I tested and ranked each free antivirus listed here for malware detection, ease of use, and additional cybersecurity features. Read the full Norton review here. 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.
If not, it will attempt to find a trust-rating for the file in our cloud database. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition outranks similar antiviruses by using a mix of proprietary technologies that detect new or unknown threats, without impacting computer speed.
They make the Internet safe for you. You can be sure all threats are taken care of when you browse the web. We use advanced technologies such as machine learning to protect you from phishing and other types of fraudulent content. The lightest Avast Antivirus yet. The new Nitro Update for Avast antivirus is our most lightweight software yet. Stay one step ahead of evolving cyber threats.
This proprietary cutting-edge technology captures unknown files and sends them to the Avast Threat Labs for real-time analysis to keep you safe. Their free antivirus just got even better. It now includes real-time security updates, scans for both malware and performance issues, and even catches malicious downloads before they reach your PC.
And with a cutting-edge virus scanner that blocks and removes viruses, you can be reassured that you and your family are protected from the latest threats. The best free antivirus. Panda Free Antivirus protects you while you work, play, or browse the Internet. Panda Free Antivirus provides the easiest-to- use and most intuitive protection for your computer.
Install it and forget about viruses, spyware, rootkits, hackers and online fraud. Chat, share photos and videos, shop online, read your favorite blogs or browse the Web with complete peace of mind.
ClamWin Free Antivirus is used by more than , users worldwide on a daily basis. It comes with an easy installer and open source code. You may download and use it absolutely free of charge. Please note that ClamWin Free Antivirus does not include an on-access real-time scanner. You need to manually scan a file in order to detect a virus or spyware. It features:. Download Free Antivirus and System Optimization. Immunet is a malware and antivirus protection system that utilizes cloud computing to provide enhanced community-based security.
Join the Immunet Community today and help make the internet safer for everyone. Immunet is designed to easily adapt to new threats with its unique signature automation technology. As more results come in, I'll give more weight to this test. It's worth noting that the highest scores so far, 79 percent, went to avast! Free Antivirus For a more complete explanation of my hands-on malware blocking test, please see How We Test Malware Blocking.
The Best Free Antivirus for malware blocking chart. Free Suites Two of the products I've included aren't technically free standalone antivirus tools. But really, if you need free antivirus protection, why not grab a free suite? It turns out this isn't necessarily a great idea. ZoneAlarm's firewall is the Editors' Choice in its category, but the antivirus component doesn't match its quality.
If you're after a free suite, Comodo is a better choice. More recently, I evaluated the unusual FortiClient 5. Though it's designed to work with a network appliance, it actually works fine as a standalone.
In addition to antivirus protection you get Web content filtering and a built-in VPN client. Note, though, that if you run into trouble you won't get remote-control remediation from tech support. That level of support requires a contract.
No Excuses! Clearly there are plenty of choices for free antivirus protection, some of them quite good. The nicest part is, if you're not fond of the free antivirus you've installed, you're free to replace it. You'll definitely find something to like from among these products.
It performs its essential antivirus functions well, but an over-enthusiastic behavior-based detection system flags good and bad programs alike. The user interface is truly pleasing, a nice change. However, the product lost a little ground in malware blocking. Anvi Smart Defender Free Where some antivirus products excel at malware removal and others at preventing new attacks, Anvi Smart Defender is consistently terrible at both. Worse, in testing it quarantined a number of verifiably clean Windows files.
Avoid it at all costs. Free Antivirus Free avast! Free Antivirus boasts a newly streamlined user interface and some interesting new features. With million users it's definitely a contender in the free antivirus space.
You'll get excellent free antivirus protection from AVG. Avira Free AntiVirus Free Avira Free AntiVirus did a great job keeping malware out of a clean test system, and Avira's technology gets high marks from the labs. However, no tech support is available, so if malware cleanup does collateral damage as it did in my tests you're on your own.
Beware; if its cleanup disables your computer, as it did one of my test computers, you'll have to fix the problem yourself. Its tiny main window and unobtrusive style are great if you want a strong, silent, and free antivirus solution.
Comodo Cleaning Essentials 6 Free Call on Comodo Cleaning Essentials 6 when pre-existing malware keeps you from installing or running a full-scale security product, especially another Comodo product.
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