If you don’t protect your PCs with antivirus, you’re taking some serious risks. A banking Trojan might drain the money from your accounts. A botnet could enlist your PC as part of a zombie army performing mass attacks on corporate websites. You might find your critical documents held for ransom. Counter to all these possibilities is the certainty that you have to pay for protection. Or do you? In fact, there are quite a few antivirus choices that don’t cost a thing. We’ve rounded up the best of these for your consideration.
Your antivirus should certainly have the ability to root out existing malware, but its ongoing task is to prevent ransomware, botnets, Trojans, and other malicious programs from getting a foothold. All the free antivirus programs we’ve selected offer real-time malware protection. Some take the fight to the browser, working to ensure you never even visit a malware-hosting site or get fooled into turning over your credentials to a phishing site.
Believe it or not, some of these freebies even beat all but the best for-pay equivalents. And since they’re free, you can try several before settling on your favorite. Read on for thumbnails of our full reviews, followed by how we evaluate free antivirus software and how to choose the right one.
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Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Avast One Essential
Best for Comprehensive Free Security
Why We Picked It
Avast has been supplying antivirus protection for as long as there’s been an antivirus industry. With Avast One Essential you get award-winning antivirus protection for free, and much more besides. All four of the independent testing labs we follow include Avast in their reporting, and it aces almost every test. It also takes high scores in our own hands-on testing. Other protective services include a permission-based ransomware protection system, a basic firewall, and a bandwidth-limited VPN.
Avast does reserve some features for paying customers. For example, the free edition will scan and identify apps with missing security patches and update them at your command, but won’t keep your apps updated automatically. Getting a list of junk files and broken registry items doesn’t cost anything; cleaning up the found mess is a premium feature.
Many free antivirus utilities work only on the Windows platform. Avast has varying degrees of protection for macOS, Android, and iOS. Its macOS edition earns high scores from the labs, and its ransomware protection, browser trace cleanup, and VPN work just as they do on Windows. On Android you get antivirus, VPN, junk cleanup, and privacy protection, among other features, though anti-theft is noticeably absent. As is common, protection under iOS is limited, but it does include VPN, filtering fraudulent and malicious websites, and extra protection for your photos.
Who It’s For
If you consider security software interesting rather than tedious, if a tight budget is the only reason you don’t buy a full security suite, Avast One Essential is perfect for you. The commercial Avast One suite does more, naturally, but this free edition is packed with features. The fact that you can use it to protect all your devices, not just Windows PCs, is icing on the cake.
PROS
- Excellent antivirus lab scores on multiple platforms
- Perfect score in our phishing test
- Free protection for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows
- Generous VPN bandwidth limit
- Numerous privacy and performance features
CONS
- Protection is limited on Android and iOS
- Advanced firewall features absent
- Many useful features require an upgrade
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| On-Demand Malware Scan | |
| On-Access Malware Scan | |
| Website Rating | |
| Malicious URL Blocking | |
| Phishing Protection | |
| Behavior-Based Detection | |
| Vulnerability Scan | |
| Firewall |
All Specs
AVG AntiVirus Free
Best for Useful Bonuses
Why We Picked It
In 2016, Avast acquired AVG. Now, both products use precisely the same antivirus technology under the hood. When you install AVG AntiVirus Free, you’re getting the same powerful protection you get from Avast. The two have different aggregate lab scores because not all the labs report on AVG. In fact, since one of the labs that skipped AVG is one that gave Avast a low score, AVG comes out ahead, with a perfect 10 points.
Like Avast, AVG protects against ransomware by banning all unauthorized changes to protected files. And like Avast, AVG’s free edition will identify junk files and other performance drains but won’t fix any problems unless you pay. Bonus features include a hardened browser, a deal-finding tool for shopping, and a simple network security inspector.
Who It’s For
Not every user wants the nearly suite-level features of Avast One Essential, and not everyone needs cross-platform protection. If your focus is on powerful protection against both malware and malicious or fraudulent websites, AVG offers the same protection as Avast but in a simpler, more traditional package. The user interface can be important, too. Both Avast and AVG have a widespread international presence, but they’re popular in different regions.
PROS
- Excellent scores from two testing labs
- Very good scores in our hands-on tests
- No-hassle enhanced firewall
- Useful bonus features
- Free
CONS
- Full scan is slower than average
- Fixing found performance issues requires an upgrade
- Malicious URL score down from previous testing
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| On-Demand Malware Scan | |
| On-Access Malware Scan | |
| Website Rating | |
| Malicious URL Blocking | |
| Phishing Protection | |
| Behavior-Based Detection | |
| Vulnerability Scan | |
| Firewall |
All Specs
Bitdefender Antivirus Free for Windows
Best for No-Frills Protection
Why We Picked It
Bitdefender Antivirus Free for Windows offers basic protection that’s precisely the core of Editors’ Choice Bitdefender Antivirus Plus. In truth, it looks more like Bitdefender’s suite, but with many features disabled. Most of the locked-away features make sense, though the absence of ransomware remediation and vulnerability scan is a blow. On the plus side, the unusual defense timeline shows exactly how Bitdefender stopped an attack. And its defense against malicious and fraudulent (phishing) websites is second to none.
If you spring for the commercial antivirus, you get vastly more features, more features than found in some security suite products. Among these are a basic password management system, a hardened desktop for secure browsing, a Rescue Environment to recover from malware that disables Windows, and a Wi-Fi security analyzer. None of these come for free.
Who It’s For
Bitdefender has an excellent reputation in the security world, and the company’s researchers frequently report on important discoveries. Relying on such a company for antivirus protection is a smart move, but you may well be put off by the cornucopia of features in the commercial edition. In that case, try Bitdefender Antivirus Free, which gives you the full core protection without any possibly confusing trimmings.
PROS
- Same core antivirus protection as for-pay Bitdefender
- Excellent scores from independent testing labs
- Free
CONS
- Lacks ransomware-specific protection
- Diminished scores in our hand-on tests
- First-time full scan unusually slow
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| On-Demand Malware Scan | |
| On-Access Malware Scan | |
| Website Rating | |
| Malicious URL Blocking | |
| Phishing Protection | |
| Behavior-Based Detection | |
| Vulnerability Scan | |
| Firewall |
All Specs
Avira Free Security
Best for Many Security Components
Why We Picked It
Like Avast’s free offering, Avira Free Security is a free version of a full security suite. All the features are visible, but many are locked away. All four of the labs that we follow consider Avira’s antivirus technology important enough to test, and Avira earns mostly excellent scores. It didn’t do as well in our hands-on tests, but when our results don’t jibe with the labs, we defer to the lab results.
Avira does scan for apps that are vulnerable due to missing security patches, but leaves you to fix any found problems manually. Other features include a simple password manager, a shopping deal-finder, and active prevention of ad trackers, as well as a bandwidth-limited VPN and a comprehensive privacy settings checker.
Some industry observers found fault with the Avira Crypto Ethereum-mining component; they’ve stopped worrying. With the Ethereum merge complete, that sort of mining is no longer possible, and Avira Crypto is gone.
Who It’s For
Do you want a full-on security suite rather than a bare-bones antivirus? Can your nerves handle the occasional upsell windows when you accidentally click a feature that’s not free? Avira Free Security may be just the thing for you.
PROS
- Mostly excellent lab test scores
- Features go well beyond basic antivirus
- Includes VPN and password manager
- Free
CONS
- Many features require payment for full functionality
- Serious bandwidth limitation for VPN
- Poor scores in some hands-on tests
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| On-Demand Malware Scan | |
| On-Access Malware Scan | |
| Website Rating | |
| Malicious URL Blocking | |
| Phishing Protection | |
| Behavior-Based Detection | |
| Vulnerability Scan | |
| Firewall |
All Specs
Microsoft Defender Antivirus
Best for Windows Die-Hards
Why We Picked It
No discussion of free antivirus software would be complete without Microsoft Defender Antivirus, formerly known as Windows Defender. If you don’t have a third-party antivirus, or if your antivirus subscription lapses, Defender takes up the banner of your protection. If you do add or revive some other antivirus, Defender quietly retreats to the sidelines.
That’s not to say we’re super-enthusiastic about using Defender for your protection. It gets good scores in some lab tests, but tanks others. Likewise in our hands-on tests it earns some high scores and some very low ones. In typical Microsoft fashion, its protection against fraudulent and malicious websites only works in Edge. It’s good, but you can do better.
Who It’s For
Hey, you! The one who’s falling asleep reading this article. The one who deeply does not care about antivirus. This one’s for you! To take advantage of its protection, you have to do exactly nothing. For the right person, that’s an ideal solution.
PROS
- Built into Windows
- Some good lab scores
- Very good hands-on malware protection score
- Always on if no other antivirus is present
CONS
- Poor phishing detection score
- SmartScreen Filter only protects Microsoft browsers
- Awkward scan scheduling
- Limited ransomware protection
SPECS
| Name | Value |
|---|---|
| On-Demand Malware Scan | |
| On-Access Malware Scan | |
| Website Rating | |
| Malicious URL Blocking | |
| Phishing Protection | |
| Behavior-Based Detection | |
| Vulnerability Scan | |
| Firewall |
All Specs
Buying Guide: The Best Free Antivirus Software for 2023
Why Isn’t Kaspersky Here?
Kaspersky Free is the free anchor for the Kaspersky line; the not-free Kaspersky Standard, Plus, and Premium all build on the same antivirus engine. Kaspersky’s antivirus prowess generally awes the independent testing labs, who routinely assign it perfect or near-perfect ratings. Unfortunately, we can’t recommend it anymore. Here’s why.
For years, Kaspersky has faced accusations and censure based on its Russian origins, though none of the accusations have come backed by hard evidence of malicious behavior. We at PCMag always focused on the capabilities of the products, not on the brouhaha around the company. However, the current war in Ukraine has raised the stakes. Governments and third parties are cutting ties with Kaspersky. The FCC labeled Kaspersky a national security risk.
After consideration, we can no longer recommend you purchase Kaspersky security products or even use them for free. We’ve left the reviews in place, with a warning, since they provide useful information. But at least for now, we’re removing Kaspersky products from our «Best for» lists.
Free Antivirus vs. Paid Antivirus
If free antivirus tools are so good at protecting internet security, why should anybody pay? For one thing, many of these products are free only for noncommercial use. If you want to protect your business, you must pony up for the paid edition. You should probably consider upgrading to a full security suite at that point. After all, it’s your business’s security on the line.
Even for personal use, most for-pay antivirus tools offer more than their free counterparts—sometimes a lot more. For example, the paid editions of Adaware and ZoneAlarm add protection against malicious and fraudulent websites the free versions lack. And Panda reserves quite a few features for paying customers: firewall protection, application control, cross-platform support, and detection of insecure Wi-Fi connections.
In addition, many companies don’t offer full-scale tech support for users of their free editions. The first time you need extra help digging a particularly stubborn piece of malware out of your system, you might regret the lack of support.
It’s Surprisingly Easy to Be More Secure Online
Independent Antivirus Lab Test Results
Around the world, researchers at independent antivirus testing labs spend their days putting antivirus tools to the test. Some of these labs regularly release public reports on their findings. We follow four such labs closely: AV-Comparatives, MRG-Effitas, SE Labs, and AV-Test Institute.
Security companies typically pay for the privilege of being included in testing. In return, the labs supply detailed reports that can help improve their products. The number of labs that include a particular vendor serves as a measure of significance. In each case, the lab considered the product important enough to test, and the vendor felt the price was worthwhile. The labs don’t necessarily test a vendor’s free product, but most vendors pack full protection into the free product, enhancing premium versions with additional features.
The Best Free Malware Protection
In addition to carefully perusing results from the independent labs, we also run our own hands-on malware protection test. We expose each antivirus to a collection of malware samples, including a variety of different malware types, and note its reaction. Typically, the antivirus will wipe out most of the samples on sight and detect some of the remaining ones when we try to launch them. We derive a malware blocking score from 0 to 10 points based on how thoroughly the antivirus protects the test system from these samples.
Since we use the same samples month after month, the malware-blocking test doesn’t measure a product’s ability to detect brand-new threats. In a separate test, we attempt to download malware from 100 very new malicious URLs supplied by London-based testing lab MRG-Effitas, typically less than a few days old. We note whether the antivirus blocked all access to the URL, wiped out the malicious payload during download, or did nothing.
If you’re interested in learning more about our testing techniques, you’re welcome to read more about how we test security software.
Useful Features
Just about every antivirus product scans files on access to make sure malware can’t launch, and it also scans the entire system on demand, or on a schedule you set. Once cleaning and scheduling is done, blocking all access to malware-hosting URLs is another good way to avoid trouble. Many products extend that protection to also steer users away from fraudulent websites, phishing sites that try to steal login credentials for financial sites and other sensitive sites. A few rate links in search results, flagging any dangerous or iffy ones.
Behavior-based detection, a feature of some antivirus products, is a two-edged sword. On the one hand, it can detect malware that’s never been seen before. On the other hand, if it’s not done right, it can baffle the user with messages about perfectly legitimate programs.
Recommended by Our Editors
Any antivirus should eliminate spyware along with other types of malware, but some products include features designed specifically for spyware protection. Features like encryption to protect your sensitive data and webcam control to prevent remote peeping typically show up in commercial products, not free ones. But some free products include features like a simple on-screen keyboard to foil keyloggers.
One easy way to keep your PC protected is to install all security updates, both for Windows and for browsers and other popular applications. Windows 11 makes it easier than ever to stay up to date, but there are plenty of security holes in older Windows versions, in popular apps, and in add-ons. Scanning for vulnerabilities in the form of missing updates is a feature most often found in commercial antivirus products, but it does turn up in some free ones. In the list below you can see which products include these useful features.
What’s Not Here?
Numerous free utilities devoted entirely to ransomware protection have come on the scene in the last few years. Alas, many of those have fallen by the wayside, among them Bitdefender Anti-Ransomware, Cybereason RansomFree, CyberSight RansomStopper, and Heilig Defense RansomOff. In any case, these are useful companion products, but they don’t do the job of a full-scale antivirus utility.
There are also numerous free antivirus utilities that work solely to clean up existing malware infestations. You bring out these cleanup-only tools when you have a nasty malware problem. When the malware’s gone, they have no further use since they offer no ongoing protection. Our favorite in this category is Malwarebytes Anti-Malware, and it’s one you should try if you’ve got a malware problem. But since they’re free, you can keep trying others if the first one doesn’t do the job. When the scare is over, you’ll need a full-blown antivirus for ongoing protection.
The Top Free Antivirus Software
Avast One Essential takes the place once held by Avast Free Antivirus as Editors’ Choice for free antivirus utility. It appears in lab reports from all four labs we follow with almost universally perfect scores, and it includes many suite-level features. AVG Antivirus Free uses the same antivirus engine as Avast and provides its own collection of useful bonus features—it, too, is an Editors’ Choice. If you do have a little cash in your budget for security, the best paid antivirus software does offer more and better protection. If not, try a few of these free tools and see which one you like best.
Worried you might already be infected? Check out our article on the signs you have malware.
The built-in security application Windows Defender definitely comes with Windows 10, but is it strong enough to defend against the latest malware, ransomware, and the latest viruses? Most PC users know that Windows has a pre-built antivirus protection called Windows Defender. Which is a decent security program to remove most malware and viruses. But is it enough to protect your PC from the latest ransomware, zero-day attack, or virus? So what is the solution? How about the free antivirus software for Windows?
Although Windows 11 is now available in the market, Windows 10 is still the most widely used popular desktop operating system. Since Windows 10 has millions of users worldwide, it is the main target for hackers and malware creators who trying to gain access to computer systems using various techniques. With thousands of adware, Trojans, viruses, ransomware, and other dangerous and harmful content available on the web these days, keeping your computer safe with a reliable security suite has become more important than ever.
As you may have heard or know that the built-in security of a computer isn’t as effective as some of the best third-party antivirus. Therefore, it is better to install a good antivirus to provide additional protection to your computer. Fortunately, you can fill your computer with an antivirus without spending your hard-earned money. There are quite a few free Antivirus for Windows 11, 10, and Windows 7 PC available nowadays so that you can protect your PC and devices without spending a single dollar from your pocket.
Besides these free antivirus for PC, there are several premium antivirus programs available that can be used for both personal and commercial purposes. The popular premium antivirus programs for Windows typically require an annual paid subscription, but some reputable brands also distribute free versions of their software, which are usually allowed for non-commercial use only.
Most of the time, these free antiviruses include the same scanning engine and malware definition files but exclude some additional features and most importantly, provide minimal support options. If you use any free antivirus on your PC, you will frequently see annoying ads and sales offers on your computer as antivirus developers try to convince you to buy a subscription plan or upgrade to premium.
We spend a lot of time trying to find the Best Free Antivirus for Windows PC, and when we find lists of free antivirus on the internet, we often can’t determine the best antivirus to use. However, before downloading or installing an antivirus, you need to check a few things. Suppose your antivirus definitely has the ability to root out existing malware and perform essential tasks such as preventing ransomware, botnets, Trojans, and other nasty programs from entering the computer.
However, it is always confusing when you have to choose a particular name from a huge list. So here we have listed 6 of the best free antivirus for PC that will surely help keep your computer safe from modern threats, viruses, ransomware, malware, phishing attacks, and many more. All of the programs listed here are completely free and suitable for personal use.
Along with its powerful antivirus engine, these PC security apps are always running so that your files are safe from malware and your personal information is protected. Additionally, you can launch on-demand scans whenever you want, and most importantly they perform automatic definition updates to stay up to date. Here, we are also sharing the links to download free antivirus for PC.
Each different product has a few specific differences that set them apart from one another, so pay attention to them when deciding which one to use.
Avast Free Antivirus:
Avast Free is one of the best free antivirus software for Windows PC that is used by millions of people worldwide. If you want a powerful antivirus program that is capable of blocking new threats but is still easy enough to maintain, you should consider using it.
Avast is customizable and lets you change everything from whether it sounds when threats are detected and how long notifications stay on the screen, to the type of file extensions to be scanned. As we said above, it updates its both virus definition and program automatically but a manual updation option is also available. Therefore, when you have Avast installed on your PC, you can let it do its thing without worrying about whether you’re running the latest version.
Avast Free has several more features included like scheduled scans, custom scans that can check only memory, rootkits, auto-start programs, etc. It has the option to check all files or only some file extensions and can protect against ransomware, scanning for potentially unwanted programs, follows shortcuts to scan real files, self-extracting DOS and Win32 executables and 7Z and RAR, Windows Explorer context menu setting, folders, exclusions for HDDs, and URLs, custom scans that are easy to save for future use, a rescue disk tool that lets you use the Avast scanner even if you can’t start your computer, etc. The special areas of the application can be protected with a password.
When you choose Avast, then you also have the option to include several useful tools like Web and Mail Shield; Behavior Shield, software updater, browser cleaner, rescue disk, password manager, junk file cleaner, game modes, browsing addon for safe browsing, etc. If you just want antimalware protection, you can install Shields from the beginning of that list; The rest are add-ons that are not needed but can be helpful at some point. You can install these tools (addons) at the beginning and then disable or remove them later completely or you can ignore them during setup and install them later.
Pros and Cons of Avast Free:
- The basic protections are very reliable
- Easy to customize.
- Includes privacy and performance features
- Excellent score on antivirus lab tests
- Available for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS
- Offers convenient smart scan
- Add-ons allow you to increase security.
- Advanced firewall features are absent
- Many useful features need to purchase.
- Frequent annoying pop-ups and notifications
- Other tools like password managers are for trial only.
These are some solid reasons that this program ranks at the top on almost every list of the best antivirus of antivirus programs. Avast Free Antivirus is compatible with Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7. You can read more about Avast’s free version and download it for PC using the below link.
Read More and Download Avast Free
Kaspersky Free
Kaspersky Free is a great choice if you want a simple program that provides lots of features. It’s easy to use and offers essential services like anti-virus, anti-malware, and anti-ransomware protection, as well as many advanced options if you care to check them out.
Kaspersky Free a free antivirus program is a good choice for those who need a strong virus scanner along with malware and ransomware protection for free. It is another highly-rated antivirus with a good amount of benefits. This free AV suite doesn’t try to install any extra software. During installation, it will ask you to create a Kaspersky account and remind you to try a 30-day free trial of its premium services. It is easy to use and offers many advanced options if you care to look.
This free antivirus software protects your PC from viruses and removes malware, trojans, ransomware, malicious applications, infected files, and other threats from damaging your device and data. In addition to these essential security features, it has the ability to detect rootkits and can delete malicious tools, adware, auto-dialers, suspicious packages, game modes, and so on. It offers file and web scanners as well as network attack blockers, AMSI protection, mail anti-virus, secure browsing, multiple scan mode, and so on.
The other two most useful tools included in Kaspersky’s free version are a free VPN and a password manager. It comes with a powerful VPN that provides 200 MB of daily usage for free to help you surf the web safely and anonymously. The Password Manager, on the other hand, secures your passwords and key documents and syncs them across all your devices. In the free version, the features of these tools are limited.
Other notable features included in this powerful antivirus include automatically pausing the scanner when specific applications are launched or at certain times of the day; selecting what happens when a threat is detected, auto-scan external drives or prompting them to scan during insertion, and frequently scheduling quick or full scans every minute or at a specific time, or after every update or app launch; Self-defence is another useful feature that stops all attempts to change or delete Kaspersky’s processes, registry objects, and installation files
Overall, Kaspersky Free version is a good antivirus program that comes with top-rated security technologies which are designed to protect your devices. It offers much more powerful features than its rivals. Additionally, it is very lightweight and has less impact on the device performance and the automatic database update feature always keeps this program up to date and that’s why it is listed in the list of the best free antivirus for Windows
Pros and Cons of Kaspersky Free:
- Provides excellent antivirus and ransomware protection.
- Perfect scores from independent lab tests.
- Strong malware-blocking and phishing protection.
- Bonus features include limited VPN.
- Clean and easy-to-understand user interface.
- Unique features that are not found in other programs.
- Email protection.
- Lots of options you can customize.
- Very simple setup.
- You will need to create a user account to activate the free version.
- The free license must be renewed each year.
- VPNs are limited; only 200 MB per day.
- Slow installation.
- No direct tech support
Get Kaspersky’s free antivirus program for Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7. You can also get this app with the same name for Android and iOS.
Visit here to know more about Kaspersky’s free antivirus.
AVG Antivirus Free:
The free Antivirus program for Windows by AVG does similar jobs to Avast free version. AVG AntiVirus FREE provides essential protection such as it stops viruses, spyware, and other malware, blocking unsafe links, downloads, and email attachments, Phishing protection, etc. It performs scans quickly and silently without affecting device performance. AVG blocks all unauthorized changes to protect files from ransomware. It has a powerful ransomware scanner and removal tool.
AVG AntiVirus Free has an easy-to-use interface meaning you won’t have to waste time navigating confusing menus. Also, it is highly customizable. You can either install it and leave the settings alone to get regular security, or go to the settings and make adjustments to just about anything. Additionally, it automatically downloads and installs real-time security updates and keeps its database up to date.
During setting up the program, you are in full control so you can choose which option should be enabled or disabled after installation. These include the following options: File Shield, Behavior Shield, Web Shield, Email Shield, File Shredder, Cleanup, browser extension, and Do Not Disturb Mode.
AVG comes with a multiple-scan mode that allows you various scanning features like Deep Scan, File or Folder Scan, Boot-time Scan, USB/DVD Scan, and Performance Scan. These advanced modes help you for scanning your device for malware, spyware, dangerous scrips, viruses, etc. Also, you can customize and choose the file type to scan. For example, you can include all files to scan or scan particular types of files such as executables, which might contain malware.
Pros and Cons of AVG Free:
- It has shown good results in lab tests
- Boot-time scans remove persistent malware
- Installation is simple and is done in a few minutes
- User-friendly interface.
- Lets you choose what to enable during installation.
- Automatic definitions and program updates.
- You have complete control over how things work.
- Minimal impact on computer speed
- The initial scan is slower than average.
- The boot-time scan is very slow.
- There is no parental control.
- It finds performance issues but needs upgrades to fix them.
- Some features displayed cannot be enabled in the free version.
- Annoying advertisements for AVG Internet Security.
AVG AntiVirus Free is a comprehensive security solution for protection against ransomware attacks as well as many other types of malware and online threats. Download AVG free for Windows PC. It supports Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, and XP operating systems.
Know more and download AVG for PC here
Avira Free Antivirus:
Avira Free Antivirus is powered by their famous antivirus engine called Macrovirus which offers protection against various types of malware such as viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, etc. This security suite works entirely in the cloud. This makes Avira very fast, and lightweight, and minimizes system resources. This feature is called Avira Protection Cloud which lets Avira’s antivirus tool identify and stop threats before they get out of hand.
Avira Free includes antivirus protection, a basic password manager to securely store critical passwords, a file shredder, and a free VPN that encrypts all your traffic with a 500MB allowance per month. Other features include a shopping deal-finder to help you find the best shopping deals online, active ad tracker prevention, and a comprehensive privacy settings checker. These supplementary modules improve Virus Shield and provide additional services related to security and privacy. Avira also scans vulnerable apps for missing security patches and lets you manually fix the problem if any are found.
Avira Security Cloud Technology provides even better protection by scanning files for malware in real-time using their cloud engine. Advanced Heuristic Analysis and Detection (AHeAD) protects against new and unknown malware. The free version also includes a ransomware protection feature that is an essential feature these days. It doesn’t have quite as many features as the Avira paid version but it will work for a free suite. Like Avast’s free offering, Avira Free Security is a free version of a complete security suite. All features are visible, but many are locked.
When it comes to virus scans, it scans your PC and provides real-time protection for your PC. It can scan on a schedule, check files with any file extension or just check files you manually select. It disables the ability to stop active scans to prevent the virus from finding the program. The virus scanner can adjust the priority level, scan primary boot segments, follow symbolic links to scan real files and detect rootkits before initiating a scan.
Other features present in the free version include scanning the Windows registry, ignoring files on network drives, automatically repairing, renaming, quarantining, ignoring threats when deleting or restoring, ignoring files, adding files, folders, and processes to the ignore list, Windows Firewall Settings, etc.
Pros and Cons of Avira Free:
- Excellent scores on most lab tests.
- Well-built features than many free antiviruses.
- Includes free VPN and password manager.
- Optional additional downloadable security layers.
- In-the-cloud antivirus process.
- Easy to use and install.
- Simple and unpretentious.
- Severe bandwidth limitation for VPNs
- Sometimes they perform poorly against modified malware and virus attacks
- Most add-on components need to be bought to be fully functional.
- Some extra features are annoying.
Avira Free Security is designed to run on all new Windows versions including Windows 7 and newer computers.
Get Avira for Windows
Panda Free Antivirus:
Panda Free Antivirus for Windows desktops and laptops is another lightweight and secure PC security application that can detect significantly more adware, spyware, and ransomware files than Windows’ built-in security tool. Panda’s real-time protection also worked really well, blocking most malware files instantly.
Panda Security Free Antivirus Program installs in minutes and has a minimalist design. You can find important buttons on the front, while additional options are housed within the menus. Although it doesn’t appear to be customizable, many of its options are hidden in the program’s settings. You can do things like set up both on-demand and automatic scans to check compressed files and scan for potentially unwanted programs from there.
Note that this program will change the search provider on your home page and in your web browser. To prevent this issue, you can uncheck those options during installation.
The Panda Free version offers basic antivirus protection, a free but limited (150MB per day) VPN to browse the web anonymously from a virtual location, scanning USB drives and other external devices to prevent unwanted infections, etc. The automated, persistent scanner also includes some additional options, such as behavioral and analytics scanning options, the ability to ask you before disabling viruses, and preventing files from running until it gets results from the cloud that they are safe or harmful. There are multiple scanning modes available such as a full system scan, custom scan, memory scan, etc
It has many useful security features, among which the Rescue Kit feature makes Panda a good choice for Windows users as it 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 makes it run again. This feature is really rare in free antivirus programs.
Another unique nature of Panda Free Antivirus is, its security news and alerts section shows you critical warnings and informative messages such as when a popular vendor experiences a data breach that could affect your personal information. However, this feature can be disabled or turned off if you don’t wish to see it.
In addition to these essential features, there are several other features available to you such as protecting the entire application using a password, quarantining empty frequently, disabling notifications when in full screen, excluding files/folders/extensions from scans, USB or removable device scan, protect against malicious websites using Panda Safe Web, and more.
Pros and Cons of Panda Free Antivirus:
- Minimal impact on system resources.
- Simple and friendly design.
- Security news regarding the latest news of breaches and threats.
- Vaccinates USB drives against malware.
- Bonus features include limited VPN.
- Attractive interface calm background.
- Failed to remove some modified ransomware samples.
- The full system scan is slow.
- Resets the browser’s home page and default search engine unless deselects during installation.
- There is no protection against dangerous or fraudulent URLs.
- Includes advertisements in the free version.
You can download and install Panda Free Antivirus on all the latest Windows versions.
Get Panda Free version here for Windows
Additional one: Malwarebytes free:
Although Malwarebytes Free is a popular antivirus tool, we are not able to include it in the list of top 5 free antivirus software for Windows. Because first of all, it doesn’t provide live virus protection. It works as a virus-removal tool. In fact, it is not an antivirus program, but rather a very useful malware-removal tool. On the other hand, its malware detection ability is a little bit weak than some of its rivals.
Malwarebytes Free, which was formerly called Malwarebytes Anti-Malware does an excellent job of cleaning up malware already on your system as well as removing adware and potentially unwanted programs that could be causing problems. It is a minimal antivirus scanner with good virus detection and removal rates. So you can call it a countermeasure, not a live virus protection tool. To get real-time virus protection, you need to upgrade it to Malwarebyte Premium.
Malwarebytes Free is a great choice for users looking for a simple antivirus scanner that they can install and forget about. Its virus scanner uses a virus database as well as heuristics to catch all types of malware. It has anti-malware and anti-exploit protection which works very well.
In addition to the scanner, you also get a browser extension that blocks a host of threats including malware, phishing sites, ads, trackers, scams, and popups. One of the nice features of this extension is that all protections are turned on by default, so there’s nothing for you, but also lets you turn off one or all protections easily.
Pros and Cons of Malwarebytes Free:
- Detects and removes malware and other advanced threats.
- Lightweight.
- Automatic scans
- Stops vulnerabilities in apps and systems
- Free Google Chrome extension for Chrome
- Prevents loading of malicious and fake websites
- Real-time protection is only in the paid versions.
- It works as a countermeasure rather than a live defense measure.
Malwarebytes Free is available for Windows and Mac. You get it for Windows 11, 10, and 7 PC using the link below for free.
Download Malwarebytes Free
Conclusion:
With the number of online threats increasing every day, you need a decent antivirus program to protect your sensitive information from hackers and malicious programs. As you know, there are many antivirus software available for PC, and these are some of the best free antiviruses for Windows PC mentioned in this article. Hopefully, the antivirus software listed in this article will help keep your device safe and trouble-free.
It has been observed that in order to further protect their computers, some people attempt to use two antivirus software at the same time; Which is completely wrong. One thing to remember, whatever you do, don’t use two real-time antivirus software at the same time, because it will do more harm than good.
Of course, most antivirus software will give a warning about the presence of other incompatible antivirus products installed on your computer or they won’t install at all unless you remove your previous antivirus software.
Related Articles
Виртуальные мошенники используют все более изощренные вредоносные программы и методы атак для кражи персональных данных, блокировки информации для вымогательства, распространения шпионского ПО и прочих противоправных действий в интернете.
Для обычных пользователей ПК это оборачивается потерей важных файлов, утечкой паролей, блокировкой доступа к системе и другими неприятными последствиями. Чтобы минимизировать эти риски, крайне важно применять качественные средства антивирусной защиты. В статье рассмотрим лучшие бесплатные антивирусы, способные обеспечить надежную защиту ПК или ноутбука от широкого спектра угроз.
1. Kaspersky Security Cloud Free
Лидирующую позицию в рейтинге занимает Kaspersky Security Cloud Free — передовое облачное решение от известной российской компании «Лаборатория Касперского». Антивирус нового поколения использует технологии машинного обучения и искусственного интеллекта для проактивного обнаружения и блокировки киберугроз. Основные преимущества Kaspersky Security Cloud Free:
- мощный антивирусный движок с элементами искусственного интеллекта для выявления новейших угроз;
- надежная защита от фишинга, вредоносных сайтов и методов социальной инженерии;
- мониторинг Wi-Fi сети и оперативное обнаружение ее уязвимостей;
- технологии Anti-Ransomware и Anti-Rootkit для блокировки вымогателей и руткитов;
- безопасный браузер с встроенной защитой от вредоносного ПО и фишинг-атак.
Недостаток: ограниченный бесплатный функционал по сравнению с платной версией.
2. Avast Free Antivirus
Достойную конкуренцию составляет Avast Free Antivirus — полноценный бесплатный антивирус от известного чешского разработчика Avast Software. Ключевые особенности Avast Free Antivirus:
- мощный антивирусный движок нового поколения с элементами искусственного интеллекта;
- надежная защита электронной почты и вложений от вредоносного ПО;
- межсетевой экран и мониторинг домашней сети на уязвимости;
- режим «Не беспокоить» для отключения оповещений во время игр и просмотра фильмов.
Недостатки: высокая нагрузка на ресурсы системы и ложные срабатывания.
3. Avira Free Antivirus
Avira Free Antivirus — популярный бесплатный антивирус от немецкого разработчика Avira. Он славится высокой скоростью работы и эффективностью обнаружения угроз. Основные преимущества Avira Free Antivirus:
- проактивная защита в режиме реального времени;
- восстановление зараженных файлов без потери данных;
- блокировка фишинговых и мошеннических сайтов;
- расширенные средства сканирования и карантина.
Недостаток: интерфейс только на английском языке.
4. 360 Total Security
360 Total Security — бесплатный китайский антивирус, использующий комбинацию нескольких антивирусных движков для усиления защиты. Ключевые особенности 360 Total Security:
- многоуровневое обнаружение и блокировка всех типов вредоносных программ;
- надежная защита от вымогателей, руткитов и целевых атак;
- сканирование уязвимостей в системе и установленных приложениях;
- дополнительные инструменты для очистки и оптимизации работы ПК.
Недостатки: высокая нагрузка на ресурсы и навязчивое предложение платных функций.
5. Panda Free Antivirus
Panda Free Antivirus — простой в использовании бесплатный антивирус от испанской компании Panda Security. Он неприхотлив к ресурсам системы. Ключевые возможности Panda Free Antivirus:
- обнаружение и удаление всех типов вредоносных программ в реальном времени;
- надежная защита от вымогателей, руткитов и эксплойт-атак;
- мониторинг сетевой активности и блокировка хакерских атак;
- проверка подключаемых устройств на наличие вредоносов;
- автообновление базы данных угроз для защиты от новейших угроз.
Недостаток: урезанный бесплатный функционал по сравнению с платной версией.
6. Comodo Antivirus
Comodo Antivirus — бесплатный антивирус от американского разработчика Comodo Group. Он славится обилием расширенных инструментов безопасности. Ключевые преимущества Comodo Antivirus:
- многоуровневая антивирусная защита от любых типов современных угроз;
- технология автосандбокса для изоляции и изучения неизвестных угроз;
- надежная защита от вымогателей, эксплойтов, руткитов и атак нулевого дня;
- встроенный межсетевой экран для тотального контроля подключений;
- модуль VirusScope для глубокого анализа подозрительных файлов.
Недостатки: сложность настройки и высокая нагрузка на ресурсы.
7. ZoneAlarm Free Firewall
Замыкает наш рейтинг ZoneAlarm Free Firewall — бесплатный персональный брандмауэр от Check Point для защиты от сетевых атак. Основные возможности ZoneAlarm Free Firewall:
- фильтрация входящего и исходящего сетевого трафика в реальном времени;
- блокировка подключений от злоумышленников и вредоносных программ;
- обнаружение вторжений и прекращение атак в автоматическом режиме;
- защита от удаленного подключения и перехвата конфиденциальных данных;
- круглосуточный мониторинг всех сетевых подключений ПК.
Недостаток: отсутствие функционала полноценного антивируса.
Перед выбором конкретного продукта рекомендуется изучить независимые обзоры и сравнительные тесты. Это позволит подобрать оптимальный бесплатный антивирус, исходя из ваших потребностей.
В этом ежегодно обновляющемся рейтинге — лучшие бесплатные антивирусы 2023 года согласно сводному анализу результатов тестов независимых антивирусных лабораторий: AV-test.org, av-comparatives.org, Virus Bulletin и AVLab, которые признаются объективными большинством участников рынка антивирусов.
Как и в предыдущих версиях обзора лучших бесплатных антивирусов обращаю ваше внимание на то, что он не является моим мнением и не опирается на какие-либо субъективные предпочтения, за исключением того, что в первую очередь приведены антивирусы, доступные в России, но в соответствующем разделе представлены и антивирусные продукты без учёта указанного фактора.
Тесты антивирусов
При анализе комбинированных тестов антивирусов для потребительского рынка 4-х лабораторий наибольший вес будет придаваться результату «Real-Word Protection» (защита в реальных условиях) и аналогичные показатели, в меньшей степени будут учитываться такие параметры как производительность и удобство использования. Сводные результаты тестов по состоянию на начало года от AV-Test представлены в следующей таблице:
В ней присутствуют не только бесплатные антивирусы, но и платные продукты. Сортировка выполнена по столбцу Protection (Защита), два следующих столбца — производительность и удобство использования.
В графике ниже — результат годового тестирования от AV-Comparatives. Здесь можно увидеть процент заблокированных (Blocked) и пропущенных (Compromised) угроз, количество ложных срабатываний (False Positives).
Схожие тесты доступны на Virus Bulletin и AVLab.pl. Сводных таблиц для представления на скриншоте нет, однако результаты очень похожи, за исключением того, что на AVLab оценивается ещё одна характеристика — процент обнаружений угроз до запуска и после него.
Удобный ресурс для просмотра результатов тестов от всех популярных лабораторий — Anti-Malware Testing Standards Organization с возможностью фильтрации по конкретным ОС, лабораториям, просматривать тесты только для потребительского или только корпоративного сектора.
Kaspersky Free
В тестах антивирусных лабораторий фигурируют платные версии антивируса Касперского, однако бесплатная версия Kaspersky Free использует тот же движок и от неё можно ожидать той же эффективности (при отсутствии некоторых дополнительных модулей).
В течение многих последних лет антивирус Касперского занимает одно из первых двух мест в большинстве тестов (конкурируя с BitDefender). В 2023-м по совокупности результатов — однозначно первое место, несмотря на инициативы по ограничению использования Kaspersky в ЕС и США (что, на мой взгляд, говорит в пользу объективности тестов, которые проводятся как раз в этих юрисдикциях).
Среди дополнительных возможностей, имеющихся в бесплатной версии:
- Интернет-защита
- Поиск утечки личных данных
- Проверка внешних дисков при открытии файлов с них
- Создание загрузочного Kaspersky Rescue Disk для удаления вирусов (в том числе на компьютере, где Kaspersky не установлен)
- Проверка небезопасных настроек Windows
Самое частое опасение пользователей, касающееся антивируса Касперского — влияние на производительность системы. На мой взгляд, сегодня это не актуально, а корни опасений исходят из опыта работы с этим антивирусом 10-ти (и более) летней давности. Ресурсов ему требуется не больше, чем другим популярным антивирусам, а при необходимости можно задать дополнительные настройки производительности:
Скачать Kaspersky Free можно с официального сайта.
Microsoft Defender
Встроенный в Windows 11 и Windows 10 антивирус Microsoft Defender также тестируется в указанных лабораториях. Результаты — далеко не худшие, и превосходят некоторые платные аналоги.
Если вы не хотите добавлять стороннего фонового ПО и служб, устанавливая другие антивирусы, при этом не относитесь к той группе пользователей, для которых ежедневная загрузка ПО из сомнительных источников — норма, встроенным «Защитником Windows» вполне можно обойтись. Автор сайта обходится в течение последних 8 лет, с проблемами в течение этого срока столкнуться не довелось.
Среди основных претензий к Microsoft Defender — его негативное отношение к нелегальным играм и программам и их компонентам, об этом подробнее в статье: Что делать, если Windows 11 или Windows 10 сама удаляет файлы.
Avast Free Antivirus и AVG
Несмотря на то, что Avast приостановила деятельность в России, а скачивание и установка антивируса с официального сайта «недоступны», Avast Free Antivirus исправно устанавливается, обновляется и обновляет антивирусные базы для пользователей из РФ без VPN и каких-либо других действий.
Всё что потребуется — скачать официальный установщик по прямой ссылке, загрузка на момент написания статьи не заблокирована и работает исправно.
Avast Free Antivirus (и принадлежащий этой же компании AVG, который сейчас мало чем отличается от основного продукта) — самый противоречивый антивирус из перечня:
- Из года в год он занимает одни из лучших мест в тестах антивирусных лабораторий, 2023 не стал исключением.
- Каждый год я получаю не один десяток комментариев о том, что этому антивирусу не место в ТОПе лучших. Здесь напомню: список составлен на основании тестов с открытой методологией, выполненных лабораториями из разных стран (а не мною лично). Наличие или отсутствие какого-либо антивируса в списке не обусловлено субъективными предпочтениями.
Во всех тестах Avast Free Antivirus набирает близкие к максимальным баллы, количество пропущенных угроз и ложных срабатываний ниже среднего. А интерфейс, знакомый, вероятно, почти любому, интуитивно понятен и не должен вызвать проблем с освоением даже у начинающих пользователей.
Помимо антивирусной защиты и сканирования на наличие угроз бесплатный антивирус Avast включает в себя набор дополнительных возможностей:
- Защита папок от программ-вымогателей
- Сканирование сети на наличие уязвимостей
- Собственный брандмауэр (устанавливается по требованию)
- Защита в интернете: например, проверка загружаемых файлов на вирусы
Из недостатков, отмечаемых пользователями:
- Сложность удаления (однако я ни разу не сталкивался с проблемами при правильном удалении встроенным деинсталлятором самого Avast, а вот при использовании сторонних деинсталляторов они возможны).
- В некоторых случаях (при неправильном удалении или специфичных настройках сетевых подключений) может вызвать проблемы с доступом в Интернет — его недоступность или замедление.
Отличные бесплатные антивирусы, не работающие в РФ
Ещё два антивируса, на которые следует обратить внимание, если вы не находитесь в России и ищете подходящий бесплатный антивирус:
- BitDefender Free — антивирус, уже упомянутый выше, регулярно состязающийся с Kaspersky за первое место в рейтинге. В тестах используется платный вариант антивируса, но BitDefender Free — это тот же продукт, с некоторыми отключенными модулями. Возможный минус — отсутствие русского языка интерфейса.
- Avira Antivirus Free — результаты хуже, чем у BitDefender, но по некоторым тестам лучше чем у Avast или Microsoft Defender. Простой, удобный и быстрый антивирус.
Скачивание и установка и того и другого антивируса возможна в РФ по прямой ссылке, но без использования VPN не удастся активировать лицензию или устанавливать обновление, а потому использование становится не слишком удобным. В других странах всё должно работать исправно.
Мнение пользователей
Перед публикацией статьи я опубликовал опрос в группе сайта в Телеграм, указав известные мне бесплатные антивирусы и добавив пункт «Другое» с возможностью оставить своё мнение в комментариях. Вы тоже можете проголосовать, посмотреть или оставить комментарии и присоединиться к группе. Голоса распределились следующим образом:
По опросу мнения почти те же, что и в тестах, за исключением отдельных моментов:
- Microsoft Defender — на первом месте. Основная причина, думаю, в том, что он уже установлен и не требует установки стороннего ПО на компьютере.
- В списке присутствует антивирус Comodo. В статье выше его нет, так как в последние годы он не участвует в наиболее известных тестах (но антивирус хорош).
В комментариях люди чаще всего отмечали 360 Total Security, а также Dr. Web и ESET, однако последние два варианта не бесплатные (если не учитывать антивирусную утилиту Dr. Web CureIt!, которая предназначена для лечения компьютера, уже подвергнувшегося заражению).
Несмотря на то, что в антивирусных продуктах начали реализовываться функции борьбы не только с вирусами как таковыми, но и вредоносными или потенциально нежелательными программами, расширениями, подменой ярлыков браузеров и не только, с этой задачей до сих пор лучше справляются специальные программы (например, AdwCleaner), разрабатываемые именно для этих целей. Они не конфликтуют с антивирусами при работе и позволяют удалить те нежелательные вещи, которые ваш антивирус «не видит». Подробнее о таких программах — Лучшие средства удаления вредоносных программ с компьютера.
Этот рейтинг антивирусов обновляется раз в год и за предшествующие годы в нем накопилось много комментариев с пользовательским опытом по использованию различных антивирусов и других средств защиты ПК. Рекомендую ознакомиться с ними ниже, после статьи — вполне возможно, найдете новую и полезную информацию для себя.
Free antivirus software protects your computer from viruses. It scans data and information from your business computer, which then identifies the threat and eliminates it.
Still, there are some differences in focus, function, and extent of the protection a given free antivirus software provides you. Which then is the best free antivirus software for you? Read our reviews below to decide for yourself.
If you are a professional, an entrepreneur or if you have a small business, you may have delicate and valuable information on your computer that needs protecting. There are viruses, phishing attempts, trojans, and malware of all kinds. Protecting your data will avoid serious consequences and disruptions to your livelihood and peace of mind.
Thankfully, there are numerous anti malware programs to choose from. Even better, many of them offer a free version. To make it easy for you to consider your options, we’ve listed and reviewed the leading antivirus software for this year.
Our review of the top free antivirus software
Don’t worry about costs, there are many excellent options for free antivirus programs that we are going to discuss. It doesn’t matter if you are using Windows, Mac, or pc, here you will find the perfect one.
First, its important to identify your needs, ask yourself what type of software are you looking for? This will help narrow down your decision. We can safely say all of these are going to protect your system.
let’s go over what makes each option unique…
1. Bitdefender antivirus free edition
The regular free version of Bitdefender is one of the best antivirus programs with the free version you can effectively protect your computer. For some,the basic version is all they need. Using behavioral detection to monitor your active apps.
Key features
- Simple and easy to run
- Protects against malware, phishing, and fraud
- Runs automatically and quietly in the background
- Great for beginners
- Helpful support forums and FAQs
- Available for Windows, Mac, and Android
Disadvantages
- VIP tech support costs extra
- The installation takes longer than expected
New to antivirus programs and need something simple, then Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition is an excellent choice.
2. AVG antivirus free
This free antivirus program provides an effective defense against malware and phishing. As a result the free verison of the sofware can perform scans whenever you want and it comes with many loaded features.
Key features
- Highly-effective protection against malware
- Provides a “Do Not Disturb” mode
- Conducts in-depth scans
- Offers real-time protection
- Actively scans for performance issues
- Available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iPhone/iPad
Disadvantages
- It slows down your computer more than other antivirus programs
- Only email and phone support; no live chat
If you want an incredibly thorough scan AVG Antivirus Free is the optimal choice for you.
3. Kaspersky security cloud free
The free version of Kaspersky comes packed with a lot of features that have plenty of virus protection options. We love the interface and ability to schedule scans.
Key features
- Effective protection against malware
- Minimal impact on performance
- File shredder option
- Scans emails for threats
- Support forums and FAQs
- Ability to reverse ransomware
- Available for Windows, iOS, and Android
Disadvantages
- Password manager is limited in the free version
- VPN is limited in the free version
Kaspersky is a great comprehensive all-in-one suite protection software. If you are looking for an all-in-one free anti-virus software this is your best bet!
4. Microsoft windows defender
This anti-virus software protects data in real-time and comes with windows by default. This software is considered to be one of the best with its widespread antivirus protection and features.
Key features
- Excellent protection against malware
- Already included with Windows
- Parental controls
- Gaming mode
- Edge and Internet Explorer browser protection
- Barely noticeable effect on performance
- Ransomware reversal
- Scan scheduler
- Phone and email support anytime
Disadvantages
- Only available for Windows
- it has a lower protection score compared to other antivirus programs
Are you using a Windows operation system? It’s a great option if you can’t be bothered with downloading and installing anything.
5. Avira antivirus
Avira’s free antivirus software is very simple and easy to use. Even the most inexperienced PC users will have no problems with it. This antivirus offers an incredibly deep scan of your system.
Key features
- Incredibly high level of threat detection
- Protects against ransomware, viruses, trojans, keyloggers, worms, and other malware
- Sends potentially malicious files to the cloud
- Protects from, and removes, different kinds of spyware
Disadvantages
- Much slower compared with other free competitors
- The scan function will always scan all files over and over again.
- Only available on Windows
No malware is a match for this antivirus option. Cloud-based threat neutralization is the direction antivirus software is heading. You might as well go with one that already offers it.
6. 360 total security
The free version of 360 Total Security is quite comprehensive. It can monitor threats 24/7, giving you peace of mind. It has loads of additional features that make this software more appealing.
Key features
- Anti-ransomware tools
- Document protection feature
- Automatic backups of critical data
- Data shredder
- Scheduled system cleanups
- Internet protection
- Privacy protection
Disadvantages
- Only available for Windows 7 and 10
- Not as robust as other free versions
Users of the latest Windows operating systems have a great ally here. Round-the-clock monitoring ensures your system is always kept safe.
7. ZoneAlarm free antivirus
ZoneAlarm has been offering a free antivirus option for a long time. that aims to protect your computer against viruses, malware, spyware, and other cyber threats. In addition, you can get a firewall that protects against ID theft and data loss.
Key features
- Solid malware protection
- Cloud-based backup services
- Cloud-based encryption services
- Excellent firewall
- Credit monitoring tools
- Low system performance
Disadvantages
- Only available for Windows
- Low malware detection rate
ZoneAlarm offers a reliable cloud-based backup with encryption services. Plus free firewall.
8. Malwarebytes anti-malware free
Malwarebytes offers seldom-seen comprehensive protection in free antivirus. It is usually the go-to for tech support as a diagnostic tool. There is anti-malware and anti-exploit protection that works very well.
Key features
- Automatic scans
- Shields from ransomware attacks
- Stops vulnerabilities in apps and systems
- Prevents loading of malicious and fake websites
- Free extension for Chrome
- Available for Windows and Mac
Disadvantages
- it’s more of a remediation tool than a live defense measure
- Real-time protection is only in the paid versions
Do you want to use the tool that tech support uses, this is the one you will want to get.
9. Avast free antivirus
Avast is a long-time champion in terms of being the best free antivirus” program. It’s not just an anti-virus software, it has several built-in tools, like a secure browser, makes this an excellent choice.
Key features
- Excellent antivirus protection
- Network security scanner
- Password manager
- Avast Secure Browser
- Passive mode in case you run another antivirus programs
- Browser-independent protection
- Many more security features
- Available for Windows, Android, iOS, and Mac
Disadvantages
- Limited password management features
- Opting out of data sharing is difficult
Not just an antivirus program, it’s got a secure browser as well. This thwarts threats coming through the main door exploits come through.
10. Sophos home free
Businesses often use Sophos’ premium version, the free version works very well for home use. If you want enterprise-level protection, this is a great option.
Key features
- Manage protection using a remote online console
- Available for Windows, Android, iOS, and Mac
- Advanced network protection
- Server protection
- Enduser protection
Disadvantages
- Lacks in phishing protection
- Only three installations allowed per subscription
Big companies use Sophos, which means you can trust it. Enjoy peace-of-mind knowing you can control it remotely.
11. Total av free
This antivirus is used by over 25 million people. It has an easy-to-use interface and a robust malware scanner. The free version offers plenty of effective protection.
Key Features
- Minimal impact on system performance
- Available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS
- Real-time protection
- Anti-phishing protection
- Solid system cleanup
- In-house VPN
- Monitors data breaches
- Identity theft monitoring
Disadvantages
- Password manager could be improved
- Ad blocker is not very effective
If you need all the power you can get, use this antivirus itt won’t bog down your system while you use it for your business.
12. Adaware antivirus free
This free antivirus installs very quickly. It can identify threats as they come and neutralize them, Adaware has come a long way since only scanning for adware.
Key features
- Minimal impact on system performance
- Can run in tandem with other antivirus software
- Silent mode limits distractions and resource-hogging
- Schedules scans are possible
- Protects against ransomware, spyware, and viruses
Disadvantages
- Some features are only unlocked in the premium version
- Does not have real-time email scanning
Protecting yourself against all sorts of malware is key to exploit prevention, that is what makes this option very appealing.
13. McAfee security scan
McAfee software specializes in malware protection and has been around for ages. The only factor is that it’s limited in features in comparison to the McAfee Total Protection.
Key features
- Uncover security vulnerabilities
- Schedule scans
- Quick scanning identifies threats within minutes
- Available for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android
Disadvantages
- Very limited
- No cloud backup
The grandfather of antivirus programs delivers excellent protection, you may already even have it on your system.
Final Thoughts
- You now have 13 great options for the best free antivirus software. Every small business needs to protect its systems, they are essential for the operation of your business.
- There is no need to have custom software developed to protect your systems. A startup or small business can take advantage of these top options. We have found that any one of these will provide essential protection.
- There is only one main issue you need to consider is if you are using Windows or Mac for your business. There are several options for each system just need to search.
- You may want to put digital antivirus protection on your end-of-year checklist. You can’t afford to have any problems with the systems you rely on.