List Of Best Antivirus
- List Of Best Antivirus For Windows 10
- List Of Best Antivirus For Windows 10
- List Of Best Antivirus Software
- The Best Antivirus Software Free
- Best Windows Virus Protection Softw…
- Best Windows Virus Protection Software
- List Of Best Antivirus
- 9 Avast Antivirus Avoid - one of the worst AV packages out there: it lures users that are not that technically minded with price - 0. Unfortunately protection offered by Avast is equal to the amount of money it costs.
- Jan 03, 2019 Free Antivirus, AVG Anti-Virus Free, and the list ends with similar alternatives however make sure to look through the in order list underneath to understand the best free antivirus for you. Top 10 Best Free Antivirus Software – Updated Oct 2019.
Top 10 best antivirus 2019 list – Windows Antivirus free download. Antivirus software with best virus protection is very essential to protect your Personnel computer from getting affected from virus attacks. F-Secure Antivirus SAFE is a great collection of antivirus tools, and while it's a bit more expensive than some of the other programmes on this best of list, the amount of features you get makes. Kaspersky, as one of the top antivirus products currently on the market, has certainly received a lot of praise. It’s fast, reliable, light on your computer, and offers several different types of scans, among other great features.
This is a non-exhaustive list of notableantivirus and Internet Securitysoftware, in the form of comparison tables, according to their platform (e.g. desktop, mobile, server, etc.) and their operating systems (e.g. Windows, OS X, Linux, Solaris, Android, iOS, Ubuntu Touch, Windows Phone, etc.).
- 2Desktop computers and servers
- 3Mobile (Smartphones and tablets)
Legend[edit]
The term 'on-demand scan' refers to the possibility of performing a manual scan (by the user) on the entire computer/device, while 'on-access scan' refers to the ability of a product to automatically scan every file at its creation or subsequent modification.
The term 'CloudAV' refers to the ability of a product to automatically perform scans on the cloud.
The term 'Email Security' refers to the protection of emails from viruses and malware, while 'AntiSpam' refers to the protection from spam, scam and phishing attacks.
The term 'Web protection' usually includes protection from: infected and malicious URLs, phishing websites, online identity protection (privacy) and online banking protection.
Many antivirus products use 'third-party antivirus engine', this means that the antivirus engine is made by another producer, however the malware signature and/or other parts of the product may (or may not) be done from the owner of the product itself.
Desktop computers and servers[edit]
Windows[edit]
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Boot-time scans | Heuristics | CloudAV | Firewall | IDS | IPS | Sandbox | Email Security | AntiSpam | Web protection | Macro protection | Live Update | Support | Settings Import/ Export | installer/ updater MIMA safe | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Original author/s | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AhnLab | AhnLab V3 Internet Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 1988 | South Korea | Dr. Ahn Cheol-Soo | ||
Avast | Avast Free Antivirus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Proprietary | Free | 1988 | Czech Republic | Pavel Baudiš and Eduard Kučera | ||
Avast | Avast Pro Antivirus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Proprietary | Trialware | 1997 | Czech Republic | Pavel Baudiš and Eduard Kučera | ||
Avast | Avast Internet Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Proprietary | Trialware | 2009 | Czech Republic | Pavel Baudiš and Eduard Kučera | ||
Avast | Avast Premier | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Proprietary | Trialware | 2012 | Czech Republic | Pavel Baudiš and Eduard Kučera | ||
AVG Technologies (avast) | AVG Antivirus FREE | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | ? | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Proprietary | Free | 1992 | Czech Republic | Jan Gritzbach and Tomáš Hofer | ||
AVG Technologies (avast) | AVG Antivirus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | ? | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Proprietary | Non-free | 2006 | Czech Republic | Jan Gritzbach and Tomáš Hofer | ||
AVG Technologies (avast) | AVG Internet Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Proprietary | Non-free | 2008 | Czech Republic | Jan Gritzbach and Tomáš Hofer | ||
Avira | Avira Antivirus FREE (formerly AntiVir) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | ? | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Free | 1988 | Germany | Tjark Auerbach | ||
Avira | Avira Internet Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 2002 | Germany | Tjark Auerbach | ||
Bitdefender | Bitdefender Antivirus Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | ? | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Free | 2013 | Romania | |||
Bitdefender | Bitdefender Antivirus Plus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 1996 | Romania | ||||
Bitdefender | Bitdefender Internet Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | No[1] | Proprietary | Non-free | 2008 | Romania | ||
Check Point | ZoneAlarm PRO Antivirus + Firewall | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | ? | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2002 | Israel | Third-party antivirus engine (Kaspersky) [2] | ||
Check Point | ZoneAlarm Extreme Security | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2002 | United States | |||
ClamWin | ClamWin | Yes | Yes (with Winpooch or Clam Sentinel) | Yes (with Clam Sentinel) | Yes | No | No | No | No | ? | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | ? | GNU GPL | Free | 2002 | Australia | Third-party antivirus engine (ClamAV) | ||
Comodo Group | Comodo Antivirus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes* | Yes | Yes | Yes* | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Free | 2008 | United States | *Protection via containment of untrusted executable code | ||
Comodo Group | Comodo Cloud Antivirus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes* | Yes | Yes | Yes* | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Free | 2016 | United States | *Protection via containment of untrusted executable code | ||
Comodo Group | Comodo Internet Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes* | Yes | Yes | Yes* | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Free | 2010 | United States | *Protection via containment of untrusted executable code | ||
Dr.Web | Dr.Web Anti-virus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Trialware | 1992 | Russia | Igor Danilov | |
Dr.Web | Dr.Web Security Space | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Trialware | 2006 | Russia | Igor Danilov | |
ESET | ESET NOD32 Antivirus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | ? | Yes | No | Yes[3][4] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Trialware[5] | 1987 | Slovakia | Peter Paško and Miroslav Trnka | ||
ESET | ESET Smart Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes[3][4] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No[1] | Proprietary | Trialware[5] | 2007 | Slovakia | Peter Paško and Miroslav Trnka | |
F-Secure | F-Secure Antivirus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | ? | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 1991 | Finland | Petri Allas and Risto Siilasmaa | Third-party antivirus engine (Bitdefender) | |
F-Secure | F-Secure SAFE | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 2004 | Finland | Petri Allas and Risto Siilasmaa | Third-party antivirus engine (Bitdefender) | |
FRISK Software | F-PROT Antivirus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | ? | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Trialware | 1989 | Iceland | Friðrik Skúlason (second engine also with Dr. Vesselin Bontchev) | ||
Fortinet | FortiClient | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | ? | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Free | 2004 | United States | |||
G Data Software | G DATA AntiVirus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | ? | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 1987 | Germany | Andreas Lüning and Kai Figge | Third-party antivirus engine (Bitdefender) | |
G Data Software | G DATA InternetSecurity | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 2004 | Germany | Andreas Lüning and Kai Figge | Third-party antivirus engine (Bitdefender) | |
Kaspersky Lab | Kaspersky Anti-Virus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | ? | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 1997 | Russia | Eugene Kaspersky and Natalia Kaspersky | Banned by USG | |
Kaspersky Lab | Kaspersky Internet Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 2007 | Russia | Eugene Kaspersky and Natalia Kaspersky | Banned by USG | |
Kaspersky Lab | Kaspersky Total Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | Russia | Eugene Kaspersky and Natalia Kaspersky | Banned by USG | ||
McAfee | McAfee Antivirus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | ? | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 1987 | United States | John McAfee | John McAfee 'uninstall video' scandal | |
McAfee | McAfee Internet Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 2006 | United States | John McAfee | John McAfee 'uninstall video' scandal | |
Microsoft | Windows Defender | Yes | Yes | No | No Only Windows 10 | No | No excepting Windows Firewall[6] | No | No | ? | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Proprietary | Free | 2012 | United States | |||
NANO Security Ltd | NANO Antivirus | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | ? | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Proprietary | Free | 2009 | Russia | |||
Panda Security | Panda Antivirus Pro | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | ? | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 1990 | Spain | Mikel Urizarbarrena | ||
Panda Security | Panda Internet Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 2002 | Spain | Mikel Urizarbarrena | ||
Panda Security | Panda Antivirus Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | ? | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Free | 2009 | Spain | |||
Qihoo 360 | 360 Total Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | ? | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Free | 2006 | China | |||
Quick Heal | Quick Heal Total Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 1995 | India | GoDeep.AI engine | ||
Seqrite | Seqrite EPS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 1995 | India | |||
Sophos | Sophos Anti-Virus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | ? | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 1988 | United Kingdom | Jan Hruska and Peter Lammer | ||
Sophos | Sophos EndUser Protection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 2000 | United Kingdom | Jan Hruska and Peter Lammer | ||
Cisco (originally Immunet) | Immunet | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | ? | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Free | 2010 | United States | Third-party antivirus engine (ClamAV) | ||
Symantec | Norton Internet Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 2000 | United States | Whitelists FBI backdoor scandal[7][8] | ||
Symantec (originally PC Tools) | Spyware Doctor with AntiVirus | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | ? | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 2003 | United States | |||
Trend Micro | Titanium Antivirus Plus | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | ? | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 1990 | Japan | |||
Trend Micro | Titanium Internet Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | ? | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 2008 | Japan | |||
TrustPort | TrustPort Antivirus | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Trialware | 2008 | Czech Republic | Third-party antivirus engine (?) | ||
TrustPort | TrustPort Internet Security | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Trialware | 2008 | Czech Republic | Third-party antivirus engine (?) | ||
TrustPort | TrustPort Total Protection | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Trialware | 2008 | Czech Republic | Third-party antivirus engine (?) | ||
VirusBlokAda | Vba32 AntiVirus | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | ? | No | No | No | No | No | No | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 2010 | Belarus | |||
Webroot | SecureAnywhere AntiVirus | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | ? | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Trialware | 2011 | United States | |||
Webroot | SecureAnywhere Internet Security Plus and Complete | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | ? | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | ? | Proprietary | Non-free | 2011 | United States | |||
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Boot-time scans | Heuristics | CloudAV | Firewall | IDS | IPS | Sandbox | Email Security | AntiSpam | Web protection | Macro protection | Live-Update | Support | Settings Import/Export | installer/ updater MIMA safe | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Original author/s | Notes |
macOS[edit]
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Heuristics | CloudAV | Firewall | IDS | IPS | Email Security | AntiSpam | Web protection | Live-Update | Support | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Avast | Avast Mac Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Free | 2012 | Czech Republic | |
Avira Operations | Avira Free Mac Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Proprietary | Free | 2011 | Germany | |
Bitdefender | Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2011 | Romania | |
Cisco | Clam AntiVirus | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | GNU GPL | Free | 2000 | United States | |
Comodo Group | Comodo Mac Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Proprietary | Free | 2012 | United States | |
Dr. Web | Dr. Web Anti-virus for Mac OS X | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Trialware | 2012 | Russia | |
ESET | ESET Cyber Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2011 | Slovakia | |
ESET | ESET Cyber Security Pro | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes[9] | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2013 | Slovakia | |
F-Secure | F-Secure Anti-Virus for Mac | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2008 | Finland | Third-party antivirus engine (Bitdefender + F-PROT) |
Intego | VirusBarrier | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 1997 | United States | |
Intego | Mac Internet Security | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2000 | United States | |
Kaspersky Lab | Kaspersky Internet Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2010 | Russia | Banned by USG |
Quick Heal | Quick Heal Total Security for Mac | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 1995 | India | GoDeep.AI engine |
Malwarebytes | Malwarebytes for Mac | Free | 2006 | United States | 4 vulnerabilities found by Project Zero in 2016 | |||||||||||||
Panda Security | Panda Antivirus for Mac | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2008 | Spain | |
Sophos | Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Proprietary | Free | 2010 | United Kingdom | |
Symantec | Symantec Endpoint Protection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2012 | United States | |
Symantec | Norton Security Standard for Mac | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2012 | United States | |
Trend Micro | Titanium Internet Security for Mac | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2011 | Japan | |
Webroot | SecureAnywhere AntiVirus | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes (only in Apple Safari) | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Trialware | 2012 | United States | |
Webroot | SecureAnywhere Internet Security Plus and Complete | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes (only in Apple Safari) | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Trialware | 2012 | United States | |
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Heuristics | CloudAV | Firewall | IDS | IPS | Email Security | AntiSpam | Web protection | Live-Update | Support | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
Linux[edit]
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Heuristics | CloudAV | Firewall | IDS | IPS | Email security | AntiSpam | Web protection | Live-Update | Support | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AVG Technologies (Grisoft) | AVG Linux Server Edition | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Proprietary | Non-free | 2008 | Czech Republic | |
Cisco | Clam AntiVirus | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | GNU GPL | Free | 1998 | United States | |
Comodo Group | Comodo Internet Security Linux | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Proprietary | Free | 2008 | United States | |
Dr. Web | Dr. Web Anti-virus for Linux | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Trialware | 1992 | Russia | |
ESET | ESET File Security for Linux | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2008 | Slovakia | |
FRISK Software | F-PROT Antivirus | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Proprietary | Trialware | 1989 | Iceland | |
F-Secure | F-Secure Linux Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2008 | Finland | |
Fortinet | Forticlient | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Free | 2009 | United States | |
Kaspersky Lab | Kaspersky Anti-Virus for Linux | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2012 | Russia | Banned by USG |
Panda Security | Panda DesktopSecure for Linux | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2008 | Spain | |
Quick Heal | Quick Heal for Linux | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2005 | India | GoDeep.AI engine |
Sophos | Sophos Anti-Virus for Linux | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Free | 2008 | United Kingdom | |
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Heuristics | CloudAV | Firewall | IDS | IPS | Email security | AntiSpam | Web protection | Live-Update | Support | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
Solaris[edit]
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Firewall | Email security | AntiSpam | Web protection | Live-Update | Support | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cisco | Clam AntiVirus | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | GNU GPL | Free | 1998 | United States | |
FRISK Software International | F-PROT Antivirus | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Trialware | 1989 | Iceland | |
Panda Security | Panda DesktopSecure for Linux | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | ? | 2009 | Spain | |
Sophos | Sophos AntiVirus for Unix | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Trialware | - | UK | Central management |
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Firewall | Email security | AntiSpam | Web protection | Live-Update | Support | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
FreeBSD[edit]
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Firewall | Email security | AntiSpam | Web protection | Live-Update | Support | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cisco | Clam AntiVirus | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | GNU GPL | Free | 1998 | United States | |
FRISK Software International | F-PROT Antivirus | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Trialware | 1989 | Iceland | |
Panda Security | Panda DesktopSecure for Linux | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | ? | 2009 | Spain | |
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Firewall | Email security | AntiSpam | Web protection | Live-Update | Support | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
Mobile (Smartphones and tablets)[edit]
Android[edit]
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Firewall | AntiSpam | Web protection | Privacy Advisor | AntiTheft | Call/SMS Filtering | Backup | Parental Control | Support | AV Comparatives | AV Test[10] | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AhnLab | AhnLab Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | ? | 2010 | South Korea | |
Avast | Avast Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Free | 2011 | Czech Republic | |
Avast | Avast Premier Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2013 | Czech Republic | |
AVG Technologies (Grisoft) | AVG AntiVirus FREE for Android | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Proprietary | Free | 2010 | Czech Republic | |
Avira Operations | Avira Free Android Security | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Proprietary | Free | 2004 | Germany | |
Bitdefender | Bitdefender Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Freemium | 2011 | Romania | |
Cheetah Mobile | Security Master | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Proprietary | Free | 2012 | China | Earlier it is known as CM Security[11] |
Comodo Group | Comodo Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Free | 2012 | United States | |
Dr. Web | Dr. Web Mobile Security Suite | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Trialware | 2010 | Russia | |
ESET | ESET Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Partially, only Anti-Phishing | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Freemium[12] | 2011 | Slovakia | |
F-Secure | F-Secure Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2010 | Finland | |
G Data Software | G Data Internet Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2012 | Germany | |
Kaspersky Lab | Kaspersky Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2011 | Russia | Banned by USG |
Kaspersky Lab | Kaspersky Tablet Security | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2011 | Russia | Banned by USG |
McAfee | McAfee Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2011 | United States | |
Qihoo 360 | 360 Mobilesafe | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Free | 2009 | China | |
Quick Heal | Quick Heal Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Free | 2012 | India | |
Sophos | EndUser Protection | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2011 | United Kingdom | |
Sourcefire | FireAMP Mobile | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | Proprietary | ? | 2012 | United States | |
Symantec | Norton Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2011 | United States | |
Trend Micro | Trend Micro Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2012 | Japan | |
TrustPort | TrustPort Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Proprietary | Freemium | 2012 | Czech Republic | |
Webroot | SecureAnywhere Mobile | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Freemium | 2012 | United States | |
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Firewall | AntiSpam | Web protection | Privacy Advisor | AntiTheft | Call/SMS Filtering | Backup | Parental Control | Support | AV Comparatives | AV-Test | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
iOS[edit]
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Firewall | AntiSpam | Web protection | AntiTheft | Call/SMS Filtering | Backup | Parental Control | Support | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Intego | VirusBarrier iOS | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 1997 | United States | Discontinued |
Symantec | Norton Mobile Security | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2011 | United States | |
Bitdefender | Bitdefender Mobile Security | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Proprietary | Free, In-App Purchases for VPN | 2018 | Romania | |
Seqrite | mSuite MDM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 1994 | India | |
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Firewall | AntiSpam | Web protection | AntiTheft | Call/SMS Filtering | Backup | Parental Control | Support | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
Windows Mobile[edit]
This list excludes Windows Phone 7 and Windows Phone 8 as they do not support running protection programs.
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Firewall | AntiSpam | Web protection | AntiTheft | Call/SMS Filtering | Backup | Parental Control | Support | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dr. Web | Dr. Web Mobile Security Suite | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Trialware | 2006 | Russia | |
ESET | ESET Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2010 | Slovakia | |
Kaspersky Lab | Kaspersky Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2008 | Russia | Banned by USG |
Seqrite | mSuite MDM | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 1994 | India | |
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Firewall | AntiSpam | Web protection | AntiTheft | Call/SMS Filtering | Backup | Parental Control | Support | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
List Of Best Antivirus For Windows 10
Symbian[edit]
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Firewall | AntiSpam | Web protection | AntiTheft | Call/SMS Filtering | Backup | Parental Control | Support | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dr. Web | Dr. Web Mobile Security Suite | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Trialware | 2006 | Russia | |
ESET | ESET Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Proprietary | Non-free | 2010 | Slovakia | |
Kaspersky Lab | Kaspersky Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2008 | Russia | Banned by USG |
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Firewall | AntiSpam | Web protection | AntiTheft | Call/SMS Filtering | Backup | Parental Control | Support | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
BlackBerry[edit]
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Firewall | AntiSpam | Web protection | AntiTheft | Call/SMS Filtering | Backup | Parental Control | Support | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dr. Web | Dr. Web Mobile Security Suite | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary | Trialware | 2015 | Russia | |
Kaspersky Lab | Kaspersky Mobile Security | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2008 | Russia | Banned by USG |
McAfee | McAfee Mobile Security | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Proprietary | Non-free | 2011 | United States | |
Company | Software | On-demand scan | On-access scan | Firewall | AntiSpam | Web protection | AntiTheft | Call/SMS Filtering | Backup | Parental Control | Support | License | Price | First release | Country of origin | Notes |
See also[edit]
- AV-Comparatives - Austrian organisation testing antivirus and security software
- AV-TEST - German organisation testing antivirus and security software
References[edit]
- ^ abuses http
- ^'How to disable and remove Kaspersky Labs components from Check Point Security Gateway'. supportcenter.checkpoint.com. Retrieved 2017-11-11.
- ^ abESET Knowledgebase, http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN2820
- ^ abESET Knowledgebase, http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN2844
- ^ abESET Knowledgebase, http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN3418
- ^'Archived copy'. Archived from the original on 2017-10-07. Retrieved 2017-07-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- ^'AntiSec leaks Symantec pcAnywhere source code after $50k extortion not paid'. Computerworld. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
- ^'FBI 'Trojan horse' triggers alarms'. New Scientist. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
- ^How do I create a firewall rule to allow/disallow use of a certain application in ESET Cyber Security Pro?, ESET Knowledgebase
- ^'Detailed test reports—Android mobile devices)'. AV-TEST.
- ^'Antivirus app for android smartphone )'. Androidleo.
- ^ESET Knowledgebase, http://kb.eset.com/esetkb/index?page=content&id=SOLN3429
A good antivirus program is essential to a secure system, and you most definitely do not have to pay for one to get great protection. Below is our hand-picked list of the 11 best free antivirus programs that you can download for Windows today.
All of these programs perform definition updates automatically, are always running to make sure your files are protected from malware and your personal information remains private, and can start scans on-demand whenever you like.
However, each of them do have a few prominent differences that make them stand out, so pay attention to those as you decide which one to use.
If you're looking for protection on your other devices, check out our list of free antivirus apps for Android and best Mac antivirus articles, too.
If you just need a spyware cleaner, and need it right now without waiting for one of these full AV programs to install, use one of the (preferably portable) applications from our Best Free Spyware Removal Tools list. There are also free on-demand virus scanners you can install. Also consider installing a Windows Firewall alternative from this list of Free Firewall Programs.
If you can't even log in to Windows to install an antivirus tool, access a computer that does work and then use it to make a free bootable antivirus tool that you can then run on the infected computer.
Avira Free Security Suite
What We Like
Password manager included.
Optional additional downloadable protection layers.
In-the-cloud antivirus process.
What We Don't Like
Additional features can be annoying.
Only protects Chrome and Firefox browsers.
Add-on components often require fee to be fully functional.
The main component in Avira's free software suite that makes it stand out is the optional 'in-the-cloud detection' feature called Protection Cloud. This scanning method lets Avira's antivirus tool identify and stop threats before they get out of hand.
This is how it works: When a suspicious file is detected on any computer running Avira, a fingerprint of that specific file is generated and uploaded anonymously to Avira so that they can scan it and report its status (whether it's safe or dangerous) back to every Avira user so that the program can take appropriate action.
Avira can scan and remove existing threats as well as automatically detect and stop new ones. It protects you against ransomware, Trojans, spyware, and other kinds of malware. You can even choose which ones to actively watch out for, and disable others (though it's not recommended) like dialers, jokes, adware, etc.
- Scan on a schedule
- Check files with any file extension or just the ones you manually choose from
- Disable the ability to stop active scans (so that viruses can not stop the program from finding them)
- Adjust the scanner's priority level
- Scan master boot sectors
- Follow symbolic links to scan the actual files
- Search for rootkits before starting a scan
- Scan the Windows Registry
- Ignore files on network drives
- Automatically repair, rename, quarantine, delete, or ignore threats when they're found
- Use heuristic scanning
- Add files, folders, and processes to the ignore list
- Manage Windows Firewall settings
- Password protect the program's settings
- Block autorun on removable devices
- Make the hosts file read-only
The Avira suite offers more than just a very extensive antivirus application. It includes several other 'layers' of security that will install automatically, and they might take a while to download since there are several. However, you don't have to use them and they won't bother you unless you open them.
These separate modules include a VPN that encrypts all your traffic (up through the first 500 MB each month); password manager to securely store complex passwords; and software updater that identifies outdated programs and gives you the download links to update them.
In addition to those, Avira can speed up your computer and reduce boot up time with its tune-up tool, help you find the best deals as you shop online, and warn you of malicious websites or software bundles before you download them (with its SafeSearch add-on).
These extra features can be annoying if you're strictly after an antivirus solution, but again, you don't have to use them; just keep them tucked away where they are and you won't have to worry about them.
Avira Free Security Suite is intended to run on computers with Windows 7 SP1 and newer, including Windows 10 and Windows 8.
There's also Avira for macOS that's similar, but not exactly the same, as Avira for Windows. Namely, the Mac edition is only on-demand, meaning that it doesn't check for viruses automatically like the Windows version.
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition
What We Like
Drag-and-drop file and folder scan.
Minimal, uncluttered design.
Simple to set up and run.
What We Don't Like
Limited customization if you're looking for that.
Large initial program download.
If you want an antivirus program that's not only free but super easy to use and not cluttered with lots of buttons and menus, you should definitely try the free version of Bitdefender Antivirus.
You not only get instant protection against viruses, worms, rootkits, spyware, and other threats, but also anti-phishing and anti-fraud protection to carry security with you when you're browsing the internet and entering passwords.
It's actually remarkable how well Bitdefender runs despite its minimal design. You can drag and drop folders and files directly into the program to instantly run a scan against them, as well as immediately start a full system scan or scan select objects from the right-click context menu—all of which can run at the same time.
Regardless of how they're started or how many scans are running simultaneously, a history of those scans are recorded for you on the primary window of the program as well as within the Events area of the settings.
The obvious downside to a program that lacks many customization options is that there isn't much you can change about it. That might be something you want but it might not be available; so be aware that basically all you can do with this edition of Bitdefender is start and stop scans.
Another downside to this software is how long it takes to become ready for you to use. The initial installer for Bitdefender is quite small but that's just what's used to then download the full program, which is hundreds of megabytes and could take a while if you have a slow internet connection.
It's also unfortunate that you can't pause scans (it just lets you stop them) or set up file and folder exclusions before starting scans like some AV programs allow. With Bitdefender, you can only mark files or websites as safe after they've been identified as malicious.
Ads asking you to purchase Bitdefender's professional programs and scheduled scans not being supported (but they're not necessarily needed since Bitdefender is always checking for new threats) are a few other not-so-greats.
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition runs on Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7. You can also get this free antivirus software on your Android or Mac.
Adaware Antivirus Free
What We Like
Lightweight antivirus program.
Can run as a supplement to other antivirus programs.
Silent mode mutes notifications and limits resource use.
What We Don't Like
Some useful features are only usable with paid version.
Limited configurability.
Email scanning not included.
Adaware Antivirus installs in minutes, is light on system resources, and can be used in one of two ways. The first is in regular mode where it checks for threats as they happen, but the other lets you use it in addition to your 'main' antivirus program (i.e., along with Bitdefender or Avira).
What this so-called 'second line of defense' does is disables real-time protection but still lets you use Adaware Antivirus to manually scan for existing threats. This is helpful if your primary AV software doesn't seem to find malware that you know is infecting your computer.
Whichever way you use it, Adaware Antivirus provides a defense against ransomware, spyware, viruses, and other forms of malicious software. You can find those threats through a quick, full, or custom scan.
Daily, weekly, and monthly scheduled scans are supported, and you can even run a scan to just check certain things, like only rootkits or just tracking cookies and boot sector viruses, for example.
Adaware Antivirus also lets you choose a custom performance setting to use more system resources to run the scan (to make it faster), exclude files/folders/file extensions from scans, and decide how often to check for new definition updates (every 1/3/6/12/24 hours).
When it comes to real-time protection, you can toggle on or off the following options:
- Scan archive files
- Scan email databases
- Deep scan that checks CHM files and executable files
- Smart scan that skips previously checked files
- Scan boot sectors
- Scan files as they move throughout the network
- Skip scanning files that exceed a custom file size (e.g., 10 MB to skip video files)
You can also protect the program's settings with a PIN as well as enable gaming/silent mode to suppress notifications.
Adware Antivirus definitely has its advantages but because there's also a non-free version you can upgrade to, many additional options are not supported.
For example, parental controls and advanced network, web, and email protection are only available in Adaware Antivirus Pro. These options are visible within the free edition but they're not actually clickable/usable until you enter an Adaware Antivirus Pro license key.
Adaware Antivirus Free works with all versions of Windows.
Avast Free Antivirus
What We Like
Add-ons allow you to increase protection.
Great customizability.
What We Don't Like
Password manager and some other tools included are trial only.
Additional features require purchase.
Avast is used by hundreds of millions of people and ranks high in nearly every 'best list' of antivirus programs, and for good reason. If you want a solid program that is sure to block new threats but is still easy enough to customize, you should consider using it.
Avast Free Antivirus is similar to Avira which we mention above; there are numerous components that you can install along with the virus shield that provide additional services related to security and privacy (more on those below).
The antivirus portion has lots of options you can change but it's still easy enough for anyone to use since there are information blurbs next to most items so you're not left wondering what will happen if you enable them.
Plus, both definition and program updates are performed automatically (a manual option is available, too), meaning you can install Avast and let it do its thing without worrying whether you're running the latest and greatest version.
Avast is highly customizable and lets you make changes to everything from whether to make a sound when threats are detected and how long notifications should remain on the screen, to the kinds of file extensions that should be scanned.
Here are some more features supported in Avast Free Antivirus:
- Scheduled scans
- Custom scans that can check only the memory, rootkits, auto-start programs, etc.
- Checking all files or just certain file extensions
- Identifying files by their content instead of their suffix
- Fine-tuned heuristics sensitivity
- Scanning for potentially unwanted programs
- Follows shortcuts to scan the real file
- Can scan within lots of archive file formats like self-extracting DOS and Win32 executables, CHM, ACE, 7Z, RAR, TNEF streams, Mac archives, ISO, and more
- Windows Explorer context menu integration
- Folders, HDDs, and URLs (but not specific files) can be pe-excluded from scans
- Custom scans are easy to save for use in the future
- A Rescue Disk can be created that lets you use the Avast scanner even if you can't start your computer
- Particular areas of the program can be protected with a password
- Lets you enable Do Not Disturb Mode to deny notifications from other apps while you're using one in full screen mode
Before Avast is installed, you have the option to include over a dozen different tools: file, behavior, web, and mail shields; software updater, browser cleaner, rescue disk, Wi-Fi inspector, security and SafePrice browser extensions; password manager; junk file cleaner; and Game Mode.
Technically, if you only want the antimalware protection, you can install just the shields from the start of that list; the others are add-ons that aren't necessary but could be helpful at some point.
For example, the software updater is a nice tool that will not only check for and report outdated software but also install the newer versions for you (even in bulk). This is a great way to make sure your programs are up-to-date with their latest security patches and features.
Wi-Fi Inspector scans the network for devices that could be vulnerable to attacks. For instance, it might identify that a computer is running a file sharing service that has been known to facilitate the spread of a certain kind of worm.
You can install these tools (it takes less than five minutes) and then disable or completely remove them later. Or, you can ignore them during setup and just install them later, or not at all.
However, please know that the password manager and Cleanup tools are only trial versions that will expire after so-many days. There's also a firewall, file shredder, and sandbox feature that's unusable in this free version.
Avast Free Antivirus is compatible with Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP.
Panda Dome
What We Like
Light impact on system resources.
Minimal, uncomplicated design.
Security news about the latest reports of breaches and threats.
What We Don't Like
Resets browser home page and default search engine unless specifically deselected during installation.
Contains advertisements.
Panda Security's free antivirus program, Panda Dome (previously called Panda Free Antivirus), installs in minutes and has a minimal design like Bitdefender, mentioned above. However, even though it's not a CPU or memory hog, and doesn't appear to be customizable, all of its many options are tucked away in the settings.
From there, you can do things like set up both on-demand and automatic scans to check compressed files and scan for potentially unwanted programs.
The automatic, permanent scanner includes some additional options, too, like behavioral and analysis scanning options, the ability to ask you before neutralizing a virus, and blocking files from running for so-many seconds until results on whether it's safe or harmful are obtained from the cloud.
Something entirely unique to Panda Dome is its security news and alerts sections that can show you critical, warning, and informational messages like when a popular vendor experiences a data breach that could affect your personal information. You can, however, turn those off if you want to.
You can complete a scan in just a few minutes if you only want to check for actively running threats, like browser cookies, processes, and things currently loaded in memory. However, there's also, of course, an option for a full system scan or a custom scan.
Here are some other things you can do with Panda Dome:
- Password protect the entire application
- Have the quarantine emptied every three days, every week, every month, or never
- A gaming/multimedia option will disable all notifications if you're using a full screen application
- Exclude particular files or folders from scans, as well as specific file extensions of your choosing
- USB protection can be enabled to always scan removable devices as they're attached, to make sure that they don't spread anything to the computer
- Monitor running processes as well as any URLs accessed by them, and have them terminated if Panda Dome deems them a threat
- Record everything in event reports that you can browse through and even print or export to a TXT or CSV file
- Can optionally install Panda Safe Web during setup to protect you against malicious websites
The Panda Dome antivirus software does a really good job at keeping the important buttons up front and hiding the additional options within menus so that you're not constantly bombarded with options or alerts.
However, the program will change your home page and the search provider in your web browser, unless you uncheck those options during the initial setup.
Panda Dome works in all versions of Windows from Windows 10 back through Windows XP.
AVG AntiVirus Free
What We Like
Installs in a few minutes.
Choose what to enable during setup.
Updates automatically (definitions and the program).
You have full control over how things work.
What We Don't Like
Shows features you can't enable in the free version.
Always advertises AVG Internet Security.
Doesn't officially support Windows Vista or XP.
AVG's free antivirus program is easy on the eyes and even easier to use. The scan button is right in the middle of the screen, turning features off is dead-simple, and all the advanced options are tucked away from view in the settings.
Like most antivirus tools, this one lets you schedule scans, check for threats in archives, remove viruses right when they're found, scan USB drives, exclude files/folders/websites from scans, and run boot-time scans.
It's worth noting that AVG AntiVirus Free is highly customizable. You can either install it and leave the settings alone to have regular protection, or you can go into the settings and make adjustments to nearly anything.
For example, you can have viruses and PuPs fixed automatically or be prompted to take action, enable/disable scanning of downloaded files and scripts, scan inbound and/or outbound mail, check/skip the scanning of MS Outlook attachments, check or don't check for threats on inserted discs, and scan all archive types or just the most commonly used ones.
Another important feature in AVG's antivirus software is the option to choose how to scan files. You can have the program scan only the files that contain content that might include malware (like executable data), only files that are using a file extension considered potentially dangerous (like EXE), or all files regardless of content type or file extension.
You can also enable rootkit detection, hardcore mode (recommended for inexperienced users), and CyberCapture technology, which helps detect threats in unrecognized files.
During setup, you have full control over which components should be enabled or disabled once AVG is installed. Options include File Shield, Behavior Shield, Web Shield, Email Shield, SafePrice browser extension, File Shredder, Cleanup, and Do Not Disturb Mode.
AVG AntiVirus Free includes a file shredder tool as well, which you can use from the right-click context menu to overwrite files using the Random Data, Gutmann, or DoD 5220.22-M data destruction method.
Windows 10, 8, and 7 are supported. It also runs on Mac (10.10 Yosemite or above) and Android (5.0 or above).
You're asked during setup to also install AVG's web browser, AVG Secure Browser, but you can uncheck that option if you want.
COMODO Antivirus
What We Like
User interface can conform to your comfort level.
Lots of settings can be customized.
Run programs virtually.
Automatic updates for the program and virus definitions.
What We Don't Like
Settings sometimes don’t save after editing them.
Includes other programs and tools you might not want.
COMODO Antivirus excels in a few ways: it can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be depending on your experience level with antivirus tools, it supports cloud-based scans to detect new threats, and the built-in sandbox technology can isolate programs so that they can’t affect your files even if it they do turn out to be malicious.
Right after installing this free antivirus program from COMODO, a scan is started immediately to make sure your computer is safe as soon as possible. You can also run scans at any time, either quick scans, full scans, scans of commonly infected areas, and custom scans.
A custom scan in COMODO Antivirus lets you choose which files or folders to scan and enables a host of other customizations like whether to decompress and scan archives, use cloud scanning, automatically delete threats, enable heuristics scanning, check for threats running in memory, skip files over a maximum size, run the scan with full system resources, delete PuPs, and more.
Provided in this program are two ways to view the settings and features: basic and advanced. The basic view lets you run scans, unblock applications, update the program, and run software in a virtual mode, while the advanced view includes more details about those areas of the program and lets you view logs as well as toggle various things on or off, like HIPS and VirusScope.
It’s important to not overlook the virtualization feature in COMODO Antivirus. You can run any program you want in a virtual space completely separate from the rest of your files. It’s an opportunity to test out an application to ensure that it’s real and not just a trick to get you to install a virus.
However, even if it does contain something malicious, your real data (photos, videos, documents) are unaffected. You can launch programs in this protected container from inside the COMODO program or by right-clicking an executable file and choosing the option in the menu.
- Password protect the program
- Utilize a floating desktop widget
- Hide the “Upgrade” advertisement
- Choose which archive file types to unpack and scan
- Enable real time scanning of files on the network
- Define heuristics scanning level (low, medium, high)
- Schedule scans as frequently as every hour to as infrequently as once a month
- Customize the HIPS rules
- Turn on Silent Mode in seconds
- Force the auto-containment of suspicious or malicious files
- Use a unique password for the Virtual Desktop feature
During setup, you can also install Internet Security Essentials to protect against main-in-the-middle attacks.
COMODO Antivirus officially supports Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7. It's also available for macOS.
The COMODO Dragon Web Browser automatically installs during setup unless you tell it not to. After installation, pay close attention to the options you’re given — you can change your DNS servers to be the COMODO Secure DNS servers (which presumably improve security and speed up browsing), enable Cloud Based Behavior Analysis, send anonymous program usage to COMODO, and change the home page and default search engine to Yahoo.
FortiClient
What We Like
Automatically downloads and installs updates.
Lots of control over the settings.
Simple user interface.
Comes with an application firewall.
What We Don't Like
List Of Best Antivirus For Windows 10
Requires the internet during setup (it’s not an offline installer).
Slow to download and install all the components.
Unable to pause scans (only stop).
Lacks helpful documentation.
The FortiClient free antivirus program is unique for several reasons. Unlike many of the other AV programs on this page, this one includes parental control features, can manually check your programs for vulnerabilities, functions as a VPN client, and includes a firewall.
Installing this program lets you block websites by URL and/or site category, such as bandwidth-consuming sites, illegal sites, and ones flagged as including content relating to hacking, discrimination, adult/mature, games, advertising, shopping, child abuse, plagiarism, and several others.
You can also automatically sandbox files opened from a web download, email attachment, removable drive, and/or network drive. This is great if you’re cautious about opening those types of files because they’re the primary entry points for malware.
List Of Best Antivirus Software
Here are some other FortiClient features you’ll like:
- Scan on a daily, weekly, and monthly schedule
- Lock down the program with a password
- Manually check for application vulnerabilities
- AntiExploit is enabled for all your programs automatically, but you have the freedom to disable the feature on any of them
The program interface itself is easy to read and navigate, but it might be a bit too much for a novice user. There’s hardly any information regarding what each component and setting does when enabled/disabled, and a few of the features are really only useful if your computer is being managed remotely by an administrator.
Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7 are supported. You can also get this free antivirus program on Linux and macOS (but with fewer features). FortiClient has a similar tool for web filtering and VPN access, too, for Chromebook, the Chrome browser, iOS, and Android.
During setup, you’re asked if you want to enable the following along with the antivirus program: SSL and IPsec VPN, FortiSandbox detection and quarantine features, and Additional Security Features which include Antivirus, Web Filtering, Single Sign On, and Application Firewall. You can turn them on during setup or later once FortiClient is fully installed.
Immunet AntiVirus
What We Like
Tons of customizable options.
No ads.
Automatic updates.
Helpful information built-in.
Small setup file; installs fast.
What We Don't Like
Runs on Windows only, and probably only newer editions (not XP).
Another free antivirus program that offers real time protection for Windows is from Immunet. It has a bit of an outdated interface but the software is still current, and even connects directly to the cloud for updates.
There are lots of options you can toggle on or off to customize how the software works, but you can also leave all the defaults and it will still check your computer for threats in real time.
Here are some other features you get with Immunet:
- Detects and removes bots, viruses, worms, Trojans, keyloggers, and spyware
- Three scan modes let you check just running processes (Flash Scan), any location of your choosing (Custom Scan), or the entire computer (Full Scan)
- Schedule any scan type daily, weekly, or monthly
- Start scans directly from Explorer on any folder or file
- A timeline shows the history of threats on the computer, to 30 days in the past. There's also an extremely detailed history of events that have happened in the program that you can filter by date, keyword, and type (such as quarantines, cleanings, blocked processes, etc.)
- Lets you run a FlashScan right after installation to check the registry and running processes for threats
- Includes a special blocking mode you can enable that prevents all programs from being installed unless they first pass a security scan
- Gaming Mode can be enabled at any time to prevent notifications from the program while watching movies or playing games.
- Automatically excludes certain folders and file types from scans, including temp folders and certain system32 folders
- Lets you manually exclude any file, folder, or threat (by its name)
- Toggle scanning on or off for archives and packed files
- Can run alongside many other antivirus programs, such as security software from Comodo, Avira, AVG, and Norton.
Immunet AntiVirus has been tested on Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7, as well as Windows Server 2016/2012/2008 R2.
Kaspersky Free
What We Like
Super clean user interface that’s easy to understand.
Unique features not found in other programs.
Protect your email.
Lots of options you can customize.
Set up a scanning schedule.
What We Don't Like
Must create a user account to activate the software.
Several features you see in the program aren’t free.
Can’t exclude scans by file extension.
Slow install.
Must renew the free license every year.
Kaspersky Free is a good choice for a free antivirus program if you want a simple program that boasts lots of features. It’s incredibly easy to use but has loads of advanced options if you care to look into them.
This free AV program is also useful if your computer is low on system resources. Kaspersky Free can automatically postpone scans and reduce display animations if the CPU runs too high, supports idle scans for when you’re away, and lets you favor performance over protection by altering the overall security level.
Another important feature to know about this program is that it includes Self-Defense, which is a function that blocks all attempts to change or delete Kaspersky’s processes, registry items, and installation files.
- Searches for rootkits and can delete malicious tools, adware, auto-dialers, and suspicious packages
- Can password protect the program to protect its settings from being changed and/or to stop it from being uninstalled or shut down
- Includes a file and web scanner as well as Network Attack Blocker, System Watcher, and Mail Anti-Virus
- Supports gaming mode to suppress notifications while using any program in full screen mode
- The antivirus scanner can be set up to auto-pause when specific applications start up and/or during certain times of the day
- Choose what happens when a threat is detected: notify, disinfect, delete if disinfect doesn’t work, or delete
- Can auto-scan external drives or prompt you to scan them when they’re inserted
- Schedule quick or full scans for every day, every weekend, every weekday, weekly, or monthly
- Choose what gets scanned in a full, quick, and selective scan. Can include any of the following: system memory, startup objects, disk boot sectors, system volume information, email, all hard drives, all external devices, all network drives, any folder.
- Lets you skip items if the scan takes too long
- Speed up antivirus scans by checking only new and changed files
- Exclude files and folders from scans, and even prevent the scanning of specific threats
- Define trusted applications so that they're not scanned
Kaspersky's free antivirus program can be installed on Windows operating systems.
The Best Antivirus Software Free
ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus
What We Like
Updates automatically.
Includes a free firewall.
Can run scheduled scans.
What We Don't Like
Heavy on system resources.
Slow installation.
ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus, also called ZoneAlarm Security and ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall, is just what you think: antivirus software with a firewall tool built-in. You not only have protection against threats like spyware, viruses, Trojan horses, and bots but there are also firewall shields to block intruders from reaching your computer files.
Best Windows Virus Protection Softw…
Here are some other important features in this free antivirus tool:
Best Windows Virus Protection Software
- Real-time, cloud-based security updates that relies on millions of other users to stop threats quickly
- Gamer Mode can be used to block interruptions while gaming, such as scans, updates, and alerts; you can set all alerts to be automatically denied or allowed
- Lock down ZoneAlarm's configuration with a password to protect its settings from being changed
- Back up the program's security settings and restore them later
- Run quick and/or full scans on a schedule
- The network firewall can screen every single program with 'suspicious behavior' alerts that you have to explicitly allow or deny
- The firewall lets you block fragments, trusted servers, and public servers, as well as enable ARP protection, filter IP traffic over port 1394, allow/block VPN protocols, and lock the hosts file
- Set up notifications for suspicious credit activity
List Of Best Antivirus
ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall works on Windows 10, 8, and 7.