Using free antivirus software

Users looking for coverage on up to 10 devices, advanced malware and ransomware protection, and advanced web safety tools should upgrade to Sophos Home Premium. Download Sophos Free Now. There is no such thing as a truly free antivirus. Most antivirus companies limit the free version of their software to only offer basic protection. Windows Defender is not a bad antivirus — it even ranks a little bit better than some third-party free antiviruses.

If you choose an antivirus program from a trustworthy company, then yes. All of the brands on this list here are perfectly safe to use — the only difference between their free and paid versions is that the paid software includes additional features, like a VPN, a password manager, and parental controls, as well as better customer support options. Avira is my 1 pick for the best free antivirus in If you need a free antivirus, take a look at our list of the best free antiviruses in or just download Avira Free.

If you want the best protection for all of your devices, you need to pay for a premium antivirus program like Norton or Bitdefender. While there are literally billions of malware attacks reported annually, trojans and adware are consistently the most common types of malware found on Windows computers.

Trojans look like other files with extensions like. If you decide to uninstall your third-party antivirus, your PC will automatically ask you to reactivate the Windows Defender antivirus. Professional Reviews.

Affiliate Commissions. Reviews Guidelines. Katarina Glamoslija Updated on: January 13, This article contains. Short on time? When you use a free antivirus, you can expect frequent prompts telling you how you should upgrade to the more advanced program for better protection. This may seem like a minor issue, but it gets old to see upgrade prompts every day. Closely related to upgrade prompts is the number of ads that you will see when you use a free antivirus. The company that offers the free antivirus still needs to make money, and one of the ways it will do this is through advertising.

While these ads may not be as intrusive as upgrade prompts, they still affect the user experience. The amount of support available when you use a free antivirus will depend on the manufacturer, but in many cases, your only support will be online forums and knowledge bases. Again, you need to think about the value of your own time in comparison to the cost of an antivirus program.

Is it worth your time to search online for answers to your questions, instead of paying a small monthly fee and gaining access to personal support? Manufacturers do their best on their free programs, but tests have shown that paid programs catch a slightly higher percentage of viruses.

However, the latter will be available separately via the Browser Safety add-on. Even the free version will detect all known ransomware threats, so you're getting the full suite.

More details on all the features this software has to offer — in our Avira Antivirus review. Overall, addons like Browser Safety and Safe Shopping do contribute to your safer browsing. Visit Kaspersky. Kaspersky has one of the longest track records when it comes to free services for malware removal. Yet although there's an everlasting sense that the suite is somewhat held back to keep more features in the paid edition, the package you get does bring value.

You get the usual features like system scans, but there are additional bonuses. There's a System Watcher feature, which uses machine learning to identify malware that it has had no prior knowledge of.

Not all threats will come in malicious software, sometimes leaving an unpatched software component that can be exploited by hackers. For that, Kaspersky offers a vulnerability scan that analyses programs that need security patches. There are some nice extra features as well. For example, you'll find a password manager. It's not as good as the dedicated ones, but it surely beats keeping your credentials in a.

Plus, the installer automatically installs add-ons for Firefox and Chrome. Primarily the add-ons highlight dangerous URL links when you're browsing the web and includes an on-screen keyboard if you suspect that your system has been infected with a keylogger. Kaspersky offers a fine free antivirus alternative, but you'll have to deal with the attempts to get you to pay for a subscription. Want to know more of what this antivirus has to offer? Read our in-depth Kaspersky Antivirus review.

Visit Bitdefender. It's hardly a surprise that Bitdefender is on this list. One of our top overall best antivirus services also offers a very solid array of free features. On Windows, it has Bitdefender Shield — real-time protection against a broad scope of cybersecurity threats.

It ensure file and email protection in real time, with minimal impact on system performance. However, the service doesn't only rely on database data. Their Advanced Threat Defense uses machine learning to detect behavioral threat-like indications. Suppose a software is accessing too much data, making background data changes or uploads.

In that case, it will get flagged well before the database entry as a new form of malware. Bitdefender also has measures against various phishing websites. Every website you visit is thoroughly checked for phishing indications, ensuring your data doesn't end up on dark web marketplaces. To learn more, read our Bitdefender review. Bitdefender offers the best customer support for non-paying customers. If you run into any issues, you can contact their support agents via live chat, phone, email, or community forums.

When it comes to free antiviruses, almost no services have as many options. It only has a separate Virus Scanner for malware removal. The iOS app offers minimal features, too. The base version is free forever, but if you'd like to test the premium ones, you can try all versions including the most expensive ones that include better features for macOS for free for 30 days without providing your card information.

Visit Sophos Home. The main reason you may not have heard of Sophos is that they mostly cater to businesses. Naturally, Sophos Home Free edition retains some of the features that seem directly ported from their business version. Even as a free service, you can manage three devices remotely from a single console. This is perfect for small groups of friends or families. You won't get any tools against ransomware or real-time monitoring, so you should be extra careful about downloading suspicious files or email attachments.

Sophos Malware Protection primarily relies on scanning. Sadly, there's no room for customization here — a full scan is the only option. This means that if you want to scan through some key places on your storage quickly, you'll have to wait until the full scan completes. Hardly a time-efficient approach. Web Protection focuses on preventing access to suspicious URLs, including phishing sites.

When you're trying to access a sketchy webpage, you get a High-Risk Website Blocked warning. In cases when the website isn't blocked, but your download contains malicious code, Download Protection kicks in. It evaluates the file based on the data shared from other computers, the hosted website's reputation, and displays the appropriate warning.

There is also a Parental Controls tab. There, you can customize what types of content you'd like to block. Considering that you can manage the antivirus remotely from a second device, it's a good option for parents. It includes alerts about filters some content has triggered and will work with most modern browsers. Overall, Sophos Home has a basic package that can truly become a handy addition to your family's security. Passwords should have at least 8 characters and a mix of numbers, letters, and symbols.

Above all, dependable and sophisticated antivirus software should be available for appropriate prevention. Organizations can use both free and paid antivirus software to protect themselves. Below is a list of the best free antivirus software programs for This updated version has more features and is compatible with both Android and iOS security.

Kaspersky Security Cloud Free is one of the best free antiviruses that provides comprehensive malware protection and a few suite-level capabilities. Despite being a free antivirus software, Kaspersky still offers adequate security against viruses.

Kaspersky, like most other free antivirus software, is only available for personal, noncommercial use. Kaspersky also offers a premium version for people that need more capabilities. These are some of the extra features available to premium users. The file size of this free cloud security is 48MB.

For easy installation and usage of Kaspersky, there are system requirements that users need to check. There are different system requirements for Windows, Android, iPhone, and iPad. The system requirements are listed below. Kaspersky free cloud security can protect devices from phishing, malware, and ransom attacks. Viruses, trojans, rootkits, worms, spyware, adware, keyloggers, malicious tools, and auto-dialers are all detected and removed by Kaspersky Anti-Virus.

Some of the downsides are mentioned below:. Malwarebytes anti-malware free features layers of malware-crushing technology that detects and eliminates threats like viruses, ransomware, spyware, adware, and Trojans. Users can also choose a day trial of Malwarebytes Premium after installing the free edition. The software installs quickly with a file size of 36MB. These are the system requirements of Malwarebytes anti-malware free. However, the free version does have some downsides.

This antivirus tool delivers end-to-end malware and computer virus protection. AVG Antivirus plays an essential purpose for consumers today, with frequent upgrades and new virus protection introduced to the software.

Although, the free version is for personal and family use alone. AVG Antivirus Free has millions of customers worldwide. AVG is free to download, install, update, and use, but premium membership is required for technical help. Below are some of the features only available with the paid version. Downloading AVG antivirus free is easy and fast. To download the antivirus software, follow these steps. Only personal use is allowed with the free antivirus.

Avast offers a network security scanner, browser protection, and other features as a free antivirus program. Considering this antivirus is free, it includes a robust set of protection measures. Avast free antivirus offers lightweight, strong, and unrestricted protection against viruses. By using built-in machine learning features, Avast free antivirus does not negatively influence the operating system.