Antivirus

Antivirus software is needed on almost every device today because of the many rogue computer viruses. If they do get into your PC, it’s usually because you clicked on an email pretending to be something it wasn’t, or because you manually downloaded and installed something on the computer.

If you like your mailbox scanned viruses, we would recommend our malware scanning tool. Or, you read more about our own security solutions.

When you search for the best antivirus software, you will most likely encounter many paid articles, which can provide skewed information on what is truly the best antivirus. Many of the so-called rankings are not done without bias.

There are many attributes on which an antivirus can be measured, but primarily, you want it to protect your machine from viruses.

Here are our recommendations:

Bitdefender

Stats: Highly rated in independent tests, competitive pricing.
Pros: Strong malware protection, minimal impact on system performance, advanced features like anti-ransomware, excellent performance in independent lab tests.
Cons: Customer support could be improved, some features may be overwhelming for beginners.
Our Quality Score: 95% (Recommended)

Kaspersky

Stats: High detection rates, popular in enterprise environments.
Pros: Excellent malware detection, rich feature set, robust parental controls.
Cons: Geopolitical concerns due to Russian origins have led to restrictions in some countries.
Our Quality Score: 95% (Recommended)

ESET

Stats: Strong reputation, good performance in independent tests.
Pros: Lightweight, effective malware protection, good customer support, low system impact.
Cons: Lacks some advanced features, user interface could be improved.
Our Quality Score: 92% (Recommended)

Microsoft Defender

Stats: Built into Windows, significantly improved in recent years.
Pros: Free for Windows users, minimal impact on system resources, regular updates.
Cons: Not as feature-rich as some paid alternatives, limited protection for non-Windows devices.
Our Quality Score: 90% (Recommended)

Malwarebytes

Stats: Known for strong malware and spyware protection, works well as a secondary virus scanner.
Pros: Excellent for removing existing malware, easy to use, minimal impact on system performance, offers real-time protection in premium version.
Cons: Free version lacks real-time protection, premium version can be expensive compared to full antivirus suites.
Our Quality Score: 90% (Recommended for secondary scans)

Sophos

Stats: Strong in business environments, also offers home solutions.
Pros: Excellent malware protection, easy management for multiple devices, good parental controls.
Cons: Limited features in the free version, not as user-friendly for non-technical users.
Our Quality Score: 80% (Recommended)

Avast

Stats: Large user base, free and paid versions available.
Pros: Good free version, comprehensive protection, useful additional features like VPN.
Cons: Past privacy concerns due to data collection practices, though policies have been updated, can be resource-intensive.
Our Quality Score: 75% (Recommended)

AVG

Stats: Merged with Avast, widely used.
Pros: Good free version, solid protection, easy to use.
Cons: Similar past privacy concerns as Avast, though policies have been updated, frequent pop-ups in the free version.
Quality Score: 75% (Recommended)

F-Secure

Stats: Strong performance, particularly in Europe.
Pros: Good malware protection, easy to use, strong customer support, strong privacy focus.
Cons: Can be expensive, lacks some advanced features.
Our Quality Score: 75% (Recommended)

Webroot

Stats: Cloud-based solution, known for speed and efficiency.
Pros: Very lightweight, fast scans, good malware protection.
Cons: Fewer features than competitors, may not be as effective against all types of malware.
Quality Score: 75% (Recommended)

TotalAV

Stats: Rapidly growing user base, highly competitive pricing, strong marketing presence.
Strong malware detection rates
Frequent upsell prompts and marketing emails
Our Quality Score: 75% (Recommended)

Panda Security

Stats: Known for cloud-based protection, good performance. Acquired by WatchGuard in 2020.
Pros: Lightweight, good malware detection, free version available.
Cons: Can be resource-heavy at times, some features are basic compared to competitors.
Our Quality Score: 50% (Unrecommended)

Norton

Stats: High market share, frequent updates, multi-device licenses.
Pros: Excellent malware detection rates, comprehensive security suite, identity protection.
Cons: Higher cost, potential bloatware with system slowdowns during scans
Our Quality Score: 50% (Unrecommended)

Trend Micro

Stats: Known for good performance in threat detection.
Pros: Strong phishing protection, user-friendly interface, good ransomware protection.
Cons: Can be resource-heavy, occasional false positives.
Our Quality Score: 50% (Unrecommended)

McAfee

Stats: Large user base, known for strong performance.
Pros: User-friendly interface, good malware protection, multiple device coverage, includes VPN service in some plans.
Cons: Can be resource-intensive, some features require additional cost.
Our Quality Score: 50% (Unrecommended)

ZoneAlarm

Stats: Known for strong firewall, part of Check Point.
Pros: Excellent firewall protection, malware detection is ok, easy to use.
Cons: Limited features compared to others, can be resource-intensive.
Our Quality Score: 50% (Unrecommended)

Comodo

Stats: Known for good free version and firewall protection.
Pros: Good free version, strong firewall, sandboxing technology.
Cons: Can be resource-heavy, user interface is not very intuitive, advanced features may be too complex for average users.
Our Quality Score: 50% (Unrecommended)

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Best practices for users:

Types of computer viruses