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.
Mac versions of these programs haven’t had an issue with malware concealed in macros because since when Apple released Office for Mac 2008 it removed macro support. However, the 2011 version of Office reintroduced macros, and there has now been malware discovered in a Word macro, in a Word doc about Trump. Avast Security is a free antivirus that stops malware & finds Wi-Fi security weaknesses. Free Download! In order to view this page correctly, you must have a JavaScript-enabled browser.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
- 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.
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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.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Here are some other important features in this free antivirus tool:
- 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
ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus + Firewall works on Windows 10, 8, and 7.
Windows 10 won’t hassle you to install an antivirus like Windows 7 did. Since Windows 8, Windows now includes a built-in free antivirus called Windows Defender. But is it really the best for protecting your PC–or even just good enough?
Windows Defender was originally known as Microsoft Security Essentials back in the Windows 7 days when it was offered as a separate download, but now it’s built right into Windows and it’s enabled by default. Many people have been trained to believe that you should always install a third-party antivirus, but that isn’t the best solution for today’s security problems, like ransomware.
So What’s the Best Antivirus? Please Don’t Make Me Read All This
We definitely recommend you read the entire article so you fully understand why we recommend a combination of Windows Defender andMalwarebytes, but since we know that tons of people will just scroll down and skim, here is our TL;DR recommendation for how to keep your system secure:
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- Use the Built-in Windows Defender for traditional antivirus — the criminals have moved on from regular viruses to focus on Ransomware, zero-day attacks, and even worse malware that traditional antivirus just can’t handle. Windows Defender is built right in, blazing fast, doesn’t annoy you, and does its job cleaning old-school viruses.
- Use Malwarebytes for Anti-Malware and Anti-Exploit — all of the huge malware outbreaks these days are using zero-day flaws in your browser to install ransomware to take over your PC, and only Malwarebytes provides really excellent protection against this with their unique anti-exploit system. There’s no bloatware and it won’t slow you down.
Editor’s Note: This doesn’t even mention the fact that Malwarebytes, the company, is staffed by some really great people that we really respect. Every time we talk to them, they are excited about the mission of cleaning up the internet. It’s not often that we give an official How-To Geek recommendation, but this is our favorite product by far, and something we use ourselves.
A One-Two Punch: Antivirus and Anti-Malware
You need antivirus software on your computer, no matter how “carefully” you browse. Being smart isn’t enough to protect you from threats, and security software can help act as another line of defense.
However, antivirus itself is no longer adequate security on its own. We recommend you use a good antivirus program and a good anti-malware program. Together, they will protect you from most of the biggest threats on the internet today: viruses, spyware, ransomware, and even potentially unwanted programs (PUPs) — among many others.
So which ones should you use, and do you need to pay money for them? Let’s start with the first part of that combo: antivirus.
Is Windows Defender Good Enough?
When you install Windows 10, you’ll have an antivirus program already running. Windows Defender comes built-in to Windows 10, and automatically scans programs you open, downloads new definitions from Windows Update, and provides an interface you can use for in-depth scans. Best of all, it doesn’t slow down your system, and mostly stays out of your way — which we can’t say about most other antivirus programs.
RELATED:Do I Really Need Antivirus If I Browse Carefully and Use Common Sense?
Avira Vs Avast For Mac
For a short while, Microsoft’s antivirus fell behind the others when it came to comparative antivirus software tests — way behind. It was bad enough that we recommended something else, but it’s since bounced back, and now provides very good protection.
So in short, yes: Windows Defender is good enough (as long as you couple it with a good anti-malware program, as we mentioned above — more on that in a minute).
But Is Windows Defender the Best Antivirus? What About Other Programs?
If you look at that antivirus comparison we linked to above, you’ll notice that Windows Defender, while good, does not get the highest ranks in terms of raw protection scores. So why not use something else?
First, let’s look at those scores. AV-TEST found that it still caught 99.9% of the “widespread and prevalent malware” in April 2017, along with 98.8% percent of the zero-day attacks. Avira, one of AV-TEST’s top rated antivirus programs, has the exact same scores for April — but slightly higher scores in past months, so its overall rating is (for some reason) much higher. But Windows Defender isn’t nearly as crippled as AV-TEST’s 4.5-out-of-6 rating would have you believe.
RELATED:Beware: Free Antivirus Isn’t Really Free Anymore
Furthermore, security is about more than raw protection scores. Other antivirus programs may occasionally do a bit better in monthly tests, but they also come with a lot of bloat, like browser extensions that actually make you less safe, registry cleaners that are terrible and unnecesary, loads of unsafe junkware, and even the ability to track your browsing habits so they can make money. Furthermore, the way they hook themselves into your browser and operating system often causes more problems than it solves. Something that protects you against viruses but opens you up to other vectors of attack is not good security.
Windows Defender does not do any of these things — it does one thing well, for free, and without getting in your way. Plus, Windows 10 already includes the various other protections introduced in Windows 8, like the SmartScreen filter that should prevent you from downloading and running malware, whatever antivirus you use. Chrome and Firefox, similarly, include Google’s Safe Browsing, which blocks many malware downloads.
If you hate Windows Defender for some reason and want to use another antivirus, you can use Avira. It has a free version that works fairly well, a pro version with a few extra features, and it provides great protection scores and only has the occasional popup ad (but it does have popup ads, which are annoying). The biggest problem is that you need to be sure to uninstall the browser extension it tries to force on you, which makes it hard to recommend to non-technical people.
Antivirus Isn’t Enough: Use Malwarebytes, Too
Antivirus is important, but these days, it’s more important that you use a good anti-exploit program to protect your web browser and plug-ins, which are the most targeted by attackers. Malwarebytes is the program we recommend here.
Unlike traditional antivirus programs, Malwarebytes is good at finding “potentially unwanted programs” (PUPs) and other junkware. As of version 3.0, it also contains an anti-exploit feature, which aims to block common exploits in programs, even if they are zero-day attacks that have never seen before — like those nasty Flash zero-day attacks. It also contains anti-ransomware, to block extortion attacks like CryptoLocker. The latest version of Malwarebytes combines these three tools into one easy-to-use package for $40 per year.
Malwarebytes claims to be able to replace your traditional antivirus entirely, but we disagree with this. It uses completely different strategies for protecting you: antivirus will block or quarantine harmful programs that find their way to your computer, while Malwarebytes attempts to stop harmful software from ever reaching your computer in the first place. Since it doesn’t interfere with traditional antivirus programs, we recommend you run both programs for the best protection.
Note that you can get some of Malwarebytes’ features for free, but with caveats. For example, the free version of Malwarebytes program will only scan for malware and PUPs on-demand — it won’t scan in the background like the premium version does. In addition, it doesn’t contain the anti-exploit or anti-ransomware features of the premium version.
You can only get all three features in the full $40 version of Malwarebytes, which we recommend. But if you’re willing to forego anti-ransomware and always-on malware scanning, the free versions of Malwarebytes and Anti-Exploit are better than nothing, and you should definitely use them.
There you have it: with a combination of a good antivirus program, Malwarebytes, and some common sense, you’ll be pretty well protected. Just remember that antivirus is only one of the standard computer security practices you should be following. Good digital hygiene isn’t a replacement for antivirus, but it is essential to making sure your antivirus can do its job.
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