Comparison of different antiviruses for pc. Free antivirus rating: review, description and reviews

Reviews and tests of antiviruses

It is unlikely that your computer will be infected with a virus, but at the same time, there is a risk of infection with other types of malware and online threats. Ransomware Trojans encrypt important files and wait for a ransom payment before unlocking access to them. Banking Trojans interfere with online transactions and try to steal money. A botnet infection will make your computer a link in a chain of devices used to organize DDoS attacks. For these and many other reasons, you should protect your computer with an antivirus. Don't worry about the price. The best free antiviruses are more effective than some commercial solutions. The PCMag Internet portal has conducted a comprehensive review of more than a dozen free antiviruses and recommends the best products for selection.

Many of the presented antiviruses are free for non-commercial use only. If you want to protect computers in your organization, you will need to purchase the paid version. In this case, it is worth considering switching to a full-fledged complex antivirus. After all, the security of your business depends on it. If you need to protect large enterprises, then SaaS solutions come to the rescue, which allow you to centrally monitor and manage the protection of all computers in the company.

Your antivirus must reliably remove malware that has taken root in the system, but its main task is to prevent new infections with ransomware Trojans, botnets, Trojans and other types of threats. All antiviruses presented in this rating offer real-time protection against malicious attacks. Many products offer strong web protection that blocks access to malicious object sources and prevents sensitive data entry on fraudulent sites.

Laboratory testing

Researchers at independent labs spend a lot of time and effort testing antiviruses. Some organizations regularly publish test reports. PCMag tracks results from 5 major labs: AV-Comparatives, AV-Test Institute, Simon Edwards Labs formerly Dennis Technology Labs), Virus Bulletin, and MRG-Effitas. The presence of certification in ICSA Labs and West Coast Labs is also taken into account.

Typically, antivirus developers pay for the opportunity to participate in testing. In turn, the labs provide vendors with detailed reports that help improve products. Thus, the number of laboratories that test a particular product is an indicator of the significance of this decision. In each case, two conditions must be met in order to test an antivirus: the laboratory must consider the product important enough, and the development company must be satisfied with the cost of participation. Labs are not required to test free products, but many vendors include full protection in free solutions, adding only advanced features to paid products.

PCMag Tests

In addition to a thorough analysis of the results of laboratory tests, PCMag conducts its own amateur testing of antiviruses to block malware. Each antivirus encounters a set of different types of malware, after which the product's response to the threat is recorded. Typically, the antivirus removes most of the samples at once and detects a few more instances of malware when it tries to run. Based on the results of the test, the product can receive from 0 to 10 points for blocking, depending on how carefully it protects the system from test samples.

The test collection has been in use for months, so the malware blocking test does not provide any indication of the ability of antiviruses to detect the latest threats. A separate test attempts to download malware from online sources less than a day old, provided by the MRG-Effitas laboratory. The testing process notes whether the product blocked access to a network location, cleared the malware payload at boot time, or ignored the threat. Norton scored the highest in this test, followed by Avira Free Antivirus in the final standings.

Useful Features

Each antivirus product in the collection scans files on access to prevent potential malware from running, and scans the system on demand or on a set schedule. Blocking access to malicious links is a great way to stay out of trouble. Many products expand protection to prevent visits to fraudulent resources, phishing sites that try to steal your credentials. Some solutions rank search results by flagging suspicious and dangerous links.

Behavioral detection is featured in some of the products in the collection. On the one hand, this component can detect malware, which are unknown threats. On the other hand, behavioral analysis can lead to false positives for trustworthy programs.

One easy way to keep your computer as secure as possible is to install security updates for Windows, browsers, and other popular programs. In Windows 10, updates are mandatory and fully automated, but a large number of gaps remain in older WIndows systems, popular applications and plugins. Scanning for vulnerabilities in the form of missed updates is a feature often found in commercial antivirus products. However, some free antiviruses have similar functionality.

Who is not ranked

This rating contains information only about free antivirus solutions that have received at least a “good” (Good) rating from PCMag reviews. Among those products that did not make it into this rating is Windows Defender, which was awarded 2.5 stars. Microsoft participates in the tests of all monitored antivirus labs, but only as a baseline protection. If a product can't beat the basic level of protection, it's not worth considering.

Avast Free Antivirus 2017 combines highly effective antivirus protection with an extensive collection of additional tools.

AVG AntiVirus Free (2017) has received an updated interface and new security technologies. Tests by independent laboratories and PCMag's own tests show that protection is even stronger than before.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free Edition includes the same antivirus protection as the paid Bitdefender Antivirus, but lacks the additional functionality of the commercial version.

Free Kaspersky Antivirus offers full-featured basic antivirus protection that scores excellent in lab tests.

ZoneAlarm Free Antivirus+ combines powerful antivirus protection from Kaspersky with a high-quality firewall. The product is an excellent choice for users who do not wish to install a comprehensive solution.

Sophos Home allows you to provide powerful corporate antivirus capabilities to ordinary home users absolutely free of charge. The product performs well in tests by independent labs and in most of PCMag's own tests.

Avira Free Antivirus (2017)

Avira Antivirus gets excellent scores from independent labs, but in amateur tests, PCMag was very slow in scanning the test system. Also, web protection only works in Chrome and Firefox.

Adaware Antivirus Free 12 has received a new name and a new look. However, its test results are not the best, and competing free antiviruses offer more features.

Comodo Antivirus 10 received a new look and achieved a perfect detection rate in the malware blocking test. However, the product performed worse in other tests by PCMag and in tests by independent labs.

Panda Free Antivirus has an attractive user interface and an unusual USB vaccination feature. However, the product did not perform well in independent lab tests and in PCMag's own tests.

Qihoo 360 Total Security comes with a powerful set of additional tools, but its basic antivirus protection can't compete with the best free antiviruses.

Naturally free products will not be as effective as their paid versions. This is definitely worth considering when choosing antivirus software. By the way, there is an opinion that using Linux completely eliminates the need to use antiviruses. Whether to believe this or not - decide for yourself, but I will allow myself to recommend interesting materials about and. Well, we're starting.

Top 5 Free Antivirus for Windows 2018

It is probably worth noting that I am not trying to give you as much information as possible about each individual antivirus in this top. I want to provide just the bare minimum, to get you started, or just to help you make a choice. It is better to look for all detailed information about each of the programs on official resources, as well as in other articles and materials (including on).

Avast Free Antivirus

In many tops, this antivirus (including its free version) occupies a leading position. I don’t think that this is due to the venality of these very tops, because I myself have been using this antivirus as my main antivirus for a long time. What can I say, I'm really happy with it. For a free product, this is very even nothing. Moreover, the free version of Avast has some features that are not even available in paid versions of other antiviruses. Therefore, I don’t know why you are still in doubt, quickly click on the button at the bottom of this item and go download an excellent antivirus.

A little about the features and benefits of Avast Free Antivirus:

• Intelligent antivirus protection: includes constant monitoring of the system, as well as timely blocking of virus software.
• WiFi check: detection of holes in home Wi-Fi networks, monitoring for unauthorized visitors.
• Intelligent Scan: allows you to detect all vulnerabilities in the system, including insecure settings and saved passwords.

AVG AntiVirus Free

Another excellent antivirus that occupies a leading position in all sorts of ratings and tops. As in the previous case, it has a paid version and the ability to upgrade to it. However, the free version also has quite interesting features and capabilities. AVG AntiVirus Free, according to the developers, has become even better. In addition to all the basic tools of comprehensive security software, AVG can check the system for vulnerabilities in real time, as well as stop suspicious downloads.

It is worth noting that the interface of the application has been noticeably improved. Now it's even easier to manage protection. And all this thanks to informative elements with which you can monitor the state of the system.

Application features:

• Protect your PC from viruses, spyware, hackers, ransomware, and more
• Blocking unsafe links, downloads and email attachments
• Ability to scan the system for performance issues
• Real-time updates

Kaspersky Free

A free solution from developers in Russia that has all the necessary features to protect your home computer. This program is notable for the fact that it spends very little of your system resources. And all this at a very high level of security; many users consider this antivirus the most powerful in terms of protection.

Kaspersky Free can:

• Automatically block dangerous files, apps and websites
• Check your mail for viruses
• Protect you from phishing sites
• Provide a high level of protection without slowing down the system

360 Total Security

This software will not only protect your PC from viruses, but at the same time, it will help clean and speed up your system. And it's all free, you won't be charged a cent. True, it is worth noting that this antivirus has a partner program with other companies (however, like many free solutions), so during installation you will need to refuse to install unnecessary software. Another feature 360 Total Security- support for engines of other antiviruses, and their simultaneous use. This approach helps to achieve the highest protection of your data.

Features of 360 Total Security:

• Protection against virus and malware
• Ransomware and ransomware protection
• Support for multiple engines
• Sandbox
• Safe online shopping
• Keylogger Protection
• System protection components (scanning disks, flash drives and vulnerabilities)
• Wi-Fi security check
• System optimization and data shredder

Panda Free Antivirus

A powerful Spanish product designed to completely and completely protect your system from intruders. The program is now being actively promoted on various resources, and those who have actually tried it speak with one voice about the high quality of protection. The application itself, by the way, is ready to work immediately after installation. As assured on the official website, you just need to install it, and then forget that your system is generally threatened by something. Panda will automatically scan the system, protecting it in real time.

Features of Panda Free Antivirus:

• Protecting your system from viruses, keyloggers and other malware
• Protecting your computer while browsing the Internet
• Low resource consumption
• Etc

5 (100%) 15 votes

Welcome everyone to the next edition! Almost every computer user knows perfectly well that any computer, tablet, laptop or other device needs high-quality protection.

Thousands of ways to infect remote PCs appear daily on the Internet, new viruses and simply dangerous programs are written to steal data or disable a computer. Therefore, there is a need to protect yourself from such misfortunes. Which antivirus is best for your comprehensive protection of personal computers? Which antivirus is better than others about this and many other issues, we will try to find out from our today's article ...

An ordinary user can protect himself from 99% of threats, but for this he must have good, comprehensive protection installed. There remains 1%, which includes planned and special attacks on a specific server or computer - if carried out competently and purposefully, such dangerous actions can bypass almost any ordinary protection and anti-virus program.

But, to our happiness, ordinary citizens are practically not exposed to such a danger, since serious hacking programs and viruses are written for specific purposes and an ordinary PC user is of little interest to really serious organizations.

Therefore, it will be enough just to install a good antivirus and configure its work specifically for your conditions of using a computer. Believe me, it will be a good, reliable and almost guaranteed protection against various Internet problems, viruses and leftist attacks.

Which antivirus is better - how to choose the right protection?

There are several recognized leaders in the anti-virus software market, among which you can actually make your choice. But at the same time, of course, it is IMPORTANT for you to remember that only one antivirus must be installed and configured correctly on the PC. If there are 2 or more of them, then the computer will not only slow down mercilessly, but it will not get proper protection either. Well, the defender programs, in turn, will conflict with each other, and even their joint work will not work. In addition, many antivirus programs now look at the installation stage on a PC to see if there is another antivirus and offer to remove it.

After you have enabled the firewall, you need to select the antivirus software. Here it will be difficult to advise something really concrete, but still possible. The fact is that every antivirus manufacturer claims that its program is the best and copes with such problems that competitors cannot overcome.

In fact, most of these programs are about the same. Some specialize in protecting against viruses. Some - to protect the computer in the network plan. Others are protected from malicious software and third-party applications that behave suspiciously and send something somewhere without your knowledge. In a word, the choice is great and I will list only the most common antivirus programs for 2016. And which antivirus is better, in my opinion, we will find out now.

They, in turn, can be divided into free, shareware and paid. Carefully study the selected antivirus for additional features and bonuses that can be purchased - sometimes there are really interesting offers. But in most cases, a home PC can be protected with at least a simple and free antivirus that will regularly update its databases of viruses and Internet dangers, monitor the computer and prevent suspicious files from running. For most families, this will be more than enough.

Free antivirus software for home PC

So, I'll start my list of recommendations with free antivirus programs. They are accessible, quite simple and understandable even to an inexperienced user. Such software belongs to the “install and forget” section, so if you don’t want to understand the settings and, even more so, pay, then you should pay attention to the following programs:

Avast! Free Antivirus is a hugely popular program nowadays that is completely free and is designed to be widely used on a wide variety of PCs. First of all, I would say that it is good in the sense that it can work completely without additional settings, but for those who are interested, it can offer a wide range of different options. It supports various popular features such as file quarantine, detects viruses and malware, can scan your computer in many ways, there is a special game mode and much more. Requires a small registration 1 time after installation;

Avira Free Antivirus is another popular home antivirus that offers effective results with few resources. It can constantly monitor the system or turn on occasionally, checking the entire hard drive for malware. Pretty simple, equipped with an update assistant system, can work automatically and prevent the installation of left-handed applications on the PC. Very often I hear users ask me which antivirus is better out of the two listed above. I answer you that they both have proven themselves satisfactorily at a particular level of protection for personal computers.

Microsoft Security Essentials is a good program from the official Windows manufacturer. It works easily, it does not load the system, it has minimal but necessary functions - it does not miss obvious viruses, it is regularly updated, it can scan the computer on specified days or hours, it works almost imperceptibly for the user. A good application that, paired with a firewall, can protect the computer quite well at the initial and intermediate levels;

It is also worth mentioning such free antiviruses as 360 Total Security, AVG, Comodo, Panda and other programs that have limited, but quite sufficient basic functionality. However, they do not provide 100% level protection, and besides, they do not have the so-called “fool protection”, but as a small protective addition for a home PC, it’s quite okay.

So, it should also be noted that you can say all these anti-virus programs presented above on the official website.

Paid antivirus programs - which antivirus is the best one?

Some of the most popular products can be classified as paid anti-virus programs for PC protection. The rest, less common, we will not recommend, since they have almost the same functions as their free counterparts. But the old and well-known antivirus paid software, real dinosaurs of their class, are really good and if you are concerned about the problem of computer security at a serious level, then I recommend considering the following antivirus products:

Kaspersky is one of the best paid antiviruses. There is also a free version, but full functionality is available only after an annual subscription. Provides a full-fledged, has a lot of functions and capabilities, can be configured as flexibly as it can be in this antivirus software. The cost is relatively small, but the renewal must be issued annually. There are profitable packages - when buying a subscription for a year, the second key comes as a gift and similar interesting offers;

Dr.Web, aka Doctor Web, is a good program that provides comprehensive PC protection. Like Kaspersky, it is available in various versions, has a trial period, includes all kinds of scanners and monitoring systems. Promptly updated, has proven itself from the best side. A subscription is also issued for a year, but the price is already cheaper than for Kaspersky. I wrote about Doctor Web in

In terms of efficiency and richness of settings, it is slightly less than the first antivirus on the list, but also a very, very good option;

ESET NOD32, aka Nod 32- a good antivirus with rich settings. Quite old and popular, it can be used for a wide range of tasks. It allows not only to effectively catch viruses, but also to perform various actions to control the computer and monitor it in a comprehensive manner. Feature - practically does not slow down the computer, it works quietly and easily. However, in the recent past, I had to abandon it because one of the significant drawbacks of this antivirus was the inability to check system files for malware. As a result, my computer was infected with a Trojan, which had to be removed thanks to Dr.Web. Although today the developers have probably already taken care of this flaw.

So, summing up today's issue - "Which antivirus is better" I can say with confidence that the best, reliable and comprehensive protection of the entire computer are antivirus programs from the "Paid" series. In addition, I note that all of the above anti-virus programs (both paid and free) have been installed by me on many computers. And it is paid antiviruses that, according to statistics, provide comprehensive protection for computers an order of magnitude higher than free ones. I also bring to your attention a short video: What is the best antivirus to install on a computer?

Thus, you can see that the choice of anti-virus software is quite wide and you can choose something optimal for your own needs without any problems. And what kind of protection programs for your computer do you prefer most of all, dear users?

This article will show which antivirus is actually better for windows 7. Many antiviruses on the Internet are divorced, everyone praises themselves and considers them the best, but we'll see if this is so.

What is a virus

Simply put, a virus is a program, like everything else on your computer. This program looks for holes in the protection of the computer, especially if it does not have an antivirus. There are standard protection systems, such as in Windows 7 and higher, when you install a program, you are asked about your intention.

But the virus is looking for loopholes to bypass the system and quickly register itself on the computer, in the same registry, which is very problematic when removed.

Which antivirus is best for windows 7

For the sake of answering the question of which antivirus is better for Windows 7, an article was written. The post will be directed to both types - free and paid antiviruses, because each representative has both options for services.

Kaspersky.

The giant that everyone knows about is Kaspersky Anti-Virus. Popular and reliable software that protects against everything that is possible. At one time he stood on my computer, everything is fine, but there is one minus, about him below. I won’t say anything bad, I warned and caught everything with lightning speed. There were also false positives, but it's better than non-working computer or laptop programs.

Pros:

1. High-quality and fast firewall.
2. Databases are updated frequently.
3. The speed of work is amazing.
4. A good function of blocking bad sites, shows in truth those sites with which something is wrong.

Minuses:

• Price 2000 at the moment, used to be 3000, the crisis has played a role.
• It loads the computer very much, if the machine is weak, then you can forget about Kaspersky. It requires a lot of resources, and there are reviews on this topic on the Internet.

All antiviruses from this collection can be downloaded for free and used, just read the entire post to get started.

Avast antivirus

Avast antivirus is an old man among antiviruses. I will say that I passed it, recently they have not praised it, it passes viruses. I was able to install it and evaluate it during its operation, and on the free version, which is no worse than the paid one, as the developers say.

Advantages

1. Quickly scans files on the system and installed applications.
2. The free period can be 1 year, which makes it stand out from the others.
3. Scans and monitors autoload, where viruses are usually registered.
4. Blocker of bad sites.
5. Speed ​​of work and low consumption of resources.
6. The cost is 1200 rubles at the moment.

Flaw

• Cant one and global. It passes viruses. Most likely, the databases are slowly updated, and new threats are easy to deceive.

All programs give a trial period without a license (more precisely, its purchase).

Antivirus ESET NOD32

Honestly, I did not use ESET NOD32 antivirus (I was only able to install a free version on a virtual machine), but among the rest it distinguishes itself as a tool not for housewives, but for advanced computer users. Reviews about it are different, about 60/40 the first digit is good.

Advantages

1. Everything that the others have.
2. Protecting the social networks of your accounts, which I have not seen in others.

disadvantages

• High cost, at maximum speed more expensive than Kaspersky comes out 2350 per year.
• The scanning speed is very low, besides, the computer slows down (my 6 cores are difficult to lead to a dead end, but the ESET NOD32 antivirus could), it will not work for a laptop, only on a PC.

Antivirus Avira Antivir

The dark horse of my rating is Avira Antivir. This software has been on my computer for 2 years, and in the free version. And I am very pleased, for the last 2 years I caught one virus, only because of my stupidity, although Avira warned me.

Advantages

1. Many free add-ons, for example, checking for bad sites in the browser itself.
2. Does not load the system and the computer, suitable for use on a laptop.
3. New bases come every day, even for the free version.
4. Quickly catches unwanted jumps.

Minuses

• Not really a minus, the check goes only after downloading the file (because the version is free).
• The price is 1900 rubles, and this is still on the day of the action, so the full set costs 2900.

An excellent antivirus, it will show all its power on free products, and paid ones will be on top.

Dr.Web anti-virus

Last on the list of Dr Web antivirus, but not least. The famous Doctor Web is Kaspersky's biggest competitor, and it's understandable why. Lots of free programs that easily scan and remove junk and pests from your computer.

pros

1. The free antivirus works just as well as the paid one. Only there are restrictions in terms of Internet protection.
2. Lots of extras.
3. A relatively low price, the most popular and powerful, only 1540 rubles a year.
4. Scans the system quickly, and indeed finds suspicious files.

disadvantages

• Low computer speed. But this is more likely not a minus, but a consequence of reliability, if you want good protection, you will have to sacrifice, or buy a more powerful computer.

All antiviruses support 32 and 64 bit Windows systems.

My choice is good and free

All are good, but my choice is Dr. Web, but I will not refuse my avira, it copes well. This rating is not empty words, I installed all the antiviruses myself and tried it. Plus, I looked at the reviews on the Internet, weighed and evaluated. You already know the winner. Moreover, Doctor Web is the best of both free and paid ones, well done developers.

An article on the topic, which has a lot of security tips, will be useful.

This article showed which antivirus is better for Windows 7 - the most reliable and adequate of all on the Internet for 2016. I'm done with this, good luck! Finally I found a cool video about antiviruses, look.

Antivirus protection of any device is more complicated than a coffee maker (and theirs too) is an urgent problem for many users. Without using any shield against malware (malware, if in Russian, or programs written with the aim of harming a computer and getting any profit from it), you may well be faced with the fact that spam will be sent on your behalf on social networks or produced popular today deception in the style of "no money, help out, two thousand before Wednesday." Or at one point you find that the computer is locked with a demand for money for unlocking. Or you will lose all your data (along with the OS) without any requirements from the creator - just like that. Or…

In general, let's understand the features of protection and make a list of the best free antiviruses in 2017 for your devices.

Instead of a preface

Strictly speaking, such programs cannot be called royalty-free for use. They are shareware or shareware. Payment is made not by transferring money to the account of the manufacturer, but by showing ads or truncated functionality, for the restoration of which you will already have to pay.

Image from comss.net

The best free antivirus for Windows XP, 7, 8, 10 in 2017

Some users believe that it is enough to use the antivirus built into the latest versions of Windows and consider themselves safe. Yes, not so. According to independent labs, Windows Defender misses an average of 1 in 10 malware. Therefore, it is necessary to think about additional protection (or even replacement with more effective means).

Be especially careful when installing. Inattentive clicking on the "Next" button will lead to the installation of all kinds of Yandex.bars, Google toolbars, the Amigo browser, and so on. These, of course, are not viruses, but you should not unnecessarily litter your computer with ballast programs.

AVG AntiVirus Free 2017

We put this antivirus in the first place, and deservedly so. If in previous versions it showed not very impressive results in terms of performance and protection, then the 2017 version has significantly improved these indicators and feels great. For example, the AV-Test lab gave it the highest score for its level of protection and low false positive rate.

This antivirus receives additional bonus points and virtual likes for the flexible configuration of many parameters sufficient for the average user.

There is one non-critical minus - there is no real-time signature update. Even so, AVG is the best free home antivirus available today.

Avira Free Antivirus

Many companies believe that for the popularity of their product, it is imperative to provide it with an interface with Metro-style half-screen buttons and a minimum of settings. For some reason, this is so - a beautiful interface pleases the eye. On the other hand, in this area there is no need to choose between "checkers or go" - the second is clearly preferable. An antivirus is rated based on its ability to detect malicious code.

The Germans from Avira Operations GmbH & Co. went just this way and from version to version they create a product that is unpretentious in appearance, but with a productive and efficient engine and analysis algorithms. AV-Comparatives has placed Avira in first place in 3 of the last 10 tests, and in five more tests it has entered the top five of the best free antiviruses. In addition, it is quite flexibly configured for comprehensive monitoring and protection. Or you can leave it alone, and the program will function just fine with the default settings. All in all, a great choice for everyday use.

Panda Free Antivirus 2017

Panda appears in almost all tests of the leading laboratories in the top five, and often gets into the top 3. In addition to the usual functions, it provides filtering of Internet links, significantly increasing the protection of the user's computer. You can also install protection on your USB drive, monitor running processes for virus activity, and much more.

Cons - relatively low scanning speed, meager settings. But for a free antivirus, such functionality is an industry standard. Its overall performance and detection accuracy puts it among the very best in PC anti-malware solutions.

Avast Free Antivirus 2017

Let's start with the cons. This program is not a powerful means of protecting your computer from viruses in general. However, it has additional functionality that is head and shoulders above that provided by competitors. Protection against zero-day vulnerabilities (when the malicious code has not yet been analyzed by experts and not included in signature databases), blocking harmful links, monitoring network "holes", password quality, and much more make it a fairly comprehensive tool. As an addition to another program - a wonderful choice.

The best free antivirus for android

Android as an operating system itself has quite powerful mechanisms for regulating the launch of applications, including malicious ones, which came straight from the progenitor - * nix systems. But for maximum protection, you need to use other methods of protection and not rely on the fact that malware will not penetrate your device along with a trusted program.

Currently, it is quite difficult to choose an antivirus - the Play Market is filled with a huge number of various protection tools that are quite close in terms of their functionality and reliability. Let's try to understand this wealth.

Avira Antivirus Security

Such a program is worthy of mention in itself, thanks to a wonderful desktop (read - on personal computers) experience. The engine and detection algorithms have received numerous awards and are in the top positions in the rankings. Nice bonuses included:

• anti-theft, with sending geolocation data to the owner, remote lock and other functions;

• password protection of confidential information and applications;

• call filtering.

360 Security - Antivirus FREE

One of the most popular software solutions for protecting your device according to the Play Market, which does not limit its functionality in any way. This product provides not only protection against malware, but also functions to clean up junk, save battery power, remove running programs from RAM, and much more. In addition, it is undemanding to device resources, saves Internet traffic, and monitors during installation and startup. If you want to install a good antivirus for free, then this wonderful combiner with many solutions for everyday use is a great choice.

Online tools

Leaving aside applications that are installed directly on devices, we will consider a separate caste of “antiviral drugs”. They do not monitor the computer, keep a log, and do not quarantine files. These are online scanners, and they are used when there is no certainty about the security of any file. The principle is simple to disgrace - you upload a file to the site, it is checked by several engines in a row and a verdict is issued on its infection or safety.

VirusTotal

By uploading a file to VirusTotal, you can be sure that if the test result is negative and the file is “clean”, then it does not need any other verification. Scanning with more than 50 engines with an analysis of behavior and principles of operation allows you to be sure of its safety (or that it is a fundamentally new virus). One of the main problems is false positives, the number of which is quite large. However, it is by far the best free online antivirus according to user reviews.

Metascan Online

Quite an interesting service, a direct competitor to VirusTotal. The principle of operation is exactly the same, with one plus, a seeming minus - a smaller number of scanning tools. Rejection of weak algorithms allows you to cut off false positives and increase the overall level of verification. The service also allows you to upload slightly larger files (up to 140 megabytes) and keeps a history of scans.

We do not claim to be the ultimate truth, and we cannot unequivocally say which free antivirus is the best, but by using the above software and online services, you are more likely to secure your device from outside attacks.