5 Best Free Antivirus in 2022
Contents
- 1 The Best Free Antivirus Software for 2022
- 1.1 Our Top 5 Picks for Best Free Antivirus
- 1.2 Here are the Best Antivirus Deals for Week!
- 1.3 Avast One Essential – Best Free Antivirus
- 1.4 Who is it for?
- 1.5 AVG AntiVirus – Best Free Antivirus
- 1.6 We chose it
- 1.7 Bitdefender Antivirus is Free for Windows
- 1.8 Avira Free Security
- 1.9 Microsoft Defender Antivirus – Best Free Antivirus
- 1.10 Free Antivirus Vs Paid Antivirus
- 1.11 The Best Free Malware Assurance
The Best Free Antivirus Software for 2022
Despite the fact that Microsoft Defender is improving, you shouldn’t solely rely on it. You do not need to pay more for it, though. We’ve analyzed the best free antivirus apps so you can safeguard your computer without spending any money.
Our Top 5 Picks for Best Free Antivirus
In this article, we share our top 5 picks for the best free antivirus software. We review each of these programs in detail, and we also give you a detailed guide to choosing a good antivirus program.
Malicious software can be a lucrative business. It may even be as profitable as creating helpful or entertaining software. Although malware types vary, they all share the same goal: to make money. Snooping Trojans can steal your personal information and then sell it. Ransomware is a Trojan that encrypts your files and demands payment. To fight these threats, it may seem unfair to be forced to pay for antivirus. Good news! The best free antivirus solution can protect your devices and PCs without cost.
While your antivirus program should be able to remove existing malware, it also needs to keep ransomware, botnets, and Trojans from getting into your computer. All of the Best Free Antivirus programs that we have selected offer real-time protection. Some fight the browser by making sure you don’t visit malware-hosting sites or fall for phishing scams.
Some of these freebies are even better than their for-pay counterparts. You can also try many before you settle on one.
Here are the Best Antivirus Deals for Week!
Deals selected by our commerce team
- Avast One Essential PCMag Editor’s choice for a free anti-virus
- McAfee Total Security- $99.99 per 10-Devices on 2-Year Plans
- Norton AntiVirus Plus- $19.99 per 1-Device on the 1-Year Plan.
- Bitdefender Total Safety 35.99 for 5-Devices with 1-Year Plans
- Webroot SecurityAnywhere – $13.99 for 1 device on 1 year Plan
- VIPRE Ultimate security- $59.99 per 5-Devices with 1-Year Plans.
Avast One Essential – Best Free Antivirus
Bottom line:
Avast One Essential provides impressive protection for Windows boxes, with a reduced level of protection on iOS, Android, and macOS. It is an Editors’ Choice winner in antivirus protection.
PROS
- Excellent scores from many antivirus labs
- Excellent scores on our hands-on test
- Protection for Windows, macOS, and Android
- Limitless VPN bandwidth
- Performance and privacy features included
CONS
- Android has less protection than iOS, but iOS offers more protection
- Advanced firewall features are not available
- No Wi-Fi Inspector
- Upgrades are required for many useful features
We chose it
Avast has been providing the Best Free Antivirus protection since the dawn of the antivirus industry. Avast One Essential offers award-winning antivirus protection, plus many other benefits. Avast is included in the reports of all four independent testing labs that we follow. It passes almost every test. Avast also scores high in our hands-on testing. It also offers a permission-based ransomware prevention system, a basic firewall, and a bandwidth-limited VPN.
Avast reserves some features for paid customers. The free edition scans and identifies apps that are missing security patches. It will then update those apps at your request. However, it won’t automatically keep your apps up to date. It’s free to get a list of junk files or broken registry items. Cleaning up the mess is a premium option.
Many antivirus programs that are free work only on Windows platforms. Avast offers protection for iOS, Android, and macOS. The labs give it high marks for its macOS edition. Its ransomware protection and browser trace cleanup work the same as on Windows. VPN works just like Windows. You get privacy protection, antivirus, VPN, junk cleanup, and privacy protection on Android, but anti-theft is absent. While iOS protection is not extensive, it does offer VPN, filtering malicious and fraudulent websites, and additional protection for your photos.
Who is it for?
Avast One Essential is the perfect choice if you find security software entertaining rather than cumbersome. This free version of Avast One Essential is more powerful than the commercial Avast One suite. It can be used to protect all of your devices, not just Windows computers.
AVG AntiVirus – Best Free Antivirus
Bottom line:
AVG AntiVirus Free is the same Best Free Antivirus protection engine that Avast Free offers, but with additional bonus features.
PROS
- Three labs scored excellent marks
- All our hands-on tests scored very well
- No cost
- Persistent malware is removed by a boot-time scan
- A few useful bonus features
CONS
- Initial scans take longer than the average
- Upgrades are required to fix performance problems.
- The boot-time scan can take a while
We chose it
Avast purchased AVG in 2016. Both products share the same antivirus technology. AVG AntiVirus Free offers the same protection as Avast. Because not all labs report on AVG, the aggregate lab scores of both are different. AVG wins because the lab that skipped AVG was the only one to give Avast an extremely low score.
AVG, like Avast, protects you against ransomware by preventing any unauthorized modifications to the files. AVG’s free version, like Avast’s, will detect junk files and other performance stumbling blocks but it won’t fix any issues unless you pay. A hardened browser, a shopping deal-finding tool, and a network security inspector are just a few of the bonus features.
Who is it for?
If you prefer protection software that is enjoyable rather than burdensome, Avast One Essential is the ideal option for you. Avast One Essential’s free edition has more strength than the premium Avast One suite. All of your gadgets, not just Windows desktops, may be secured with it.
Bitdefender Antivirus is Free for Windows
Bottom line:
Bitdefender is the Best Free Antivirus Windows uses the same core antivirus technology as Bitdefender Antivirus Plus. It focuses on antivirus protection and has minimal add-ons.
PROS
- Same core antivirus protection, for-pay Bitdefender
- Independent testing labs score high
- Excellent scores on our hands-on test
- Some features are not available in the previous free edition
- No cost
CONS
- Protection against ransomware is not available
- Unusually slow first-time complete scan
We chose it
Bitdefender Antivirus Free Windows provides basic protection, which is exactly what Editors’ Choice Bitdefender Antivirus PLUS offers. It is more like Bitdefender’s suite but has many of its features disabled. While most of the features are understandable, the absence of vulnerability scan and ransomware remediation is disappointing. Bitdefender’s unusual defense timeline is a positive sign. It shows how Bitdefender stopped an attack. Bitdefender’s defense against fraudulent and malicious websites (phishing), is unmatched.
The commercial antivirus has a lot more features than other security suites. These include a basic password management system, secure browsing with a hardened computer, a Rescue Environment to recover Windows from malware, and Wi-Fi security analysis. These are not free.
Who is it for?
Bitdefender is a well-respected security company. The company’s researchers regularly report on new developments. Although it is smart to rely on this company for your antivirus protection, you might be put off by all the features included in the commercial version. Bitdefender is the Best Free Antivirus is a great alternative. It provides the core protection you need without confusing extras.
Avira Free Security
Bottom line:
Avira Free Security offers more than just antivirus. It also includes dozens of security-related tools. Many require payment to access full functionality.
PROS
- There are many more features than basic antivirus
- VPN with limited features
- Simple password manager
- No cost
CONS
- For full functionality, many features require payment
- Some hands-on exams result in poor scores
We chose it
Avira Free Security, which is similar to Avast’s offer for free, is a free version of a full security suite. Although all the features are easily visible, many of them are hidden. Avira’s anti-virus technology is important enough to be tested by all four labs we follow. Avira scores mostly high, with some clinkers. Although it didn’t perform as well in hands-on testing, we trust the labs when our results are not consistent with those of the labs.
Avira scans apps for vulnerabilities due to missing security updates, but you can fix them manually. Avira also offers a simple password manager and a shopping deal-finder. It also has active prevention of ad tracking and a bandwidth-limited VPN.
The inclusion of the Avira Crypto Ethereum mining component is perhaps more controversial. Avira Crypto will be installed on your computer if it is capable of supporting it. This component is responsible for background mining cryptocurrency. Avira oversees the process and takes a little bit of the profits.
Who is it for?
Are you looking for a complete security suite or a basic antivirus? Are you able to handle occasional upsell windows that pop up when you click on a feature that isn’t free? Avira Free Security might be the right choice for you.
Microsoft Defender Antivirus – Best Free Antivirus
Bottom line:
Avira Free Security offers more than just antivirus. It also includes dozens of security-related tools. Many require payment to access full functionality.
PROS
- There are many more features than basic antivirus
- VPN with limited features
- Simple password manager
- No cost
CONS
- For full functionality, many features require payment
- Some hands-on exams result in poor scores
We chose it
Avira Free Security is a free version of a complete security suite, similar to what Avast is giving away. All the features are apparent, but many of them are concealed. All four of the labs we monitor have tested Avira’s antivirus technology. With a few hiccups, Avira receives largely high ratings. We trust the tests when our results do not match those of the labs, even though they did not work as well in hands-on testing.
Avira checks programs for vulnerabilities brought on by outdated security patches, but you can manually correct them. Moreover, Avira provides a straightforward passcode and a shopping deal finder. Additionally, a bandwidth-limited VPN and active ad-tracking avoidance are included.
Perhaps more contentious is the addition of the Avira Cryptocurrency Ethereum mining component. If your machine can support it, Avira Crypto will be run on it. This element is in charge of cryptocurrency background mining. Avira supervises the procedure and retains a little portion of the revenue.
Who is it for?
Are you looking for a complete security suite or a basic antivirus? Are you able to handle occasional upsell windows that pop up when you click on a feature that isn’t free? Avira Free Security might be the right choice for you.
Free Antivirus Vs Paid Antivirus
Why would anyone want to pay for antivirus software if free versions are so good? Many of these things are only free for noncommercial usage for a particular something. You should opt for the premium version if you want to protect your company in any way. By that time, you should probably think about upgrading to a heavy security package. In the end, the security of your company is at stake.
In any case, the majority of for-pay antiviral gadgets offer more than their free counterparts for private usage, often significantly more. For instance, the commercial versions of ZoneAlarm and Adaware offer protection against malicious and fraudulent websites that the free versions lack. Additionally, Panda offers a variety of features to paying customers, including firewall protection, application control, cross-platform support, and the location of faulty Wi-Fi connections.
Additionally, a lot of businesses don’t provide complete technical assistance for users of their free releases. You can bemoan the lack of assistance when you first require further help removing a particularly tenacious piece of malware from beneath your foundation.
The Best Free Malware Assurance
As well as cautiously examining results from the autonomous labs, we additionally run our own active malware security test. We open each antivirus to an assortment of malware tests, including a wide range of malware types, and note its response. Normally, the antivirus will clear out the majority of the examples without hesitation and identify a portion of the leftover ones when we attempt to send off them. We determine a malware obstructing score from 0 to 10 focusing on how completely the antivirus safeguards the test framework from these examples.
Since we utilize similar examples for many months, the malware-hindering test doesn’t gauge an item’s capacity to distinguish fresh out of the plastic new dangers. In a different test, we endeavor to download malware from 100 extremely new malignant URLs provided by London-based testing lab MRG-Effitas(Opens in another window), ordinarily under a couple of days old. We note whether the antivirus obstructed all admittance to the URL, cleared out the pernicious payload during download, or sat idle.
Positive Qualities
Almost all antivirus programs scan files as soon as they are accessed to ensure that malware cannot run, and they also scan the entire system when needed or according to a schedule you define. After that cleaning and planning, another effective technique to stay out of danger is to restrict all access to URLs that house malware. Numerous products go beyond that basic level of security to warn customers away from shady websites, phishing sites that attempt to steal their login information for financial sites, and other sensitive websites. A few people evaluate links in search results, highlighting any risky or dubious ones.
