5 best anti viruses

Many people think it is ok not to use a virus scanner or to just rely entirely on Windows Defender. However, while Windows Defender does a reasonably good job in protecting you, there are better options out there — and some of them are free. We can confidently recommend Bitdefender Antivirus Free. Like the paid version of Bitdefender, the free version is very fast and powerful. It barely slows down your system and ensures real-time protection for your device against malware, viruses and even phishing.

Nonetheless, in our opinion, Bitdefender Antivirus Free is the best free anti-malware option. We test various antivirus programs by looking at several factors. Only after thoroughly using and researching all virus scanners in our test, do we select the top 5.

We pay special attention to protection, speed and system load, ease of use, privacy, customer service and the various extra features that a virus scanner offers. The vast majority of these tests are conducted by our cybersecurity analysts. They install the software and use it for extended periods to determine if it is user-friendly. They evaluate the website, the installation process and the software itself. We run our own speed tests and, among other things, look at changes in the CPU usage during various scans.

In addition, we try out the various functions each scanner provides to get an idea of the options users have available to them. We also sift through the privacy policy of each provider and dig into their past to check whether any privacy scandals have occurred. Our conclusions regarding the level of security the virus scanners in our test offer, are based on the tests of AV-Comparatives , a reliable platform that regularly conducts extensive research into the effectiveness of various virus scanners.

We are constantly testing new products that are meant to keep you safe while surfing the internet. These can be virus scanners, VPNs or other software. Anyone who regularly uses a PC, laptop, smartphone or other device with access to the Internet needs antivirus protection. This is simply because the internet is riddled with viruses and other malware.

Cybercriminals are constantly on the lookout for ways and means to steal your data or your money. A good virus scanner offers you the best possible protection. You are probably wondering what to look for in an antivirus program.

Here are some questions you should ask yourself when you are considering purchasing an antivirus program. In addition to basic protection, many virus scanners have additional features such as parental controls, anti-phishing, and protection for your emails and online banking.

All these extras count. The best virus scanner for you is the program that has all the functions you need. Of course, this depends on your online activities and the type of device you use. So, to protect your devices, you need antivirus software that is able to stop both the known and the newer viruses, as well as malware files. Of course, the price tag also plays a role. Ideally, you want the best possible protection for the lowest possible price. Therefore, it is worth weighing up the price with the features and deciding how much money you want to spend on a virus scanner.

Not all virus scanners work on all devices. It is wise to install an antivirus program on both your smartphone and your PC.

Depending on your operating system Windows, Mac , Android, iOS or something else , your options may be limited. So always check whether the antivirus program of your choice works on your device. In addition to protecting you against viruses, a virus scanner must also handle your personal data properly. You entrust part of your internet traffic to their software and they could use this information to their own benefit.

User-friendliness is a must for many users. The dashboard should be clear and the program should be easy to install. Extra features may come in handy. Also important is good customer service that helps you quickly and effectively if you have any issues. And what about a moneyback guarantee?

A day moneyback guarantee, for example, gives you the chance to try out the software for a month before you are tied to a subscription. Virus scanners scan your system for malware. That is why it is important that an antivirus program performs this task quickly, without slowing down your system. This is the only way it can continuously run in the background while you surf the internet undisturbed.

However, not every antivirus program is fast and efficient. Therefore, the effect of an antivirus program on your system is a particularly important factor when determining which virus scanner is the best for you. Virus scanners help protect your computer or smartphone against malware and viruses. Unfortunately, not all antivirus programs are as good as each other.

If you are looking for the best virus scanner of , we have five options for you. Each of them excels in protecting your device against viruses and malware. Here are the five best antivirus programs of Do you want to install the best free virus scanner on your device? Then we recommend Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition. Do you have a question about our top 5 or about antivirus programs in general?

Another reason that antivirus scanners are so important is that they help to extend the lifespan of your device. The other potential issue with some free antivirus programs is that they will sometimes sell your user data to advertisers and third-party companies.

In most cases, the biggest difference between paid and free antivirus scanners is the features that you have available to make the program more effective or convenient. When it comes to choosing between paid and free options, you need to think about your budget and what features you actually need. While paid antivirus programs are important for a lot of people because they need those extra services, you may be okay with a free version of the program on your device. To see which antivirus software options we picked as the best for , check out this link.

When it came to picking the best free antivirus software we looked at a number of different factors. These included the following:. Do you still have questions about the best free antivirus software to use on your device? Read the following answers to learn more about these programs! From our analysis, the best free antivirus program to use to protect your device is Avast Free Antivirus. Avast Free Antivirus also protects your iOS and Android devices online, giving you an all-around reliable option.

Read our complete review of this antivirus to learn what you can expect. This antivirus does an excellent job of protecting your computer while online, safeguarding your personal data from outside attacks with its above-average security rating and excellent malware protection.

A good free antivirus program is one that offers all of the protection your device needs without charging you for the service. The extra features you would otherwise pay for should be conveniences that add to the program.

Good antivirus scanners should be able to provide you with basic malware and virus protection at no cost. Some viruses and other kinds of malware disguise themselves as antivirus software. There are also antivirus programs that sell your data to third parties, violating your privacy.

By: Brad Richardson Reading time: 11 minutes Update: Click here to get a quick summary of this article. What is the best free antivirus? What is the best free antivirus for Android? What is the best free antivirus for Windows 10?

There are no true antivirus apps for iPhones and iPads. Here's our list of the best paid antivirus programs. Don't forget to check out our list of the best free antivirus software halfway down this page. Kaspersky provides the best antivirus protection overall Kaspersky Total Security combines one of the world's top-rated malware-detection engines with a ton of useful features.

It's the best antivirus software you can buy today. Click here if you're in the U. Bitdefender offers the best value in antivirus software Bitdefender Antivirus Plus combines great malware protection with an assortment of useful features and an easy-to-use interface, all at a very affordable price. Norton packs in everything but the kitchen sink Norton's antivirus products offer a password manager, unlimited VPN data, identity theft protection, parental controls and even online storage.

If you're willing to pay full freight, you'll get almost every kind of digital security you could ever need. Kaspersky Total Security 2. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus 3. Norton Deluxe 4. McAfee Internet Security 5.

Trend Micro Maximum Security 6. Sophos Home Premium. Our top choice is Kaspersky Total Security, which delivers excellent malware protection, a full complement of extra features and an easy-to-use interface. Right behind that are the entry-level Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, the best bargain in antivirus software, and Norton Deluxe, which offers a ton of extra features, including unlimited VPN service and LifeLock identity protection.

Any of these three would serve you well, but the ideal choice depends on your circumstances. See our section on how to choose the best antivirus software below, or our stand-alone antivirus buying guide. Both offered excellent protection without system slowdowns, but Kaspersky's free program lets you schedule scans, adds a ton of useful extras and had the smallest system impact we've ever seen. Kaspersky's Windows products have excellent malware-detection scores and a light-to-moderate system-performance impact, the two most important criteria in our rankings.

But it's beaten by Bitdefender Antivirus Plus, which has even more features. It has a secure browser, anti-theft protection for laptops, webcam protection and a limited-use VPN client that kicks in when you connect to an open Wi-Fi network.

We think it's the best antivirus software you can buy today. Read our full Kaspersky Total Security review. The best antivirus software you can buy Kaspersky offers excellent malware protection, lots of useful extra features and a light system impact with an easy-to-use interface. Bitdefender Antivirus Plus is our top choice among entry-level antivirus products.

It has very good, if not perfect, malware-detection scores. Its active scans don't add much to the background system impact, but that background load is a bit heavy. It also offers the most value, with an unlimited password manager, a secure browser with a virtual keyboard, a Wi-Fi network scanner, a file shredder, protection against encrypting ransomware and Bitdefender's new web-privacy software -- features often found only with pricier antivirus packages.

The midrange Bitdefender Internet Security adds parental controls, webcam protection and a two-way firewall, while Bitdefender Total Security tops off the lineup with an anti-theft feature for laptops, a system optimizer and licenses for Bitdefender Antivirus for Mac and Bitdefender Mobile Security for Android.

Read our full Bitdefender Antivirus Plus review. All of Norton's antivirus products offer excellent malware protection, and the once-heavy system-performance load is much lighter. The number of extra features each program has varies, but the sweet spot in the lineup is Norton Deluxe. It includes a password manager that works on all major platforms, unlimited VPN service, dark-web personal-data monitoring, parental controls and up to 50GB of online storage space. Two other offerings, Norton Premium and Norton Platinum, give you more online storage and expand the antivirus and VPN coverage to 10 and 20 devices, respectively.

If you want full-on identity protection, Norton offers three bundles with varying degrees of LifeLock service and even more online storage.

Their subscription prices run well into the triple digits, but still cost less than if you were to buy the identity protection, password manager, cloud-backup storage and antivirus software separately.

Unlike some of the other best antivirus software makers, Norton doesn't offer a file shredder, file encryption or secure web browser with any of its products. Yet every other digital-protection service you could possibly ask for is included with at least some of its bundles. Read our full Norton Deluxe review. McAfee's malware detection has improved greatly in the past couple of years, but it's still not quite top-of-the-line. To get parental controls or one of the best password managers in the business, you'll have to spring for McAfee Total Protection or its sibling McAfee LiveSafe, which comes pre-installed on many new PCs.

The multi-device licenses of those two security suites also come with an identity-protection service. But none of the McAfee products have a secure browser or webcam protection, which you often get with other premium antivirus programs. Read our full McAfee Internet Security review. Trend Micro offers very good protection, but its malware-detection engine creates a heavy system load during scans and returns a fair number of false-positive results.

Parental controls, a system optimizer and a file shredder are bundled into the mid-range Trend Micro Internet Security. Trend Micro Maximum Security adds a password manager, a secure browser and file encryption, while the new Trend Micro Premium Security adds a VPN and dark-web monitoring of personal data. However, none of Trend Micro's programs include a two-way firewall or webcam protection, standard with other brands' midrange offerings. Nor does the premium product have the cloud storage or backup software that some of the best antivirus brands add as enticements to their flagship packages.

Read our full Trend Micro Maximum Security review. ESET is one of the biggest antivirus names in Europe, with a very small system-performance load and fast scans.

Its malware-detection rate used to be kind of meh, but has improved markedly in recent lab tests. However, there's no VPN client, backup software or file shredder. ESET's pricing is per device, which is optimal for users who might have more than a few devices to protect. But if your device count gets into double digits, ESET's costs can add up.

Sophos Home Premium does its job economically, offering reasonable protection from malware at an affordable price. Because it's spun off from Sophos' enterprise software for business clients, Sophos Home Premium lacks many of the bells and whistles other security suites offer, such as a password manager, identity theft protection service or VPN service. What Sophos Home Premium does have is the essentials: ransomware rollbacks, webcam defenses and protection against keyloggers, malicious websites and boot-sector and fileless malware.

It also has a web-filter system for parents and an online management console from which you can tweak most of the settings.

Some people might demand more from an antivirus suite, but anyone who would rather buy only what they need will appreciate Sophos Home Premium's just-the-basics approach. Read our full Sophos Home Premium review.

A good paid antivirus suite is a digital-protection jackknife, often bundling in parental controls, identity theft protection, a password manager, backup software, cloud storage, a firewall, a system optimizer and software for Mac, Android and iOS as well as Windows. But what if you just want Windows antivirus software without all of those pricey extras?

And what if you can't afford to pay for antivirus software? One of the best free antivirus programs might be exactly what you need. Free antivirus software used to be a step down from the paid software and involved trade-offs. The protection wasn't as good and you'd either have to put up with ads filling your screen or with constant nags to upgrade to a paid program. That's all changed.

One of the best antivirus makers, Kaspersky, offers a free version with the same excellent malware protections as its paid offerings. Its top rival, Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition, has been officially discontinued, although Tom's Guide readers can still download it with this link. A merger between the biggest names in free antivirus, Avast and AVG, created a combined malware-detection engine that's much better than the sum of its parts.

Meanwhile, Microsoft's built-in antivirus software, Windows Defender, aka Microsoft Defender Antivirus, has gone from being a joke to being one of the best antivirus programs out there, free or paid. You can now get free antivirus protection that's as good as anything you pay for.

So here are the best free antivirus programs based on their protection, system impact, ease of use and extra features. Kaspersky Security Cloud Free 2. Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition 3. Windows Defender Antivirus 4. Avast Free Antivirus 5. Kaspersky Security Cloud Free Antivirus may be the best free antivirus program we've ever seen. It has excellent malware protection, a decent set of extra functions and features, and a system-performance impact so small that our computer actually sped up after we installed the program.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition has been officially discontinued, and we're not sure how long Tom's Guide readers can still download it. It's the best "set it and forget it" free antivirus option.

It's now one of the best antivirus programs altogether. You don't have to install or download it — it's already on your PC. If you want an unlimited password manager or a hardened web browser, Avast Free Antivirus might be for you.

Its malware protection is much better than it once was, although its performance impact is fairly heavy. Avast's stepsister AVG has the same malware-detection engine, but lacks Avast's full slate of useful extra features. But it does have a file shredder and system optimizer. We have to mention one program that's not antivirus software, but which we recommend anyway: Malwarebytes Free.