.
Most of the features work automatically — anti-malware, firewall, web advisor, URL filtering — but you can also customise the product to control user actions. Symantec Endpoint Protection Symantec's first benefit is the company's Insight file reputation technology, an effective way to detect and block even the very latest undiscovered threats. Other layers of protection include virus protection, behaviour monitoring, intrusion protection, a firewall, and the 'Power Eraser' to remove stubborn threats and repair your system.
Avira Antivirus for Endpoint This is Avira's main small business product. It takes all the core features you'd expect — antivirus, baseline network protection, web filtering — and extends them with file server protection and optimisation, along with application whitelisting and blacklisting. The desktop side of the package has all the usual quality Kaspersky modules — antivirus, antispam, a firewall, more — but the mobile security technologies are even more impressive. Mike began his career as a lead software developer in the engineering world, where his creations were used by big-name companies from Rolls Royce to British Nuclear Fuels and British Aerospace.
He now covers VPNs, antivirus and all things security for TechRadar, although he still has a secret love of quirky open-source and freeware apps which find brand new ways to solve common problems.
North America. If you're looking for the best possible protection for your online devices in , then you've come to the right place - we've tested all of the best antivirus providers out there to come up with a definitive list of the absolute greatest. View Deal. Bitdefender Antivirus. Maximum devices covered: Stand out features: Safepay banking protection, privacy tools, multi-layered anti-ransomware, VPN. Reasons to avoid - Room for improvement on detection.
Norton AntiVirus. Stand out features: Intelligent firewall, PC maintenance features, bundled backup tool with online storage. Reasons to avoid - Mixed results from the testing labs. Kaspersky Anti-Virus. Stand out features: Highly configurable virus scans, anti-ransomware, drive-by cryptomining infection prevention. Reasons to avoid - Not a huge amount of features. Trend Micro Antivirus. Reasons to avoid - Not as many features as key rivals.
Avast One. Reasons to avoid - Not a huge upgrade from free version. Microsoft Defender. Specifications Operating system: Windows only. Stand out features: Anti-ransomware, webcam and privacy protection, web filtering. Reasons to avoid Avira antivirus. Stand out features: Proactive anti-ransomware, software updater, web protection.
Reasons to avoid - Ratings from some independent test labs are a concern. McAfee antivirus. Stand out features: VPN, spam filter, intelligent firewall. Webroot SecureAnywhere AntiVirus. Specifications Operating system: Windows, Mac and Android options. Maximum devices covered: 5. Stand out features: Identity theft protection, real-time anti-phishing, firewall monitor. Reasons to avoid - Below average results in independent tests.
Sophos Home. Specifications Operating system: Windows and Mac. Stand out features: Central management console, AI-powered threat detection, advanced ransomware protection. Reasons to avoid - Lack of options - Clunky interface in some respects. Avira Free Antivirus.
Reasons to avoid - Quite a few popups when running. Avast One Essential free. Specifications Operating system: Windows, Mac, Android. Features: Virus detection, Gaming mode, Password manager, Malware scanner. Reasons to avoid - Irritating privacy settings - Includes links to paid-for components.
Reasons to avoid - Still room for better detection - Some features are very basic. Kaspersky Free. McAfee is the same as Norton — a free trial, but no free version. You can find this in their paid products, but why not go with a full-service free option instead?
You can avoid some forms of malware by practicing smart digital habits like using secure messaging apps and checking that websites are safe before you use them.
But hackers are craftier than ever. Social engineering tricks , phishing scams, malicious URLs and infected downloads… the list goes on. Cybercriminals find ways to reach even the most careful among us. Make sure to choose one of our best security software options with robust protection against all kinds of online threats. Mobile devices may also be susceptible to malware, so protect yours with a security program that can remove malware from your smartphone.
When it comes to the best virus scanners and best anti-malware tools, there are tons of choices. Effectiveness: Of course, the most important factor is how effective the antivirus engine is against malware and other threats. Gone are the days when the primary internet baddie was the computer virus. Impact on system resources: No one wants an antivirus that slows down your PC.
We recommend starting with one of the strongest best free internet security options above. Privacy: Antivirus programs need access to all parts of your machine to properly protect it. That means you should choose a program from a reputable developer with a reasonable and transparent privacy policy. But you probably have additional devices, right? Malware, phishing, and other threats also affect Macs, Androids, and even iPhones. Some companies offer multi-device subscriptions so you can easily protect yourself with free antivirus software for Mac , cybersecurity for Android , and mobile security for iOS.
Most companies offer advanced features, add-ons, and customization options in their paid products. But our above list of the best free programs contains options for excellent virus and malware protection — and many include great features in their free versions, too.
Microsoft has put resources into trying to make its built-in solution the best free antivirus for Windows But while it has improved by leaps and bounds in recent years, Windows Defender is still not as good as many third-party options out there, like AVG, Avast, Kaspersky, and BitDefender. Beyond test results, there may be other issues with relying solely on Windows Defender. Absolutely not. Product and OS updates often include patches that plug security holes.
Ignoring security updates can make you far more vulnerable to malware. With these persistent limitations to Defender, most AV experts still recommend you opt for one of the best free anti-malware software options on our list above.
These labs have the resources to test thousands of real, active malware samples of all kinds viruses, worms, ransomware, zero-day exploits, Trojans , botnets , backdoors, and more and to perform the same tests on different antivirus software simultaneously to guarantee accurate comparisons. These labs are certified by independent auditors, and many work with universities to ensure state-of-the-art testing methodology.
Independent test labs charge the antivirus companies to participate in these tests. Major AV brands consider this a necessary expense in order to verify the efficacy of their product. So when a company has no recent test results to show, it might understandably arouse suspicion. Well-known reviewers, such as Neil J.
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