Antivirus software is more than important for your computer, as it protects you from malicious programs and prevents theft of your personal or confidential data.
There are many antivirus programs on the market that differ both in their effectiveness and cost. However, there is no need to pay for a good antivirus. You can opt for a free software but at the same time powerful.
We will discover the most popular ones.
1. AVG Anti-Virus (The free version)
AVG Anti-Virus Free is a popular and well-known antivirus program whose main feature is its deep integration into the system.
It automatically scans files and programs when they are launched, thus preventing infections by viruses, Trojans and spyware.
In addition, AVG provides the user with a customizable scanner through which you can control the process of checking for infected files on your computer and dealing with them. The latest version of AVG has a fully updated interface with user-friendly menus that make it pleasant to use.
2. Avast (Free version)
Avast Free Antivirus is an excellent free antivirus program, praised by millions of users worldwide for its reliable protection against Trojans and viruses in real time.
The latest version of Avast has an intuitive and modernized interface. Its speed is improved and it has one of the most extensive virus databases in the world, updated daily.
Avast scans everything that is downloaded to your computer from email clients, social networks or simply through a browser. Its only flaw is that it often gives false positives, accusing legitimate software of being a virus.
3. Avira (Free version)
Avira Free Antivirus is a simple antivirus program that offers fairly effective protection against viruses, Trojans and adware. Its main advantage over its competitors is the use of cloud technology, which allows you to protect your computer against the latest threats.
If the antivirus itself offers only basic protection against threats, it can be supplemented with extensions, which can be downloaded (for free) from the official website. Thus, each user can “build” his own security system.
Avira Antivirus Free comes with the “Virus Guard” module, which automatically scans files that the user opens. You can also activate the “Avira Phantom VPN” protection component, which is necessary to protect your PC from phishing sites and external threats.
Avira is one of the best solutions for fighting so-called “polymorphic” viruses that can emulate normal programs. You can also install an email scanner and spam protection.
The antivirus solution does not overload the PC: Avast requires few computer resources. Finally, its free version is perfect for home use. Be careful, false positives are frequent.
4. TotalAV (Free version)
Although Total AV is a fairly new antivirus suite, it is trusted by over 25 million users. Together with Kaspersky, Bitdefender and Norton, (which we won’t talk about today but which deserve to be mentioned at least once in this article), TotalAV is an antivirus capable of offering state-of-the-art security to its potential customers. It is available for :
- Windows,
- MacOS,
- iOS,
- Android.
In addition, there is an impressive list of tools and services you can use, including a good VPN.
Although TotalAV is not the most versatile or famous solution on the market, it is still a good choice if you are looking for a solid antivirus. Indeed, TotalAV claims to have successfully detected 100% of malicious samples in all tested groups, as well as a 0% false positive rate.
One of the things that sets TotalAV apart from its competitors is the user interface. The team has paid special attention to the UI, with the ambition to transform all the buttons and other somewhat austere menus into something more colorful. For some, this may be too much, or unnecessary, but for a neophyte user, a user-friendly and intuitive dashboard will be a big argument in his final choice.
Like all its competitors, TotalAV offers a paid service. At first, the company offered the VPN as a free addition to each package, but this is no longer the case: you now have to pay extra for this tool.
5. PC Protect
PC Protect is an antivirus that protects you from all threats! It includes both web security and PC optimizer. It has all the features at a competitive price, which is why it is among the best providers.
PC Protect sets itself apart from its competitors by focusing on protecting your entire digital, thus protecting you from local, mobile attacks, data theft, Internet threats and browsing data encryption for complete online privacy.
Regarding compatibility, PC Protect can be installed on Windows, Apple Mac, iPhone/iPad and Android. The antivirus is easy to install, and you can download and configure the software yourself. As an example, you can provide additional information when duplicate files are detected during the scanning process, and the software will ask you for confirmation whether to delete the duplicates.
Reliability is also one of PC Protect’s strong points, as its protection software has been designed to protect you against attacking software from industry leaders. The actions of the antivirus are as follows:
It detects and removes all malicious intrusions like adware, viruses, and spyware. The latter monitor everything you do online in order to steal your bank details and passwords.
- Online connection protection
The tool checks and detects untrusted websites that you access. It then performs automatic blocking. It also blocks fraudulent sites that steal your personal information by typing, via fake emails or other means.
- Real-time protection
The software watches over your computer at all times and blocks all attacking elements before they can reach your hard disk.
This is software that automatically downloads advertising material, and you need to protect yourself from it.
Block hacker attacks by encrypting your internet connection. You will be able to surf anonymously with the software.
PC protect features
Pc Protect is not only an outstanding protection software, but it also puts several enhanced security features at your disposal. These include enhanced firewall, system optimization, Android and iOS protection, mobile VPN usage, identity protection, browser manager, etc. Also, it offers a phone support and Live Chat system that answers your questions at any time.
The last advantageous point of PC Protect is the price! With all the solutions and features it brings you, the software must be one of the most expensive on the market but that is not the case with PC Protect. You can notably make some exchanges with experts of the company via the service of on-line discussion (a pleasant interface to use) to obtain all information and possible helps on the use of the software.
6. Bitdefender (Free version)
Bitdefender is one of the most highly rated software products in recent years. Bitdefender is a relatively young company in the antivirus market, but it has quickly established itself with over 500 million active users to date. Bitdefender offers a choice of 17 products for professional and personal use. The software is compatible with Windows, Apple Mac, iPhone/iPad, Android and Linux.
Regarding the security and reliability of the software, it has already won several impressive awards due to its abilities to ignore harmless software and eliminate all malicious viruses. Also, Bitdefender is very easy to use with a simple interface.
With Bitdefender, you will be informed about the activated/deactivated features as well as your level of protection in just a few seconds after starting a scan. Antivirus actions include:
- Malware removal,
- Online protection with blocking of untrusted sites,
- Blocking of phishing sites designed to capture your personal information via fake emails,
- Real-time protection for the hard disk,
- Adware removal,
- Secure browsing with VPN to block hackers.
As for Bitdefender’s features, they are very diverse and all very useful (fight against fraud, protection on social networks, etc.). The one that stands out the most is “Rescue Mode”, which consists of resetting and protecting your computer automatically when the antivirus is infected by the malicious software called Rootkit.
This option is not provided by other software while rootkits are among the most dangerous malware. The program also has another smart program, which is the “Bank Online Without Worries”. It is used to fill in your online banking information forms in advance to protect you from hackers. The latter will not be able to do their work via keystroke recordings or spying.
Like any other large-scale antivirus, Bitdefender provides remote management with firewall tools. Phone support is available 24/7, and you can also reach the Live Chat support service for quick help.
Our tip
For a user who is not familiar with the subject, all Antivirus suites look alike and it is difficult to make the right choice!
However, malware control and personal data security are becoming major concerns since everything is done via computers and the Internet nowadays. Although most antivirus solutions nowadays guarantee safe browsing, this does not necessarily mean that you will automatically be 100% protected by a specific software.
Stay safe by consulting this type of tip, gathering both user opinions and comparisons on the effectiveness of each antivirus software.